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MONSTeRboy releases new single

9/21/2018

Chris Long and Veronica Wirges of North Little Rock are duos behind the Indie Pop Duo. Their first single "My Heart" released last night. The couple performed it live at their concert located at the Rebel Kettle Brewing in Little Rock. The dynamic duo plans to release three new songs over a span of three weeks apart from each other.

Chris was born in Florida but raised in Arkansas since he was six. Veronica is a Native Arkansan who grew up in North Little Rock. Early years, Veronica was a house party DJ during the rave kid days, while Chris was in various projects playing guitar and bass.

Chris started on violin at 6, and although his main instrument is guitar, he can pretty much play any instrument, says Veronica. "He has always had this radio station in his head playing music that doesn’t exist yet." Self-learned on recording software, he has slowly amassed a home studio to compose and record his music.

Veronica focused on lighting design, projection work, basically the visuals to go with the music Chris was writing. Chris heard a part on Bishop Briggs “Wild Horses” but couldn’t find the instrument in his samples packs. He turned to Veronica and asked if she could give it a listen and see if she knew the instrument from her years of being part of a school band. After a short listen she told him that was a Bari Sax. "I have one upstairs from high school."

Veronica agreed to get a few repairs done to the Sax so she could record some parts for backing tracks. She went on to play them with him during SXSW in Austin. Afterward, Chris kept finding more parts for the horn. Veronica really loved being able to reconnect with the instrument. She is on her six months back playing the horn and has enjoyed writing some of her own parts of the songs and collaborating with Chris on his.

Veronica says as a toddler she was very curious about the humongous saxophone she saw a musician playing. Her mother says that she thought it was adorable and was completely captivated by it. It wasn't until later, when she went to pick out an instrument for her first year of band, as she heard someone playing one in the next room. That is when she was determined to play on the sound alone. Her mother was surprised a decade later that she had recognized the sax as the instrument she had her played. Veronica took lessons until the age of 18 to play. It was when she tried to learn how to write music using the horn that she felt disappointed. Veronica packed the horn away in the case and put it aside not knowing that years later she would find herself playing and writing with her precious sax she fell in love with as a child.

The first of the three songs released are called the Nashville Sessions. The couple was inspired by their visits to Nashville and the network they became a part of to help move it forward. They had the opportunity to meet some talented artists. "We noticed that not just artists, but also audiences are hungry for original great work. It was inspiring, to say the least, these three songs are about how Nashville changed us."

I had a chance to meet up with this fun couple today at lunch. Their passion for music makes my heart smile. The couple have been together for 15 years and married for 13 of those. They enjoy spending time together and focusing on growing their music. This duo will definitely being around for awhile. Be sure and grab their new songs as they are released.