“As debut albums go, Yours To Lend is quite polished and assured in it’s delivery.”
– Simon Clark, The AU Review
“there’s lots to like about this from dutch monks, it’s got plenty of heart and oomph.”
– Declan Byrne, Triple j Unearthed
Yours to Lend, the debut album from transcontinental duo, Dutch Monks, is a complete and polished body of work that showcases the band’s incredible musical connection. It contains a vast mixture of emotions, grooves, tempos, and textures. Jesse Rudd-Schmidt’s tactful lyrics take the listener through the emotions of relationships and loss, while Thijs Flinsenberg’s intricate piano lines are a stand out, ducking in and out of the lyrical journey and providing melodic highlights throughout.
From the thundering introduction of the opening track “Storm”, and past the catchy indie pop rock bop of their debut single “Colour Blind”, lies a middle section that takes the listener into the heartfelt emotions of the album’s title track, describing the loss of a loved one to cancer and the effects on all of those around. Lead single “Colour Blind” was quickly snapped up by radio stations which saw the band picking up spins on both community and commercial radio.
“Dutch Monks have quickly established a charming M.O, blending the upbeat jaunt of classic Aussie indie rock with raw thematics’.” – Tiana Speter, The Soundcheck
The album finishes off strong with the current up-tempo single “Never! Not Anyone”, and a final lullaby that serenades the listener to the sounds of acoustic guitar and harmonica on the track “Rory”, an ode to a tormented and heartbroken relationship.
“What an incredible experience! Recording a full length album has always been a huge dream of mine, ever since I started writing songs over 15 years ago.
After meeting Thijs and developing such a strong musical connection it allowed all these songs that I had written over the last decade to take a whole new shape, maturing from simple vocals and guitar into much richer sounds with intricate chordal layers and harmonies. And then to have some super talented session musicians add their flavour to it in the studio, it has just ended up something I am completely happy with which I’ve never had before. I’ve always listened back to previous recordings and wanted to improve this and that and tidy it up more. But with all the work we put into the production of this album we’ve already done that. I wouldn’t change a thing on the whole 10 track album.
It’s kind of emotional for me really, because lyrically it tells the story of my twenties… the highs and the lows! I really hope people can connect with the whole range of emotions captured on the album and enjoy what we have made.”
– Jesse Rudd-Schmidt (guitar/vocals)
Jesse is a singer-songwriter from Melbourne, and Thijs, a pianist from Utrecht, the Netherlands. In a stroke of luck, professional work led Thijs to Australia where he met Jesse. For around two years they both worked together in medical research at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. After playing together once after work, a strong musical bond was formed.
Yours to Lend is an album full of heart and has something there for everyone to enjoy.
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