BY SUZY STUMP for WEEKLY VOLCANO 6/27/25 |
When Sweet Marilyn and Threocracy take over Cider and Cedar this Friday, June 27, the show doubles as a live recording session.
For Jade Monroe, frontwoman and songwriter, the venue choice was obvious. “Cider and Cedar was a natural choice for us,” she says. “They’re one of the few venues in town that fairly pay artists and truly prioritize live music.” It’s a place whose Edison bulbs and local wood walls match Sweet Marilyn’s moody, unvarnished sound. It’s also the site where the band’s previous album Hidden Springs came to life—an album that marked a turning point for Jade personally and musically.
Monroe’s day job—food-waste policy developer—and her side pursuit of powerlifting seep into her songwriting themes. Her work exposes the cracks in everyday systems, fueling lyrics about resilience and contradiction. Lifting weights, meanwhile, has given her literal strength and a bolder voice. “It’s made me a stronger vocalist, and—bonus—I now carry my own amp without having to ask a guy to do it.”
Tacoma has been her fertile ground since she moved here from North Dakota in 2015. Open mic nights at Alma Mater (RIP) and similar venues were her first invitations to the city’s inclusive music community. “That sense of support and community really helped me grow into myself as a songwriter,” she says. Her words echo a recurring theme among Sweet Marilyn’s members: Tacoma’s gritty charm and its tight-knit music scene shape everything they create.
For Elliott Turner, who handles bass lines and organ duties, the local influence is literally “organ-ic.” Growing up surrounded by instruments, he sampled jazz, classical, keys, strings, and drums—refusing to choose just one. Local jazz heavyweights like Joe Doria and Delvon Lamarr inspired his groove-heavy organ style. A pandemic-era return from Colorado brought him back to family and the city’s fertile jam scene, where a chance meeting with Brady McCowan and EJ Crocker sparked the organ trio that became part of both Sweet Marilyn and Threocracy.
McCowan, a multi-instrumentalist unbound by genre, relishes Tacoma’s collaborative spirit. “I have no reservations about venturing into diverse stylistic territories to find the right parts for our songs,” he says. From swing to progressive rock, he credits Tacoma’s overlapping musical circles for broadening his creative palette.
EJ brings a background rooted in jazz but now tinged with folk and country warmth. A self-described jazz purist once, they found new inspiration during the COVID lockdown years, performing tunes at farm gatherings in East Olympia. These days, they are more interested in sharing songs that foster gentleness than chasing purist jazz perfection. It’s a thread that connects their work with both bands.
Sweet Marilyn’s first album was recorded live; this time the band is leaning even further into that raw, communal energy, aiming to evolve the songs through winter before recording a full studio album.
Hidden Springs, released last fall, is emblematic of Jade’s lyrical honesty: songs like “666,” “Despairagus,” and “Gardening” play with superstition and self-reckoning. “The album explores grief, coping, and the search for meaning through symbols and dreams,” she says. “I’m fascinated by dreams because they help me uncover what I truly want—often more honestly than my overly analytical mind can.”
As for the band’s creative process, collaboration is at its core. Jade arrives with songs mostly fleshed out, but it’s the band’s input that shapes them into something alive. “Brady might say, ‘Have you thought about this?’ Elliott jumps in with, ‘Yes, let’s do that!’ and EJ often adds, ‘Or what if we…’ Their collective ideas always take the song to a whole new level.”
If you’re lucky enough to snag a spot at Cider and Cedar this Friday, expect more than tight harmonies and lush organ grooves. Sweet Marilyn wants the audience to feel seen and connected. “Whether it’s a spark of joy, a bit of catharsis, or just a reminder that they’re not alone, that’s what Sweet Marilyn live is all about.”
The band isn’t slowing down after the show. Porchfest on July 13 is next, plus more gigs through the summer. Offstage, Jade has her sights set on beekeeping and developing honey-based band merch—a sweet side project that mirrors the band’s DIY ethos.
For those who crave music that’s unpretentious yet layered with meaning, Sweet Marilyn and Threocracy deliver.
