“I’m Always Going to Do What I Want”: MonoNeon Unveils Bold New Album and Global Tour
The prolific and singular bassist MonoNeon is following up last year’s Quilted Neon with a new album for 2025. You Had Your Chance… Bad Attitude was recorded between his hometown of Memphis and Floki Studios in Iceland and will mark his first release on the Color Red label.
MonoNeon has put out nearly 20 solo releases in his career with a variety of sounds and textures. His earlier works fused southern funk with 20th century compositional techniques. He continues to blend genres on the new album from a Prince-style funk, ’70s soft rock, synth-tinged R&B, and more.
No matter the influences or styles, MonoNeon is making the music he wants to make.
“I’m in this space where I don’t want to compromise anything,” MonoNeon says. “It doesn’t matter how high I want to go or how successful I want to be. I’m always going to do what I want to do, because that’s how I keep myself alive.”
He was the last bassist to work with the superstar Prince before his passing, and that influence can be heard on the new record’s first single. “Bad Attitude” has the groove and synth sounds you might hear in a track from The Purple One, but it’s still distinctly MonoNeon. Check it out here:
In addition to the new album announcement, MonoNeon has revealed an outing called the “I Want Snacks & Gifts” Tour. The run will go from May to June with stops in the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. See below for his itinerary.
You Had Your Chance… Bad Attitude will be released on May 16th.
MonoNeon “I Want Snacks & Gifts” 2025 Tour Dates:
| Date | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|
| May 03 | Riverbeat | Memphis, TN |
| May 11 | Buffalo Bayou Park | Houston, TX |
| May 13 | Red Bluff Music, Arts, & Food Fest | Montgomery, AL |
| Jun 09 | The Tuning Fork | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Jun 10 | San Fran | Wellington, New Zealand |
| Jun 12 | The Princess Theatre | Brisbane, Australia |
| Jun 13 | Vivid Sydney | Sydney, Australia |
| Jun 14 | The Croxton Bandroom | Melbourne, Australia |
| Jun 18 | Blue Note Place | Ebisu, Japan |
| Jun 19 | Blue Note Tokyo | Tokyo, Japan |
| Jun 20 | Blue Note Tokyo | Tokyo, Japan |
| Jun 21 | Blue Note Hawaii | Honolulu, HI |
| Jun 24 | Yoshi’s Oakland | Oakland, CA |
| Jun 25 | Yoshi’s Oakland | Oakland, CA |
| Jun 26 | Echoplex | Los Angeles, CA |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
