Monsters of Folk
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Monsters of Folk was a notable American supergroup composed of Jim James (My Morning Jacket); Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes); Will Johnson (Centro-matic); and M. Ward (solo artist and one half of She & Him). The ensemble came together in 2004 while each member was on tour, collaborating on new music alongside their primary bands. Their first album, titled Monsters of Folk, was released on September 22, 2009, under Rough Trade Records.
Upon release, the album entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 143 and eventually climbed to a peak of No. 15. It also achieved significant rankings on several other charts: No. 3 on Top Independent Albums, No. 8 on Top Rock Albums, No. 7 on Top Digital Albums, and No. 6 on Top Alternative Albums.
The recording sessions took place in both Omaha, Nebraska, and Malibu, California. To promote the album, the group embarked on a supporting tour. Their song "Baby Boomer" was selected as Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week on October 27, 2009.
In October 2009, Monsters of Folk appeared at Neil Young's 23rd annual Bridge School Benefit held at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.
During live performances, Will Johnson took on drumming duties; Jim James affectionately dubbed him "the fifth Monster" during their appearance on Austin City Limits.
M. Ward expressed intentions to produce additional material following their debut release.
The album’s final track, "His Master's Voice," was featured in the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, while "Map of the World" was included in an episode of the CW series Gossip Girl.
Album
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Alt |
US Folk |
US Heat |
US Indie |
US Rock |
AUS | ||
| Monsters of Folk |
|
15 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 91 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Say Please" | Monsters of Folk |
| 2010 | "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)" |
Band members
- Jim James – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, keyboards
- Mike Mogis – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, dobro, bass, drums, percussion
- Conor Oberst – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, keyboards, piano
- M. Ward – vocals, guitar, bass, piano
Touring musicians
- Will Johnson – drums, backing vocals