After almost 40 years of being a band, Big Head Todd & The Monsters are staying busy churning out new singles and hitting the road doing what they love most—playing rocking tunes for their fans. It’s a testament to the band’s passion that they’ve been able to amass such a dedicated following for this long. With almost 20 albums (a mix of live and studio) under their belt, Big Head Todd & The Monsters have released multiple projects in each of the last three decades. However, next year will mark quite the milestone—it will be thirty years since the release of their third and most critically-acclaimed album, “Sister Sweetly,” that went platinum in 1993.
In between tour stops we were able to catch up with lead singer Todd Park Mohr over email to get some insight into the band’s history, their single series, and more. After stops in Bellingham, Seattle and Portland, BHTM will land right here in Bend on January 23 at the Midtown Ballroom. Read our Q&A with Mohr below.
Source Weekly: First off, how’s tour been starting off so far? Are you guys excited to come to Bend?
Todd Park Mohr: We have been playing well and very much enjoying being back doing live music. There is a palpable feel throughout the crowd that music has been missed. We sold out our first three shows and have had a terrific year. Very excited to come to Bend!
SW: I really enjoy your Monsters Music Monthly series. What inspired the idea for that and has it been a fun experience doing those songs?
TM: We have had a long career releasing music via albums and radio and we were longing to try something different. A song a month with a video version seemed like a fun formula as well as a challenge that would keep us at work. [It] Gave us a chance to be involved in some great collaborations, like our version of “Rosalita” with John Popper (of Blues Traveler).
SW: You guys started the band in college and have been able to have a long and awesome career since then. Do you have any fun or weird memories from those early college party shows?
TM: We remember floors seeming to creak in small, sweaty spaces. They were special years by any measure, but being able to be a band when you’re young and stay one when you’re old… Boulder, Colorado was such a fun place back then!
SW: “Sister Sweetly” went platinum back in ‘93, and next year it will turn 30. What do you remember most about making that album and how special is it to you?
TM: We loved being in Minneapolis at Prince’s Paisley Park. That on its own was a surreal experience. Prince used to walk behind me every day as I would be playing pinball. But we had signed agreements that we would not make eye contact with him so I never did. Of course that ended up being our most definitive album and we still enjoy playing almost every song from it to this day.
SW: Does the band have any plans for a new studio or live album in the near future? Or are you guys going with the flow of new singles and videos that you’ve been doing?
TM: We are taking time off from our Monthly to focus on a group of songs I’ve been working on. Not sure what form we will choose for release but stay tuned, it could be interesting.
