Biography

There are Mojo Monkeys, Musicians who filter swampy New Orleans grooves, Bakersfield honky-tonk and Texas swing through distinctly Angeleno sensibilities. Singer/drummer David Raven, bassist Taras Prodaniuk and guitarist Billy Watts first discovered their musical chemistry while backing Tower of Power vocalist Hubert Tubbs in a funk band 20 years ago. Since then, they’ve accompanied a Who’s Who of Americana and rock, including @Eric Burdon, @Merle Haggard, @Kris Kristofferson, @Shelby Lynne, @Mike Ness, @Bonnie Raitt, @Richard Thompson, @John Trudell, @Dwight Yoakam and @Lucinda Williams. That depth of rootsy musicality infuses Swerve On, as with Hang and Blessings & Curses. “I press record and we just start improvising. Sometimes songs come out in one piece. Other times we go, ‘Hey, got an idea for a bridge?’ We create a song structure, then, usually, I go wrestle lyrics and melodies into those structures. but, I’m not opposed to editing the tracks if the story requires it” “Song for the Muse,” a funky track that was around for years, tells what happened when the muse stood him up. “If I Were Gone” recounts his brush with death : “I really started thinking about death and honestly, being OK with it. I felt, ‘Well, maybe my time is up.’ But I came through it.” The LA music community is happy he lived. Raven says. “It’s not like we’re just standing up there looking at our shoes. There’s so much joy. We just love playing together, and I think that translates.”