MONKEY INTRUSION – interview
- Posted on 14-10-2026
Introduce your band, and describe your latest release:
Hi guys, thanks for having us. Monkey Intrusion is an independent rock band from Trieste a picturesque town on the sea in northern Italy near the border with Slovenia. We started playing together prog rock when we kids. Marco Plesnicar (bass) and I (Vincenzo Reina guitar & voice) formed the first band at school, playing covers from the 70s and 80s and composing our own songs. After changing bands several times, playing our rock, punk, and prog songs, Monkey Intrusion was born with the arrival of our lead singer and guitarist Enrico J. Goti, who took on a decidedly heavier, grunge edge. We rounded out the band with the arrival of Marco Bertoli, our powerful drummer and Sara Cova with her gorgeous soul voice. In 2024 we released our first album Pussycats and Monkeymen recorded at the Jork Studios in Dekani, Slovenia, and are composing and recording the songs for the next Album.
What’s the hardest part about being a band in this day and age?
First and foremost, the music industry has gradually flattened itself to clichés it thinks audiences might like, always replicating the same patterns. A bit what’s being done with artificial intelligence that mixes everything that’s already there, just done by the industry. People are always bombarded with similar things and struggle to appreciate something truly new. Nowadays, either you choose to be independent and publish whatever you want on streaming platforms by yourself, or you choose to follow what the market already likes in some way, and you try to find a label that works in the system. Of course, in every case you need to be a good musician and a good performer, but what the music is concerned, you have to make a clear choice whether to follow what people already like or try to say something new. In the latter case, as an artist, it certainly gives you much more satisfaction. At least that’s what I think.
When did you realise that your project had the potential to be much more than just a fun idea?
When we realized that composing and playing live is our favorite thing, It’s our life, it’s a need, and we love it. So we took ourselves a little bit more seriously and are trying to do something more.
Tell us about your latest release, why should we check it out?
Our Album Pussycats and Monkeymen was a great effort and immense satisfaction. It contains thirteen tracks that are a selection of the songs we thought were best written in recent years. It took us a long time, also because I was working abroad at the time, so we diluted the recordings over several months. It’s a very varied album that seamlessly transitions from prog to hard rock, grunge with a hint of metal. It’s full of beautiful harmonies and intense moments. It’s not for everyone; you have to deeply love rock in all its forms.
How does a song typically come together for you?
Usually, some of us bring an idea of musical structure, verses with a certain groove or a particular riff, a chorus, and sometimes even the full lyrics. Then in the rehearsal room, we build it together, each working on their own arrangement, comparing themselves to the others. We add bridges, change what we don’t like, and try it over and over again until we think it’s ready to make a demo. Then we record it and see if everything is convincing, even when listening. Playing a song or listening to it is very different. You notice if it’s all musical and has a coherence or if you still have to polish it here and there. Then we record the final track and take care of the sound, which we would like to be similar to what we play live, But we try to use technology to achieve a modern and original sound at the same time. At a certain point, we have to stop and close because you could keep changing things all the time, but in reality, a beautiful song, played well and with convincing sounds, either works or it doesn’t, it isn’t just another compressor or reverb that makes it great.
How would you describe your sound to an unfamiliar reader?
It’s powerful, very rhythmic, and features several harmonic and sometimes unexpected changes. The vocal lines are intense and emotional. We do not have keyboards so far, so the guitars and the bass are in charge of building all the harmonic texture.
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your band?
We’d like to evoke an emotion, whatever it is, and let a moment of relaxation pass by the thoughts and worries of every day. Let people dream and make them happy for a few minutes.
Where would you really like to tour that you haven’t done so yet, and why?
We would like to play abroad. We’ve never done so far. For now, we’ve only performed in Italy, although our music is listened to worldwide thanks to streaming platforms.
However, playing outside of Italy is our dream, and we hope for the next step.
How would you say that the sound of your band has progressed over the years?
I think we’ve become much more precise and powerful. We listen to each other more and play much more cohesively than before. This is what the audience that has known us the longest tells us.
How excited are you for 2026, and what can fans expect from you?
We’ll be realising the two new singles we’ve already recorded, which will be included on the new album. They’re very different from what we’ve done so far, but they are 100% Monkey Intrusion sound. We can’t wait to let you hear them.
Monkey Intrusion on streaming platforms and social media:
https://youtube.com/@MonkeyIntrusion-oh8xv
https://spotify.link/7iyVkZmvxBb
https://music.apple.com/it/artist/monkey-intrusion/1692368979