"You might call the URBAN MONKS a 'green' band because its members aim to use music to raise awareness of environmental issues.  Which isn't to say their tunes are 'good for you'...like, say, broccoli.  Quite the opposite.  The group has an infectious pop sound, at times eerily like The Beatles.”

-CBC Radio, “Here and Now”


The spirit of the 60s is alive and well in the music and philosophy of The Urban Monks; a four-piece band from Waterloo, Ontario, on a mission to create meaningful and interesting pop music. Their sound draws melodically from flower power giants like The Beatles and The Turtles, with lyrical shades reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s social commentary.  "My hope," says Pete Oldridge, The Urban Monks songwriter and frontman, "is to make something that can create positive change in people's hearts.”  As an aspiring 'Urban Monk' himself, Pete’s personal goal is to be part of a fully sustainable community and to advocate responsible consumption of resources, using only what is needed and doing without that which is not. “I'm certainly not perfect in this regard but I'm trying. I still drink my coffee and rely on a vehicle too often.”

After touring Southern Ontario extensively, the Monks released their debut album “The Same Light” in 2008, which shot to the top of university radio charts.  Songs like “Cute” and “Familiar Face” became favourites among listeners for their melodic charm and allure. Infectious hooks aside however, the messages buried within the lyrics are significant enough to warrant at least a second and third listen.  Songs like “The Complicated Part” and “All About The $” admonish the pursuit of creature comforts and the undue societal pressures of the capitalist machine, while “We Buy Our Cells” and “Let’s Get Up” provide sobering caveats about the long term effects of inaction.  “I want people to be affected by my music,” says Oldridge.  “I definitely feel like we’re abusing the world with our current modus operandi and I want to draw attention to that in my songs.”