New York City-based indie rockers MONOTRONIC are sharing their latest single and music video, “Kids Of Summer,” today, August 16. The catchy indie-pop anthem, evoking nostalgic feelings of youth and carefree days, offers a glimpse of what’s to come on Monotronic’s forthcoming album Waiting For You which is set for release in early 2025.
Originally released as a single in 2020, this reworked “Kids of Summer” features the talents of GRAMMY-nominated drummer Omar Hakim. Globally celebrated for his work, Hakim has worked with the biggest names in music across a multitude of genres, from David Bowie and Daft Punk to Foo Fighters and Miles Davis, among many others.
“Kids of Summer” ft. Omar Hakim is out today, August 16: https://orcd.co/kidsofsummer / https://youtu.be/MQJR46A99Sg
“‘Kids of Summer’ is a fun summer banger,” bandleader/guitarist/producer Ramsey Elkholy shares of this newly released track. “It’s a song about freedom and youth, set in a chapter of life that we can all relate to, when things are simple and responsibilities are fewer. It’s also about the unknown and facing a world of limitless possibilities (‘flying into the sun’), while having the courage to navigate through relationships and other uncertainties with grace. ‘If you feel that we got in this way too deep, we could just pretend it was meant to be.’”
The music video echoes the carefree spirit of the song and serves as an homage to New York City summers. Shot using a GoPro, DIY/guerrilla style through the streets of lower Manhattan during the historic summer of 2020, amid Black Lives Matter protests and the pandemic, the video captures the electric energy of the city and its people. A personal touch is added with the appearance of Elkholy’s French bulldog, Snookie, cruising on a skateboard.
“Kids of Summer” comes on the heels of the band’s last single “Sun Song,” also set to appear on the full-length album, the band’s second LP after 2019’s self-titled debut release. Upon its initial release in 2020, “Kids of Summer” received global radio support and the music video for premiered at #1 on VEVO’s Incoming Indie playlist. Most recently, the video for “Sun Song” reached over 30k views in the first month and premiered at #2 on VEVO’s Incoming Alternative playlist; watch here.
Created from the vision of guitarist/producer Ramsey Elkholy, Monotronic–which also includes a rotating cast of musicians that have played with everyone from Daft Punk to Joe Jackson to Robert Randolph–combines Elkholy’s love for music with his inspiration from other cultures. Incorporating elements of electronic and synth, pop and rock, as well as influences from Elkholy’s globetrotting travels, the music always leans heavy on heart and empathetic storytelling.
A dynamic and curious creator, Elkholy, who also holds a doctorate in anthropology, draws upon his many observations of our diverse world in both his lyrical and musical compositions. Much of these influences are a result of his lengthy travels throughout India and Southeast Asia. Spending two years backpacking throughout the world and studying Indian music in Calcutta, he later returned to Southeast Asia as a graduate student and lived among the Orang Rimba tribe in the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia for two years. His book Being and Becoming: Embodiment and Experience among the Orang Rimba of Sumatra is the culmination of his experiences in the jungle.
Living this “collective” mode of life where the group is valued over the individual is an idea that Elkholy brings to Monotronic, where every musician is encouraged to bring their own creativity to produce truly “collective” music. According to Elkholy, “Monotronic is a concept, whereby each instrument can be heard as a continuation of the other and the music sounds as one distinct whole, emanating from a single source.”
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