The Queens rock band Hollis Brown has reunited following a turbulent 2023 split between vocalist Mike Montali and guitarist Jonathan Bonilla. The two key members have released their first new material since the breakup, a track called “Garage Days” that marks a fresh chapter for the group.
The path to reconciliation was brokered by the band’s drummer Andy Zehnal, who facilitated discussions between the feuding musicians. Montali and Bonilla eventually met privately to hash out their differences at a diner in Queens, where they engaged in a heated but necessary conversation. Despite the intensity of that encounter, the guitarist’s surprise appearance at the band’s March reunion show in Asbury Park, New Jersey suggested the conflict had been resolved.
“Garage Days” carries thematic weight, referencing the band’s humble origins when they first formed as teenagers in Bonilla’s father’s garage. The modern rock composition blends contemporary sounds with influences reminiscent of U2’s atmospheric guitar work. Montali described the reunion as a return to their original motivations, emphasizing their desire to create music for artistic fulfillment rather than commercial pressures.
The band has scheduled an additional performance at Mercury Lounge in New York for September 26, signaling their commitment to moving forward cautiously but deliberately.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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