For me, Chris Munro, the decision to properly dedicate myself to creating music wasn’t sparked by a single, transformative moment. Instead, it was the slow burn of countless smaller experiences, gradually connecting my passion to a sense of purpose. Music has always been present in my life; a consistent hobby that accompanied most of my childhood. However, as I moved through my high school years, it started to take on a deeper meaning.
Playing in a variety of bands and spending many hours exploring different instruments and techniques ultimately led me to the understanding that music wasn’t just another activity; it was an integral part of who I was and a vital way for me to express myself. That passion found a new direction when I began to collaborate with my fellow bandmate, Ben Nunes.
We first properly met at a high school Battle of the Bands, where his band and mine were competing directly. There was mutual respect in the competition, but what followed was much more important. As Ben recalls, “Chris and I found that we had a ton of the same influences and passions when it came to music. Being the only two members of our respective bands interested in writing original music, we decided to form our own band.” That band became A Weekend at Ramona’s.
Ben’s journey began when he picked up the guitar at 12 years old, inspired by bands like Green Day and Nirvana. As he put it, “I wanted to form a band to play some of my favourite songs.” That drive to learn and create mirrored my own, and together, we began channeling our collective influences - from the raw energy of an early Arctic Monkeys to the hometown magic of Born Ruffians - into our original music. We didn’t just want to write songs. We wanted to create something authentic, something that reflected our experiences and resonated with the world around us. Writing the tracks for our debut Chest Pains EP was the first time we felt like we were doing that. It wasn’t just about the music, it was about capturing our journey and sharing those moments with every song.
Those early days were transformative for both of us, laying the foundation for what A Weekend at Ramona’s would become. Ben brought his distinctive tone to our songwriting, contributing what he describes as “a raw lyrical style” that gave depth and emotional resonance to tracks like “Abigail” and “Why Won’t You Be Mine”. His ability to channel honest, unfiltered emotion into his lyrics helped shape the identity of our music, giving it a relatable and grounded quality. My initial focus was similar, though I would say I started from a place of shaping melodies and experimenting with instrumentation to elevate the lyrics, while effectively showing off the band. Together, we found a creative synergy, pushing each other to explore new ideas and refine our craft. It wasn’t just about what each of us could do individually, it was about how our unique strengths could intertwine to create something far greater than the sum of its parts. Those early collaborative efforts were not just pivotal, they were defining moments that solidified our partnership and set the tone for the music we would continue to make.
Overall, the moment I knew I wanted to make music wasn’t a single epiphany but rather a series of defining experiences that unfolded over time. It was discovering my love for performing and connecting with an audience through sound. It was meeting Ben and realizing I’d found a collaborator who shared my passion and vision, someone who could challenge and inspire me in equal measure. It was the magic of writing our first songs together, capturing fragments of our thoughts and emotions while turning them into something tangible, something that resonated beyond just ourselves. Together, music has become a place where we belong; a space to grow, connect and continually redefine what it means to be artists.
