eve

Rockin’ blues guitarist Eve Monsees didn’t waste any time. Born in Houston in 1983 and an Austin resident since age eight, she got her first guitar and began taking lessons at age twelve. At fifteen she began sitting in on blues jams at Austin clubs, and within a year she was getting her own gigs, including an opening slot for Jimmie Vaughan at Antone’s. In 2002, the year she graduated from high school, she along with drummer Mike Buck formed a band soon to be known as the Exiles. In 2004 their self titled debut album, was released.

By then Monsees had already gone through her purist phase and come out the other side with a taste for a more garagey kind of blues that’s the contemporary equivalent of the Rolling Stones’ early career.

Devolping a wider range has given her the opportunity to play with bands ranging from the LeRoi Brothers to the Go Gos.

Early on, Monsees learned more or less in tandem with her neighbor and schoolmate Gary Clark Jr., now another of Austin’s most promising blues guitarists.

“We basically began playing together, showing each other what we’d learned, turning each other onto records we’d discovered,” she said.

Over the next couple years, Monsees began picking up on Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and other Austin blues cornerstones. Then she encountered Albert King’s compilation of 1966-8 Stax sides, King of the Blues Guitar. After that, there was no turning back.

She began hanging out at Antone’s Record Shop, getting a crash-course in blues history from the staff (including Buck), and boning up on her Magic Sam, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker and Freddie King.

For the next couple years, she was interested in nothing except real-deal blues. On her fifteenth birthday, she and Clark went to a blues jam at Babe’s on Sixth Street in Austin, and they wound up returning regularly. They also sat in at Joe’s Generic and other roots-room jams. Monsees and Clark were quickly hired to join other bands for a night, or given their own gigs where a rhythm section was hired.

Monsees learned how to play with other blues-based musicians while refining her own luminous leads and deft rhythm work. Around this time, local blues patriarch Clifford Antone took both Monsees and Clark under his wing and allowed them the opportunity to play with Hubert Sumlin, Lazy Lester and other greats at his namesake club’s annual birthday celebration.

At the age of 18, Monsees took a job at Antone’s Record Shop, a store Clifford Antone opened in 1987. Her tastes broadened, as she discovered jazz, older country and rock and roll while building up her own record collection.

While working with Buck, the two realized they shared a similar vision for a band and began to assemble the Exiles. The original line-up along with Monsees and Buck consisted of Speedy Sparks on bass and Grady Pinkerton on 2nd guitar.

Eve and the Exiles proceeded to carve out a niche on the Austin club scene. In March of 2004, they released their debut disc in mono which was recorded at Fort Horton Studios with tube equipment exclusively for that classic 60s sound.

The band reformed with LeRoi Brothers bassist Pat Collins, guitarist Homer Henderson and Donna Pearl. "Blow Your Mind" was released in 2008 and led the band to a tour of Finland.

Eve Monsees Discography

2002- John McVey "Gone To Texas"

vocals on 2 tracks (Doc Blues 6803)

2004- Eve Monsees & The Exiles- S/T

(Serpent 001)

2005- Various Artists "Blues Guitar Women"

(Ruf 1110)

2006- Various Artists "Texas Harmonica

Rumble" w/ Lazy Lester (Dialtone 014)

2007- Erin Jaimes "Soul Garden"

vocals on 3 tracks

2007- Various Artists "Texas Northside

Kings" (Dialtone 0017)

2008- Eve & The Exiles "Blow Your Mind"

(Serpent 002)

2010- Little Elmore Reed "Live @ TC's"

guitar on 1 track

2010- New Mystery Girl "Twist City"

guitar on 2 tracks, harmony vocals

2010- The Bluebonnets "Boom Boom Boom

Boom"

In 2007, Monsees was approached by Kathy Valentine (bassist for the GoGos) and Dominique Davalos to join the Bluebonnets, an all girl rock band. Things clicked and 2010 will see the release of the groups first CD "Boom Boom Boom Boom."

After working with Valentine, Eve was asked to fill in for Jane Weidlen of the GoGos for the remainder of their 2008 tour which consisted of dates in Texas and Florida.

Monsees continues to play with a variety of bands. In addition, she and Mike Buck (along with long time Antone's employee Forrest Coppock) have become co-owners of Antone's Record Shop.