Running Monk

Running Monk was started in Westminster Maryland during the summer of 2008 as an outlet for J.R. Boles to bring to life the many songs he'd been playing acoustically. He'd long had a deep passion for music, so he began playing his songs with a group. Writing new music and incorporating band members helped him grow as a songwriter. During the winter of 2008, J.R. and Chris Smith (the bass player at the time) recorded an improvisational album on a four-track cassette recorder called Ocean & Liaison.

In the summer of 2010 J.R. moved to Fort Collins and began Running Monk anew. First he recorded a new album of demos over the winter of 2010 called What's That Noise? along with long-time songwriting partner Ryan Valdez. After that he soon connected with drummer Willie Piper. Willie had been playing drums most his life, and was recently transplanted to the area from South Dakota, where he'd played with locally successful band Corduroy Vinyl. Willie and J.R. have been playing constantly since meeting (while some members have come and gone) and have created a rock sound that is both unique, yet universal.

Recently, Eric Podzemny (of Sam, Well Hell!! and Straight To Denim) has joined the group as the second guitarist, and Seth Reinke (formerly of Split Second and Forged For Eternity) has joined as the permanent bass player. With more recording on the horizon, and gigs being planned, Running Monk is looking forward to being a strong presence in the Fort Collins music scene.