The Ghost of Paul Revere Confront Transformation and Introspection on 'Monarch': Album Premiere

Folk quartet The Ghost of Paul Revere “turn heartbreak into metamorphosis” with the release of their newest studio album, Monarch, premiering today on Billboard.

The album was written with pushing the sonic envelope in mind, taking their songwriting from Portland, Maine, to Philadelphia, and to the Great Smoky Mountains. Guitarist/singer Griffin Sherry listed the key takeaway from the album as the inevitability of change. “Lovers, family, friends, instruments, sounds; they all transform with time. The key to thriving and surviving in a challenging world is to embrace those transformations,” Sherry elaborated.

Vocalist and banjo player Max Davis detailed the themes of growth and change on Monarch to Billboard. “The album is a process album.  By its title it explores the conceptual ideas of growth, rebirth and metamorphosis,” Davis explained.

“I believe that the writing on the album explores that, but also hinges itself on the harder side of growth. A lot of the writing dealt with the dark periods that force reevaluation and introspection," Davis continued. "This can lead to development or rebirth, but can also be crippling if you’re not sure what you may become. After assembling the songs and working through the sonic architecture to hold them up, it seemed as if the writing and construction were all tied into this idea, and possibly a part of the cycle that opens the next phase, both emotionally and developmentally.”

Harmonies on tracks like “Montreal” inch the band’s likeness to The Avett Brothers back into clear view, yet the lead vocals lend themselves more pop-radio-friendly acts like Mumford and Sons. Bassist/vocalist Sean McCarthy and Davis both easily agree that “Montreal” is one of their favorite songs off the new record. McCarthy spoke to the feeling of playing it live, stating, “It has so much room for really intricate dynamics and it can change every time we play.  It's great seeing the audience react to it as well, they always seem a little surprised.

Davis also noted that the band “wanted to make a record that was going to be hard to recreate,” and that they did. On tracks like “Avalanche,” Davis said the banjo and vocal parts pushed his boundaries “technically and conceptually.” He continued, “I enjoy the struggle of trying to get it right, yet the iterations that it has gone through to get to where it is.” 

Stream The Ghost of Paul Revere's new album Monarch, premiering exclusively on Billboard, below.