Jared Monaco almost quit the Maine prior to ‘You Are Ok’

In a preview from the Maine’s forthcoming book Finding Your Way When Life Doesn’t Feel Ok, guitarist Jared Monaco reveals that at one point, he was caught in a place that forced him to balance his personal life with the band. As a result, Monaco says that he greatly weighed the option of quitting the Maine ahead of You Are Ok’s release.

The heartfelt preview unveils Monaco’s difficult emotions during that time. Struggling between having a happy home life and exploring new corners for the Maine, Monaco was put in a precarious situation.

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While it’s clear that Monaco decided to stay with the Maine, his decision came at great costs. Monaco reveals that at the consequence of a long-term relationship, he found that he was trying to make his “dual life” coincide to no avail. 

“It was almost like I had two different timelines going,” Monaco says in the preview. “It made things really complicated for a long time, because I wanted to be a part of everything — but I did a really shit job of joining the two.”

At the end of the day, Monaco decided that pursuing a future with the band that he had been in for over 10 years was the best resolution.

“Without that final push, I don’t think I would have ever come to a decision,” Monaco says. “I would have torn myself in half for the rest of my life trying to appease two different groups of people — and ultimately leaving myself totally unhappy in the process. I didn’t want it to happen, but I feel like for growth to occur, you have to feel uncomfortable in life.”

You can read the entire preview for Finding Your Way When Life Doesn’t Feel Ok here. Additionally, you can preorder your copy here. According to the 8123 website, the book will ship on or around March 29.

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Recently, the Maine dropped their second single from You Are OK. After relentlessly teasing the song on social media, “My Best Habit” has been released to the world. You can listen to the new song below.

“My Best Habit” follows the release of “Numb Without You.” You can listen to the first single from the upcoming album below.

You Are OK is due out March 29. You can preorder your copy of it here.

Additionally, the Maine and Grayscale are hitting the road in the U.S., starting on May 9 at Tucson, AZ in support of their forthcoming album. The run wraps up May 31 in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Launchpad.

You can check out the dates and cities on the band’s upcoming tour, as well as the previously announced European and South American treks, below and get your tickets here.

European dates

04/02 – Köln, Germany @ Gloria
04/03 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Zappa
04/04 – Paris, France @ Flow
04/05 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg
04/06 – London, England @ The Forum

North American dates

04/16 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades *
04/17 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades *
04/19 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *
04/20 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *
04/21 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom *
04/22 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom *
04/24 – Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall *
04/26 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre *

04/27 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
04/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
04/30 – Denver, CO @ The Summit *
05/01 – Denver, CO @ The Summit *
05/02 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex *
05/03 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex *
05/04 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues *
05/05 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues *

* with Taking Back Sunday

05/09 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole+
05/11 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk+
05/13 – Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl
05/14 – Birmingham, AL @ Workplay
05/15 – Nashville, TN @ Cowan
05/17 – Charleston, SC @ Amo’s
05/18 – Charlotte, NC @ Music Farm+
05/19 – Richmond, VA @ Broadberry

05/21 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe+
05/24 – Bloomington, IL @ Castle Theatre
05/25 – Iowa City, IA @ Blue Moose Tap House
05/26 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
05/28 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
05/29 – Tulsa, OK @ Vanguard
05/31 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad

+ No Grayscale

Brazilian dates

06/13 – Curtiba, Brazil @ Selfie Brasil
06/15 – São Paulo, Brazil @ Tropical Butantã
06/16 – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil @ Sacadura 154
06/18 – Belo Horizonte, Brazil @ Centro Cultural

What do you think of Jared Monaco’s decision? Let us know in the comments below.

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