Everyone’s Going Apeshit for Denver’s Monkeypaw

Despite its apish on-stage antics and primate props, Monkeypaw doesn’t fool around when it comes to making fast and furious music.

“There’s a fine line with being too serious and too silly where you have to be in the middle,” drummer Jacob Morales says. “You can’t take yourself too seriously because you have 900 followers on Instagram. And you can’t take yourself too silly because no one’s going to pay attention and take you seriously.”

Since forming a little over a year ago as a two-piece between Morales and guitarist Alex Casano, the young Denver hardcore group evolved into a trio with the addition of bassist Sophie Liposcak and has been making a name for itself locally by playing out as much as possible behind a four-track demo tape of straightforward instrumentals released in May. Another demo, “MIND ERASER,” was dropped in August.

Now, Monkeypaw is working on a proper ten-track debut, You Get What You Wish For, set to come out sometime in the spring, featuring some reworks and more originals, as well as vocals.

“That’s been the most challenging part of putting it all together,” Morales says of the lyrical content. “The initial plan was, we wanted to make music and just release it. I wanted to put music out into the world and have it be there so people know who we are. We were running and gunning.”

“It was shitty recordings on our iPhones just to have something out for people to listen to,” Casano adds. “We’re taking three of those songs and working on them.”

The upcoming record will also be the first material to feature Liposcak. The self-taught bassist joined by chance over the summer after catching Morales and Casano, both formerly of local punk crew Germ Theory, jamming out on a street in Fort Collins.

“I was going to get lunch. They were right next to the restaurant we went to eat at. I heard a Green Day cover [‘Welcome to Paradise’] as I was walking over, and was like, ‘Wow, wonder who’s playing that?’” she explains, adding she’d been looking to join a band. “I ordered some food and came back and was like, ‘You guys should perform an original.’ That’s when I got the balls to be like, ‘You guys need a bassist?’ And luckily, they did.”

With the lineup solidified, Monkeypaw lives much more in the traditional hardcore realm, complete with straight-edge Youth Crew energy and even some ska sensibilities. And local audiences are loving it.

“What I really like is when I see people moshing and it gets a lot of emotions out, whether that’s angry, frustration, sadness or happiness to be at a show,” Liposcak says. “It makes me really happy to see that.”

Get down with Monkeypaw at D3 Arts on Saturday, January 17. The local bill includes Thrillrot, Hard to Kill, Drop Out and Tray Of Rock.

The name is a reference to the 1902 horror short, “The Monkey’s Paw,” by W.W. Jacobs, in which a mummified monkey hand gives an unsuspecting family the power to grant three wishes that come with unintended, fatal consequences. The moral of the story: Be careful what you wish for.

“It’s so hard. It’s a very memorable story and a very cool way of talking about fate,” Morales says.

The three certainly play up the overall simian subject matter, as well.

“I like monkeys a lot, and having a built-in mascot is great,” Morales adds.

“I think that’s something that separates us from a lot of hardcore bands in Denver is they’re so serious,” Liposcak says. “We take Monkeypaw and do a lot of monkey business with it, and I think a lot of people like it. We have a lot of monkeys on stage every time we perform and at our merch table.”

While there are no plans to add an actual live monkey to the live show, there are other ideas.

“We’ve talked about that as a joke. I’d feel way too bad for the monkey,” Liposcak quips.

“Maybe a fan in a monkey suit who follows us around like the Grateful Dead,” Casano adds.  

Gordy, the bloodthirsty chimp from Jordan Peele’s 2022 film Nope, has sort of become an unofficial Monkeypaw emblem since appearing on flyers. Peele’s production company is also called Monkeypaw Productions.

“I do think we’re going to run into a problem if this ever gets to Jordan Peele,” Morales says.  

But it’s all in good fun, and clever marketing, like the recent post regarding the new horror movie Primate.

“I posted on our Instagram story jokingly, ‘Whole score by Monkeypaw,’” Morales concludes. “I had two people be like, ‘Oh my God! Colorado’s on top!’”

Monkeypaw, with Thrillrot, Hard to Kill, Drop Out and Tray of Rock, 7 p.m. Saturday, January 17, D3 Arts, 3632 Morrison Road. Entry is a $15 donation at the door.