For more than a decade, the members of Monday Night Social have been building something that goes beyond music. Their latest album, Chasing Light, released May 29, 2026, is the culmination of years of friendship, shared experiences, countless rehearsals, and a commitment to creating songs that matter.

Friends First, Bandmates Second

The story of Monday Night Social began in 2014 when founding members Christian Mann, Brock McGarity, and Janet McGarity started playing together as a folk trio. The group grew out of friendships formed while performing in their church's band, and those relationships remain the foundation of everything they do.

The band's family ties run deep. Brock and Janet are husband and wife, while drummer Gabriel Mann is the son of Christian. Alongside bassist Josh English, the five musicians have spent so many years creating, performing, and growing together that the line between friendship, family, and bandmates has largely disappeared.

Christian explains, "From the very beginning, we are friends who became a band. In every version of Monday Night Social, we genuinely enjoy spending time together. And out of that, we are able to create music. Even if we write the songs on our own, the song becomes a Monday Night Social song when we work on it collectively. Understanding that we all have strengths and abilities, as friends first and foremost, and then as bandmates, we make the song what it's supposed to be. Make it something better than it was when it was a solo project.”

That collaborative spirit remains central to the band's creative process.

"It becomes a Monday Night Social once we take it apart and put it back together again," Christian says.

He continues, “If there was no Monday Night Social, we would all still hang out together. The music represents us as friends. So, we're not a band because of music. We are a band because we are friends who create music together."

As Their Friendship Grew, So Did Their Sound

One element has remained constant throughout every phase of the band's evolution: harmony.

cThe signature Monday Night Social sound is built around three-part vocal harmony from Christian, Brock, and Janet. It is a defining characteristic they never want to lose.

After competing in the Star Maker competition in 2015, the trio received feedback that their sound needed a bass. The search ended the instant they met Josh English in 2016, the first time he had visited their church after moving to town. His musicianship, versatility, and willingness to jump in made him a natural fit. The chemistry was immediate, and his addition brought the depth and energy the group was looking for.

Shortly after, they were performing in small venues and expanded beyond their folk roots by adding an electric guitar and drums, completing the sound.

Along the way, the band surprised themselves by winning Road to Nightfall in 2017. By 2019, they had independently produced and released the EP Mixtapes Never Lie and the full-length album Watch It Burn.

Then came 2020.

The band had booked 20 shows and seemed poised for a breakout year when the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a halt.

Rather than stop creating, they regrouped and focused on writing. A new album was on the horizon.

To fund the project, they continued to perform at bar shows and wedding gigs. They saved and strategized, accepting all offers along the way. "You gotta be ready to say yes," Brock says.

"We do this because we love to write and perform together - if it became something bigger, that would be cool, but that's not the purpose! We write and sing because we have to - it is who we are," Christian says.

When the band's original drummer relocated in 2021, Gabriel Mann stepped in to fill the role. As Christian's son, Gabriel had grown up around music and the members of Monday Night Social, who had watched him develop as both a musician and a person. Over the years, Christian had encouraged and nurtured Gabriel's passion for music, helping shape the drummer he would become. By the time he joined the band, Gabriel was more than ready to contribute to the group's evolving sound.

The group settled into its current form:

• Christian Mann – acoustic and electric guitars, bass, mandolin, lead and backing vocals
• Brock McGarity – electric and acoustic guitars, lead and backing vocals
• Janet McGarity – acoustic guitar, auxiliary percussion, piano, lead and backing vocals
• Josh English – bass
• Gabriel Mann – drums

Pretend It's Your Last Album

Instead of self-producing, they decided to hire acclaimed producer Matt Goldman. As work began on what would become Chasing Light, the band adopted a new philosophy.

Brock, formally educated in music composition, remembers the mindset clearly: "Pretend it's your last album."

Recording stretched from November 2023 through November 2025. The extended timeline allowed the band to carefully refine every detail.

The partnership with Goldman opened new creative doors. Horns, organ, and additional textures expanded the band's sonic palette while preserving the intimacy that has always defined their music.

"Our sound is big yet close and intimate," Brock says.

Gabriel summarizes the band's approach simply, "Our music is a combination of repetition and change." Goldman, also a drummer, bonded with Gabriel, shaping his growth behind the kit while drawing out the musical instincts that had already made him a standout player.

Janet, a band teacher and perfectionist whose passion often lies in arrangement, notes that life itself shaped the record. Navigating their partnership and wanting to grow their family helped shape her creativity. Janet and Brock are also preparing for another major milestone, welcoming their first child in August 2026. While they never expected the album's release and this new chapter in their lives to arrive at the same time, they couldn't be more excited. In many ways, the timing reflects the spirit of Chasing Light itself—a snapshot of life as it unfolds, full of unexpected turns, growth, and reasons to celebrate.

"A lot of life happened in 2 years," Janet says. Perhaps no song reflects that better than "Sink In." Although it was recorded during a single weekend session at Glass House, the song took nearly two years to write.

The band's commitment to quality remained unwavering throughout the process.

"When the song is right, that's when it's done," Brock says.

Songs That Help People Feel

The emotional heart of Chasing Light lies in its honesty.

The album features thirteen original songs and one cover:

I Need Your Heart / Get Out / Stone in my Heart / The Lonely / Heatwave / Already Yours / Slow it Down / Olivia / Words / For What It's Worth / Bad Man / Primetime Savior / Killing Kind / Sink In

For Brock, songwriting is about creating genuine connections. "I want for when people listen to our music to hear vulnerable, real stories about pain, love, celebration, grief, anger, sorrow, and... connect to it. And... mean something in a way that sets them free a little bit."

Janet hopes listeners discover something equally personal. "I am not a super emotional person. But one of the ways that I feel like I process emotions is through music, and so I've always gravitated towards those “in your feelings” songs. I really, really, really wanted to write songs like that. I feel like on this album, we have those. And I just hope that people feel that way when they listen to our music. That they feel like they can sit in their car, they can sit wherever they're at, and our music helps them process things."

Christian describes songwriting and this album as an essential part of who he is, explaining, "I have to do it because I need to write. It’s my therapy."

Josh sees the album as an extension of the relationships that made it possible. "I would love for people to get as close to fully understanding what this band means to me…how life-changing this whole process has been, that somehow, this thing that we built, the lives that we built with each other, all that shared connection and experience, somehow makes it through to people listening. And they can use that to make their lives marginally better."

For Gabriel, the experience carries a unique significance. He now finds himself contributing to the music that he once observed from the sidelines. "All of these people have been in my life for a very long time and have watched me grow up. Getting to play music with these people who have become my second family has been super cool. I get to make musical moments, which is something I listen to in music. I get to have new experiences with friends and family. I'm hoping that translates to people who listen to our music and they enjoy it."

Bringing It Across the Finish Line

After the recording was complete, the band launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the final stages of the project, including vinyl and CD production, radio promotion, digital distribution, and a professionally produced music video for the lead single, "I Need Your Heart" https://youtu.be/K_qaNh1P9MM?si=fnYpEkcCFmYY8sFJ

The support they received reinforced what they had known all along: the community that had grown around Monday Night Social was invested in the journey.

Chasing Light Together

On June 5, 2026, the band celebrated the release of Chasing Light with a packed release show at Songbirds in Chattanooga. Family, friends, long-time supporters, and new fans filled the venue.

The two-hour performance showcased the scope of the album and their history, including an a cappella section and a live horn ensemble. By the end of the night, the excitement in the room was unmistakable. Two and a half years of work had been condensed into a single evening. The audience responded with a standing ovation and a desire for more.

That reaction felt fitting.

The rich sound of Chasing Light reflects where the band has been, individually and collectively. It captures growth, struggle, joy, grief, friendship, and perseverance.

Most importantly, it reflects a group of musicians who never set out to become famous. They simply wanted to create meaningful art together.

As their friendship evolved, so did their music.

And on Chasing Light, those two stories have become one.

Check out MondayNightSocial.com to learn more about the band and to purchase merchandise. Follow MNS on Facebook and Instagram MNStheBand.

Chasing Light is available on all streaming platforms and locally at Yellow Racket Records (2311 E Main St, Chattanooga, TN 37404).

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Leani Drapiza, reporting with photos for Chattanooga Live Music / Chattanoogan.com