Recess Monkey

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Who are Recess Monkey?

Recess Monkey is a Seattle-based trio of current and former elementary school teachers who have made music for kids and families since their debut album Welcome to Monkey Town in 2005.

What is their music like?

We’d place Recess Monkey firmly in the indie-rock category, with a quirky, infectious feel.

Why we think you’ll love it

This is proper “grown-up” indie rock, but with a child’s eye view of the world. The songs are catchy, funny, and sometimes completely bonkers. They also lean more toward the avant-garde than your average family indie artist—the wonderfully out-of-tune recorder(?) solo on Penguinese being a case in point. Standout tracks include Haven’t Got a Pet Yet, Braces, and, for the Star Wars fans, Oh Lando.

Artist Bio

Drew, Jack and Korum are three teachers who make kid's music that grows out of their days in their classrooms. They continue to be praised across the country for singable, danceable songs that parents enjoy as much as their kids.

Praised by People, Time, USA Today, The New York Times and NPR for their pitch-perfect understanding of what gets kids excited, Recess Monkey is known for prolific album output, high-energy shows and laugh-out-loud funny lyrics that capture the essence of being young. They drink a lot of coffee.

Mindy Thomas from SiriusXM's Kids Place Live says, "These guys are able to tap into elementary school so well that it’s like they never left. In this never-ending nationwide talent show of kid and family music, they are most definitely at the top."

Says Stefan Shepherd of Zooglobble.com, "Recess Monkey just keeps turning out album after album with pop nuggets, as if we'd just discovered that the Beatles had recorded a ton of kids music 40+ years ago."

Recess Monkey has earned dozens of awards over its twelve year history. Their 2016 Amazon Original Family album "Novelites" was nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Children's Album. Time Out New York recently named them the #3 Kindie band in America behind the iconic They Might Be Giants and gifted Chicago kid-tunester Justin Roberts.

Known for prolific, eclectic musical output and their contagiously exciting live shows, Recess Monkey strives to strike a balance between kid-centric ideas and musical authenticity. Lyrically, they weave jokes and puns together with universal childhood themes, speaking to both kids and their parents simultaneously with catchy, melodic songs. Seamlessly meshing their indie-rock roots with their keen awareness of childhood themes, the band continues to make waves coast to coast.