Today we’d like to introduce you to Rooftop Monkey
Hi Rooftop, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Rooftop Monkey started about a year and a half ago on top of the UCF parking garages. It’s been a space for bands everywhere to rehearse, especially late at night. There’s a culture that’s been crafted over many years by the different artists, with bands sharing the space, collaborating on songs, and putting on shows. Alex, the Lead Guitarist, met Guitarist and Vocalist Charlie at Full Sail, where they began jamming on the UCF rooftops. These two talented mucins then went on to wright the foundations of what would later become some the first few rooftop monkey songs Eventually, Sky, a percussionist at UCF, joined the band in early 2024 and has now become a vital part of the group as he is the groups Drummer and Vocalist. Lastly they met Seann, the band’s bassist, earlier this year during a jam. With the current roster of musicians they have been preparing to play in some upcoming shows.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a band, we reached our lowest point in late summer of last year. During this time we had two of our artists depart from our band. In just a month our band had gone from a five piece band performing at least one show every month to a three piece band without a singer or bass player. This was a challenging time for us as a band since we were unsure what was to come in the next few months. However we did not give up, during this time we had to redefine rooftop monkeys’ sound. Charlie had to pick up the bass again after not playing for over 10 months and both him and Sky had to learn for the first time vocals while still playing their instruments. This proved to be an extremely difficult task for the band with us having to modify many of our original songs in order to fit the new line up. When Seann joined the band to play bass it allowed for us to return to a semi normal feel. Charlie was able to return to playing the guitar and bring us back to using the same instruments as before. At this point both Sky and Charlie had been able to develop the voices and technique. This allowed them to blend playing their instruments with singing creating a rich and captivating sound. This is what makes up the sound that makes Rooftop Monkey who we are.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At its core Rooftop Monkey is an Alt-Indie Rock band that draws some of its distinct sounds from other genres including Americana, Reggae, Punk, and more. As a band we try to take a stylistic approach to our work similar to that of a jam band. Often we will take a small riff or melody and work to expand that one little idea into a full blown song. We specialize in a very technical style of playing and making our music with precision and control. Due to this you will often find strong harmonies, fast tempo changes, and intense rhythms. As a band we are most proud of the chemistry as that is what truly matters to a band’s dynamic. Having moments where we are able to laugh with each other. What sets Rooftop Monkey apart from other bands within our genre is the connections we make. We love to chat with fans and artists and create a sense of family with those who we interact with. We believe that the difference between a good and a great band is the band’s ability to connect with the people around them in a positive way.
What does success mean to you?
Our goal when forming Rooftop Monkey was simply to be able to connect with others through music every day. Every day we are taking steps toward this goal by hosting practices on the UCF garages, playing shows all over Florida, or joining open mics at Austin’s coffee. We dream of doing it all, from playing shows on global tours at big locations such as Red Rocks Amphitheater and Glastonbury festival to playing smaller local shows on Florida’s beaches. Each member has their own personal music and career goals. Alex planning to open his own studio and Charlie planning to start his own live music venue. Sky plans to become a professional studio drummer while Seann aspires to become a live sound engineer.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @rooftopmonkey
- Facebook: @rooftopmonkey
- Other: https://linktr.ee/rooftopmonkey
Image Credits
Taken by Derik Hawkins, Last photo edited by Seann Levine
