Mount Monda has always lain in wait. Matt Walters can see it from his house, quietly looming though the Victorian mist. One morning two years ago, he started running up that hill and back down again.

The metaphor isn’t lost on him. For six years, Matt Walters turned his back on music. He left behind his major label and world tours without regret. But if you’re a lapsed songwriter during the empty space of the pandemic, songs will call you to action.

Luke Postill, producer of Matt’s first EP back in 2008, also felt the weight of the pandemic. Instead of giving into the fear of his halted events business, Luke saw the opportunity to do exactly what he wanted. They hadn't seen each other since that initial recording, so a chance meeting at the foot of the mountain seemed a bit like cosmic conspiracy.

“All my favourite records were made at home. I decided to make something that I loved." Luke says. Together, they dusted off Matt’s home recording gear. “We would show up and just start recording. No songs, no real structure. As the songs formed, I realised that we had that thing that I love about records: spirit and spontaneity.” Matt adds.

"That feeling has an impact on a record. On past records I was counting down the moments till I could get out of the studio. This time, I just wanted to keep going."

The rush of inspiration naturally caught others in its spell. A Dream in Slow Motion, the title track of Mount Monda's debut EP, features lyrics co-written by US alt-country artist Kim Richey. Drummer Lachlan O'Kane (Angie McMahon) came in to record loops and samples, and replay and restructure rhythms tapped on tables.

"This music; this collaboration with Luke feels like the beginning of a new chapter. It's nice to know that we're just getting started."

TRACKLISTING

1 - Summer Lungs
2 - Get you Wrong
3 - A Dream in Slow Motion
4 - Eve
5 - Death in a Retirement Home