Interview: Siobhan Bodrug About Their New Single "Monster"

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Interview with Siobhan Bodrug about their new single Monster.

What inspired the creation of this single?

"Monster" was written in one of our most prolific eras, when we were writing almost every day. I had just gotten out of an extremely toxic relationship and was having difficulty processing everything that had happened. I was angry and frustrated with myself for the way I had handled the situation. And I was super angry about how I had been treated. I kept asking the question “why did I let this happen?” I took inventory of all the things I could have done differently, but at the end of day, I knew I didn’t deserve this mistreatment. I realized I had dealt with a lot of narcissistic personalities in my life, and this breakup helped me recognize my pattern of attraction with/to the wrong people. "Monster" explores the tortured psychology of having destructive associations. 

What story or message does the song convey?

“Monster" tells the story of a toxic, complicated relationship. It deals with the mental torment of hiding behind an innocuous facade vs. meeting the person head on. "One minute it's love, the next it's fire... Is it a cover for something? Or just the cold hard truth?" The chorus ends with the most difficult question of all - as a child dealing with an adult situation - "will the monster take away my youth?" The story, however, takes an unexpected turn of self-realization in the bridge - "you're a beast, you're a beauty, and I'm just like you". 

Can you tell us about the creative process?

"Monster" was conceived in the same way as most of my songs. I co-write everything with my producer and Father, Brent Bodrug. We always start with an acoustic guitar or piano, usually in our home studio. This time however, "Monster" began on our grand piano in the living room! My Dad started playing this insane piano riff and I knew immediately we had to write to it. We started with the verse and chorus melodies, and that high note in the middle of the chorus on the line “when the monster seems aloof” lands completely out of my comfort zone, but it worked and felt really climactic. We usually write a complete song in 2-3 hours, but we decided to finish the bridge in a different session about a week later, after letting it percolate for a bit. The bridge takes you into a softer and imaginative state of self-awareness and discovery. I think the time between the two sessions is why it’s so different from the rest of the song - we realized the song needed to travel. Turns out it’s one of my favourite bridges that we have ever written! Fun fact: just as we were starting to write the bridge lyric, my boyfriend at the time randomly started singing Frank Sinatra, which inspired the first two lines “Play amongst the stars, fly me to the moon”. 

 How does this song differ from your previous releases?

"Monster" is a slight departure from what people have heard from me so far. It’s more aggressive and rock-inspired, and emotive in a more raw way from my other releases. Although it’s down-tempo-ish, it features distorted electric guitar (my new Gretsch!) for the first time on anything I’ve released. The Hammond organ is also featured which is a key instrument in our live performances. Notably, the vocal is also less polished than previous releases as we wanted to capture the distress in the lyric. It can be a challenge to record a song that was written long ago, and has been performed one specific way for quite some time. Summoning the feelings you had in the moments of writing can be elusive. On this one however, the feelings came flooding back and I was able to connect back to that space while still living within my current self. I think this is one of the best vocals I’ve ever recorded for a release. I’m very proud of it!  

What challenges did you face while writing or recording?

The challenge with any song is figuring out where it wants to go. I don’t always have a clear vision of where the direction is, but I knew it needed strings in the bridge which you can hear on the release. My father, Brent Bodrug, who produced the track, always had a clear vision of where he thought it should go. He always says the song “tells him where it wants to go”. Anyway, I am absolutely obsessed with how it turned out. It can sometimes be difficult as a perfectionist artist to love my own work, but "Monster" has been on repeat since we finished it. I am very, very pleased. 

Did you experiment with any new instruments, techniques, or styles?

We always experiment with tons of new instruments and sounds in all our recordings. But Monster is the first release to really feature the sounds in our new live band setup. A key instrument throughout is the Hammond Organ which we recently incorporated into our band. It also features live electric bass performed by our first bassist Bill Kilbride. And then I got to crank up my custom 5E3 amp and play my Gretsch and the studio Rickenbacker instead of my usual acoustic guitar. We experimented with different pedals for the guitar tones as well. I fell in love with the Sans Amp pedal, and right after the session, bought one to use for shows! I loved how it sounded so much! Stylistically I did not change my approach to my voice, but in the end the track lent itself to more raw emotion. I’ve been very inspired by Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill” lately, so I tried to channel that level of intensity in my performance. Actively thinking about the words of the song helped too. I feel I was successful :) 

Is there a personal connection or story tied to the lyrics?

All of my songs are tied back to personal experiences. While they don’t all refer to my life literally, the inspiration is always from real life. "Monster" was inspired by a toxic relationship I had in my late teens. Descriptive lines like “recycled air, clouds of smoke, leaves me breathless and expired” and “today it’s love, tomorrow it’s fire” attempt to describe what it’s like to be the victim of a narcissist. Monster was a form of self-discovery for me. I don’t think I fully realized the impact the people you choose to surround yourself with can have on your mental health. And the people in your life have such a profound effect on how your character is shaped. Writing this song helped me see all of this clearly. 

Have you performed it live yet, and what was the audience’s reaction?

We have performed "Monster" live many times over the last two years. We usually don’t wait too long after we write a song to incorporate it into the live set if we love it. Audience reaction to "Monster" has always been tremendously positive, and people have been asking us to record and release it. The intensity of the whole thing seems to resonate with people, and perhaps because of the more severe themes it stands out in the set. To date, we’ve been performing it live as a vocal/piano duo, but with the release of the single we will be incorporating it into the band set. And shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but we’ve also got a live band recording of "Monster" that we may just release in the future!

Is this single part of a larger project, like an album or EP?

"Monster" is the third single off my debut album “Imperfect” set to drop in fall of 2026! I’m so excited for everyone to hear it!  

Anything Else You'd Like Your Fans to Know.

Between our nomination for Best Original Song at the Canadian Screen Awards, being booked to play two Festival shows in Brazil, and our very exciting upcoming show at Summerfest on the same bill as Ed Sheeran, Post Malone, and The Roots, this year has started off with a bang! And that has inspired us to work even harder writing more songs, making more records, and playing more and bigger shows so we can connect with even more of YOU!