Biography
Based in the Southwest of England, UK, Mt.Onsra are a multi-instrumentalist duo who create a unique blend of alternative rock.
Simon Allen & Russell Cleave (Mt. Onsra) first met in 1995. They formed a band. They moved to London. They split up and went their separate ways.
For the next 20 years, the duo would stay in sporadic contact. They would not make music together.
But a global pandemic brought them back together.
When lockdown #1 hit the UK, the pair agreed to write 1 song. That 1 song turned into 10 and became ‘Written in Silence’.
Written in Silence is the sound of the duo’s lockdown.
Composed and recorded remotely, throughout the process the pair never spoke; simply sending files back and forth.
Only once the album had been completed did the duo have a video call together.
Over the 20 years of their friendship, both men had developed careers outside of music, in the NHS and Education.
During the lockdown days, the two were working on supporting the national Covid Response and in their downtime turned to creating what would become ‘Written in Silence’.
The music is an emotional release, the sound of searching; for meaning, for connection and understanding.
Raw and intimate, orchestrated and loud, there was never any plan, there was no strategy.
During their 20 year arc, musically the pair diverged.
Russell formed Brotherhood of the Lake & Helpless, releasing multiple albums, touring across the globe and were celebrated by the Radio 1 Rock Show, Kerrang & Metal Hammer.
Simon, on the other hand, released a solo album under the pseudonym Esay; Hundreds and Thousands (produced by Tom Dalgety - Royal Blood, Killing Joke). During this sojourn, he also became a Bath Folk Festival Award Winner and played in alt-country outfit littlemen.
The alternative rock sound of Mt.Onsra provides a space and time to connect to something bigger.
Mt.Onsra have been Influenced by many things but in particular the music of Tool, Slint, Midlake, QOTSA and Fugazi.
Mt.Onsra have been featured on the Radio 1 Rock Show.
Now with a second album "Sacred time" in the can and due for release in summer 2024 it's an exciting time for Mt. Onsra. This time recorded very much together in the same space the sound is over all bigger and grander.