Intro:
Elsewhere on this site is a review of Melodies for Afternoon, which gives due praise.

For this interviewer, I’ve had to tuck my superlatives into the conversation, but they are there. It is a delight to discover that sometimes the Artist and the Art are unified in their honest, direct, and approachable expression. Mr. Mondia’s thought-out answers serve as a wonderful supplement to his music.

E.C.: Melodies for Afternoon, although a 2003 release, seems to have an incredible freshness to all who hear it. It’s one of those albums that everyone responds to with an enthusiastic arrival of something new when they first hear the disc. That’s highly unusual in an industry where something even six months in the past is deemed not-as-fresh. To what do you attribute that kind of enthusiastic reaction you’re getting to Melodies?

Chris Mondia: That’s a tough question to answer. All I can say is that I put a lot of the feelings in my heart into these songs and maybe people are picking up on that. I just don’t know, really. I’m just glad they are having some sort of emotional response to the material.

E.C.: Hopefully you won’t mind jumping back in time for a moment, but fans of your disc would love to know more about you: how old are you, Chris, and could you elaborate a bit on some of your formative musical experiences?

Chris Mondia: I don’t mind at all. Let’s see…I’m 29 years old. I was taught guitar and piano by my father. My father is a musician as well as one of the world’s biggest Beatles fans and that has obviously had an impact. Having a father who was very enthusiastic about sixties pop music can only be a good thing! I was in various ‘bands’ with friends early on but my first real band was a group called Ella Megalast which was an odd combination of indie shoegaze, ala early Lilys and The Swirlies, and more traditional pop, like the Beatles. After that, I was in The Aerial Tour Instrumental. After that petered out…I decided to go it alone with The Green Fields.

E.C.: Further to my last question: what was the one record/album/song that made you really fall in love with music?

Chris Mondia: It would have to be something by The Beatles. Maybe something off of “Meet the Beatles”. That was the first record I remember actually owning. Or maybe “Golden Slumbers”. I remember really loving that song as a child.

E.C.: You’ve got a wide range of influences/tastes running through your wholly original music. Could you speak to some of those influences and how they’ve affected your approach to writing music and/or your recording?

Chris Mondia: I’d say my primary influence is producers, arrangers and songwriters, mostly from the sixties and seventies. On the pop side of things I’ve been very affected by people like Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, Roger Nichols, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys (specifically the post-“Pet Sounds” albums like “Friends” and “Sunflower”), Phil Spector, the production work of Tommy Li Puma and arrangements of Nick De Caro for A&M records in the late sixties, Al De Lory, who produced and arranged all those great records for Glen Campbell like “Wichita Lineman” and “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”, Curt Boettcher’s use of pedal steel with his sunshine pop productions really turned me on to the possibilities of that instrument, and the work of The Beatles will always have a place in my heart.

I really dig traditional and country music also. Most of the country music I like tends to be from the sixties and seventies as well. There are all those great ‘countrypolitan’ records, primarily produced and arranged by Billy Sherrill, by artists like George Jones, Charlie Rich, Tammy Wynette, etc. And, of course, there is that whole LA country scene which is what really turned me on to country in the first place. Gene Clark has had a huge impact as has Gram Parsons and The Byrds in general. Two records by The Dillards, “Wheatstraw Suite” and “Copperfields” have been very influential in terms of their use of orchestration with more traditional instrumentation.

E.C.: Your first group outing was with your group, The Aerial Tour Instrumental (ATI), with your 2000 release Introducing The Way Out…!! . First of all, what I find remarkable about this disc is that it’s really an interesting electric counterpart to The Green Fields. And when I hear the ATI material compared to The Green Fields’ stuff, it’s not a jarring leap between two different worlds – maybe because you fronted both units, but I think it’s more than that. Where was your head at when you did the ATI recordings? The music seems to be coming from a different place.

Chris Mondia: Well, with the ATI record I think I was really just starting to learn what I could do in terms of arrangements. Both in song structure and vocal arrangement. That would explain why there are so many songs thick with multi-part vocal harmonies. I was still learning at that time that less can be more. I was heavily into Brian Wilson’s sessions for the Smile album at that time, and that comes through fairly clearly on a number of tracks. Other groups that were getting a lot of play at the time were The Kinks, early Who, pre-country Byrds, The Small Faces, Love, etc.

E.C.: What were the lessons you derived from the ATI experience that you applied to your follow-up with The Green Fields? Did you feel like you had graduated to ‘the next level’ with The Green Fields? Or was it a slower, more unassuming transition?

Chris Mondia: The recording process for that ATI album was a bit of a nightmare. That album was actually recorded twice. Because of certain circumstances, we had to scrap months of work and start from scratch. So it taught me many lessons regarding planning, etc. About knowing exactly what you want the finished product to sound like well before you’ve even hit the record button. I’m not sure if I have ‘graduated’ to any new level with The Green Fields but I personally feel the songwriting is much more assured, the intent is much clearer.

E.C.: Ok, name-wise, most of us know where ATI came from (look at your copies of Magical Mystery Tour, folks), but where did The Green Fields come from?

Chris Mondia: It was taken from an old Bill Martin song, “Forget Me Not.” The version I know best is on an album called “A Traitor In Our Midst” by a group called Country Gazette who were sort of an LA country-rock/bluegrass supergroup featuring members of The Dillards, Byrds, etc. The song is from the perspective of a soldier who has gone across the sea and is thinking of the places he used to play in when he was younger and of a girl he loves. The specific line reads, “My eyes are closed. Still I see the green fields. They seam to sing, they seem to sing.” That line really resonated with me. The imagery of places and people that you once loved, who are now but a memory, is one I identified with strongly. One day, while driving some country back road in the mountains I was listening to that song with my wife, just as that line was being sung, we both looked out the window to see the most beautiful, emerald-green field stretching as far as the eye could see. It stuck with me.

E.C.: What is a ‘typical’ recording session for The Green Fields like?

Chris Mondia: Well, since it’s generally just me, I tend to start with a basic guitar or piano track and build from there. After I’ve gotten enough done to get started, I’ll bring in the other musicians and have them lay down their parts. Vocals and percussion are usually added last. Hopefully for the next one, I will be able to approach it differently and have all the musicians together in a room which would go a long way in getting certain sounds I want.

E.C.: If you’ll pardon a moment of fan-gushing that joins my next question: Melodies for Afternoon is an instant classic. One of those rare, flawless gems that people have to catch up to – a la works by some of your heroes. Truly perfect, and that’s not a superlative I throw around loosely. That said (and here’s the kicker), were there ever moments during the creating/recording process that you felt any doubts or misgivings? I ask because the output – while tinged with shades of introspective sorrow (e.g. “Tree & Leaf”) – is joyous. It would be interesting to know what shadows may lurk behind the sunny fields!

Chris Mondia: Wow! Well, thanks for those kind words! Regarding doubts, I didn’t really have any regarding the material. I knew I was making music that I would personally want to listen to and I think that’s the best anyone can do. Whether anyone else finds pleasure or comfort in the songs is just a bonus. Regarding shadows, I guess I’m a rather melancholy person. I tend to feel the most alive and in touch with things around me when there is a hint of sadness to be felt if that makes any sense. It can be the most beautiful sunny day, but that can trigger memories of days spent as a child with friends who meant so much to you at one time, but who are no longer a part of your life. And those are thoughts and emotions I tend to relate to the most.

E.C.: Design-wise, the art is very preoccupied with a sense of place and geography. Does a sense of belonging/place/geography figure into the songwriting equation for you?

Chris Mondia: Oh, most assuredly! This particular batch of songs more than any I’d worked on before. This album was really conceived on vacations I was taking with my wife, Susan, to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. While up there, I re-connected with feelings I hadn’t really been in touch with since I was younger. There was this overwhelming sense of quiet that was really moving. The back roads of that area are very spiritual. Because of their twisty nature, you are required to slow down and feel your surroundings that much stronger. Some of the songs, if you listen to the lyrics, are almost travelogues of specific trips we took. And I had never really written that way much before. I guess you could say this album is basically a love letter to that area. And now I live here!

E.C.: There’s a bonus disc floating around titled Music for The Tiny Hours (Leftover Melodies) which is the EP counterpart to Melodies for Afternoon. I’m fascinated by this disc as well, because this batch of songs feels darker as a whole – which is not to say that the subject matter necessarily is, but it’s the other side of the Melodies mountain. Could you speak to that mini-LP, and will it ever see the light of day?

Chris Mondia: That disc was something I put together as a sort of farewell present to friends down in Florida, where I used to live. I had recorded a bunch of extra songs before and during the “Melodies...” sessions that, for one reason or another, didn’t make it onto the album. Rather than have them sit, I decided to sweeten the tracks a bit and make a little mini-album. Some of the songs have gotten nice responses from people, like “Night Drive”, so they may show up on an album sometime in the future. There were only 25 copies made and those are all gone now. But if anyone is interested, just ask, and I’ll see what I can do.

E.C.: On a personal note, the album hooked me completely with “Late October Dream”. The lyrical and musical technique actually manages to capture a fall feeling, which is no small feat. Was that a conscious maneuver, or did you luck out?

Chris Mondia: I’m glad you like that one. That and the instrumental, “Tree & Leaf”, are my favorite tracks on the album. They probably come the closest to expressing certain feelings I have in my heart. The sense of being so enamored of life’s beauty that it can actually make you sad. Regarding its autumnal feel, it was definitely something I was going for so it’s nice to hear it worked somewhat! Autumn is such a rich season. The feel and smell of an autumn day can unlock so many memories. With each song on this album I wanted to project how I felt about certain things through the songwriting and the arrangements. That particular track was definitely made to give the listener a sense of a grey, wet, autumn day. Oddly enough, the basic chord progression, the one you hear during the fade, was written when I was a teenager.

E.C.: I should point out that Melodies for Afternoon is a rather gentle album – one could be categorical and say “folky” and/or “bluegrass” – but I’ll leave it at acoustic and laden with harmony. To me, it’s up there with The Beach Boys’ Friends album, which I also adore. There’s something endearingly out-of-step with this album that I love – the gentleness of it removes it from a myriad of “music scenes”. Is there ever any concern that Melodies is too far-removed from “what’s happening”, and that it’s time to plug the electric guitar back in and give ‘em what-for?

Chris Mondia: Hey, “Friends” is probably my favorite Beach Boys album so thank you! That album has had such an influence, not just in terms of songwriting, but in terms of projecting your own personal feelings on the listener through careful consideration of arrangements, sequencing, etc. I really feel as if Brian was spending many afternoons enjoying the quiet and solitude and wanted to, musically, project that feeling onto his listeners.

I can definitely see how one might label this album ‘folky’ but, to me, this is a pop album and I write (or try to write) pop songs. There are maybe two tracks on the whole album that have anything like a ‘bluegrass’ rhythm. But I wouldn’t really classify it as bluegrass, or even country. I think those tracks are more in line with, say, “I’ve Just Seen a Face” by the Beatles. Songs that may be built on country or bluegrass rhythms but, at their heart are still pop songs, if that makes any sense. I don’t think it is too out of line with certain things going on in underground pop music today though. I think fans of groups like Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, Belle & Sebastian, the Ladybug Transistor, the Heavy Blinkers or Beachwood Sparks may find something to like in these songs.

E.C.: If you don’t mind, I would also like to touch upon your voice: it’s distinctly original: soothing yet unafraid to push out when need be. Did you have any vocal training, or do you come by this talent naturally?

Chris Mondia: I’ve never had any training, no. Just singing along with some of my favorite singers like Brian Wilson, Gene Clark, George Jones, and Gram Parsons has probably helped. You can’t not listen to George Jones records and not want to be a better singer.

E.C.: First of all, congratulations on your recent nuptials! And apparently your wife is in The Green Fields as well, which puts you in that unique pantheon of talented pop musicians who have their spouse in the group, as she contributed beautiful work on “The Wind & Pain”. What is that dynamic like?

Chris Mondia: It’s great. There’s nothing like being able to sing with someone you care so deeply about. We actually met when our bands played a show together. We love singing country duets. It can be very spiritual. We’ve played some shows together in the past where we sing duets in the vain of George and Tammy, Loretta & Conway or Gram & Emmylou. Also, it’s great to have someone there to sing a quick harmony part as I’m writing a song!

E.C.: So this brings me to the inevitable, but I’ll try to phrase it differently: You’ve gone the poppy, electric route with ATI, you’ve mined the richest country textures in this latest album, and so…what is next for Chris Mondia and/or The Green Fields?

Chris Mondia: Right now I’m just trying to get as many people as possible to hear this album and I’m also working to get a performing group together. That’s a big priority. Then, another album, for sure. The one thing I wasn’t able to do with this first album was add the string arrangements I had written. I just ran out of time and money. I really want to try and push myself in regard to arrangements and emotional expression.

E.C.: Thanks for your time, Chris. If I’m ever down your way and you need a guy to add some innocuous percussion to a Green Fields song, I’m your man.

Chris Mondia: Thank you, John. And be careful, I just may take you up on that offer!