San Francisco quintet New Monsoon has always been influenced by the likes of Pink Floyd, Santana and the Allman Brothers Band.
The group’s latest album has a Little Feat vibe to it, but New Monsoon has mostly been feeding off each other’s experience and musical creativity, said singer and guitarist Jeff Miller.
New Monsoon’s not-yet titled new album is expected to be released in the next few months. It will be the first studio album for the band since 2007’s “V.”
“I think we’ve really kind of influenced each other because we’ve really worked on the arrangements of the songs,” Miller said, adding the group’s three singers have been working on their vocal abilities and harmonies.
“I think the biggest new thing that we’ve really been working on is our vocals and really trying to make those a feature of the group,” Miller said. “I think it will really show on our album.”
The album includes upbeat rhythm and blues complimented with heavy guitars, according to the guitarist.
“As a five-piece we really have melded something that, to me, is really something unique,” Miller said.
While the band released a live album in 2009 and is always playing shows, the new songs have brought a renewed freshness to the longtime act. Over the past six months the band has been firing on all pistons, Miller said.
The band has been playing some of the new tracks live, while leaving others as a surprise for when the album is released.
The band looks to have a seamless set with few breaks, creative segues and long jams, mixed with succinct songs, Miller said. A recent show went for 2.5 hours and was a little marathon-like.
“Not to toot our horn, but we’re good at it because we’ve been doing it a long time and we have fun, and I think that fun is infectious to the crowd,” Miller said.
The band typically attracts a good crowd at Lake Tahoe.
“We love coming up there,” Miller said. “People are always really enthusiastic and supportive of us.”