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10 Years on YouTube

10 year anniversary MonaLisa & band Live in Concert 2007

Long, long time ago, we can still remember …

… when we uploaded our first ever YouTube video 10 years ago today!

That’s a bit less than half our lives ago. Seems crazy when we say it like that. Back then we were only 13 years old and making baby steps towards a musical career, building our YouTube channel, becoming better musicians and eventually “meeting” all of you throughout the years.

If you feel like going down memory lane with us and see our baby faces, here is the playlist to all those very early videos – don’t let the hair colour throw you off, that’s really us (performing with Papa Rudi and Stepmum Michaela ♥) 😉

Watch our earliest videos here.

Most of you have probably come across our music on YouTube and have seen at least one of our 102 videos. For us working on the visuals of a songs is extremely important – it gives us freedom to put another creative layer on the music experience and we just love playing around with new ideas, equipment, locations and effects.

That’s why tomorrow we will finally be shooting our next video. If you want to follow what’s going on, keep an eye out on our Instagram Story. We’ll take you along on the ride!

Feel free to leave us a comment below telling us what video first introduced you to our music, your favourite clips and when you came across them – we love hearing these kinds of things 🙂

Talk soon and stay groovy,
Mona & Lisa

 

20 thoughts on “10 Years on YouTube

  1. This is a lovely photo of the Wagner family. Any chance of having it made into a poster and added to your memorabilia store?

  2. I discovered the MonaLisa Twins in June of 2018 while looking for a recording of While My Guitar Gently Weeps that featured George on lead guitar instead of Eric Clapton. Failing that, I decided to give a listen to their version and was immediately knocked out. Of course, at that time I didn’t know one twin from the other but I realized that Lisa’s lead guitar licks were probably closer to what George might have played had he not brought Clapton into the studio to get the rest of the band to focus. My favorite video of a cover is God Only Knows and of an original- impossible to limit it to just one. I love the newest one- Still a Friend of Mine but I am blown away by Nothing is in Vain. But I also love The Wide, Wide Land, That’s Life and Waiting For the Waiter. My favorite is the one I’m watching. I’m also stuck on which twin I like better. I think Lisa’s voice is a little better on lead but Mona sings with such enthusiasm I’m drawn to her voice just as much. Sort of like I think John and Paul have better voices than George but I love his vocals every bit as much as theirs. Plus Mona’s voice for harmony is amazing. And if I love Lisa’s lead guitar, I love Mona on drums and guitar. Lisa may have the slight advantage because in one of the interviews I found, she wanted to meet John and Paul while Mona wanted to meet Elvis and Paul Simon.

  3. I discovered the MonaLisa Twins music in March of 2017 one evening searching on You Tube for different 60’s songs I enjoyed. At the time I was a little depressed coming out of a year of personal loss. I happened upon Mona and Lisa’s cover of Scott McKenzie’s “San Francisco”, and it was the most beautiful version of that favorite song I ever heard. The video reminded me of the fond vacation I had with my mom in San Francisco in 2004 before she became very ill. Their beautiful voices and perfect harmony, that goes so well with that song capturing the spirit and mood so perfectly, just floored me. It was like a ray of sunshine that instantly cheered me up like all of their music does. I also love their “California Dreaming” and “ Hotel California” covers that make up their 2008 California Dreaming album.

    At first I wondered if they were an actual musical group or just a couple of young beautiful models that someone made this wonderful cover around, but soon I discovered they had 100 awesome music videos on You Tube already of great covers of legendary songs and their own wonderfully done original music, and albums. Covers like Beach Boys “God Only Knows”, Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, Hollies “Bus Stop”, and songs I never heard before like “Best Years of our Lives” from Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel etc just blew me away. I get goose bumps every time I hear them sing this song. Their original songs from their “When We’re Together” album at the time had great songs that have become some of my favorites like “The Wide, Wide Land”, “Nothing is in Vain” ,“I don’t know Birds that Well”, and “June”etc. I was instantly hooked and never looked back.

    Then last September they came out with Orange which is nothing short of a ground shattering album so artistically done from it’s very name and I think every wonderful track is a potential chart topper. To my ears many of their covers surpass the original versions with the unique and breathtaking sound of Mona and Lisa’s vocal harmony, and brilliant musical arrangement that only real talented song writers are capable of doing. Their awesome “Mona Lisa and Band” album they did 10 years ago, at the age of 13 with their parents Rudi and Michaela just shows the MonaLisa Twins are something special as this kind of talent is not something you acquire from just a lot of training and practice. There must be something in the Austrian air or water that gives this world musical talent like Mozart, Von Trapp family, and MonaLisa Twins! 🙂 Aufstehn, Stand By Me, Back to Life, Samba Pa Ti, Ain’t No Sunshine are just a few of my faves from their very first album 10 years ago.

    I guess I am a relative newbie fan over the MonaLisa Twins 10 years career thus far, but the short time I’ve been along for the ride, I am loving every moment.

  4. I grew up hearing something more in contemporary music in the old days than most people did, and I was somewhat odd in that regard. Both my parents were professional classical musicians but I noticed they would often take delight in popular music at times. Because of my parents, I got to work with opera companies, and one time, I met The Carpenters and actually got to sing with them as a young boy when they were in town. It was so sad what later happened to Karen because back then, I could hardly look at her she was so gorgeous and with a voice that would melt your heart. These and many other experiences made me want to formally study music.

    Whatever it was, I didn’t know exactly how to articulate what I was hearing, but I watched contemporary music literally disintegrate in a few short years. From the mid to late 1970s, fewer and fewer songs were even appealing. For instance, I remember when disco came out and noticed it was immediately popular everywhere you looked. “Rock ‘n’ Roll is dead” was the common answer to my expressed disapproval of Disco and I found myself an outcast. I can’t believe I actually lived through that. Disco actually made me ill and then one day I just had enough, and joined the service. It was over. The culture that produced that contemporary music just died. The people changed for the worse. It was a living death and everyone seemed to go for it. Not willing to accept defeat, I side-stepped it all. Still, there was something there in that period of contemporary music as a boy. Toward the end of my career, I decided to piece together a recording studio and would try to reconstruct or capture what it was that I was experiencing early in life in hearing these songs. My initial thought was to isolate and identify those constituent pieces that made those songs what they were. If I could accomplish that, it would be like having lighting in a bottle.

    So, one day, almost five years ago, I was listening to scores of Beatles tunes on YouTube and deciding which ones and how I could work on recording them and creating new music in the same manner that it used to be. This exploring went on for some time, but YouTube started putting these short commercials preceding videos, and after a few seconds you could hit the skip button. I heard the MonaLisa Twins for first time where they were sitting in front of an abandoned church playing ukuleles and noticed the group’s name, but almost out of habit, I hit the skip button and regretted it. Something happened. For the first time in a long time, the MonaLisa Twins song stayed with me. A few days went by and I got the little commercial leading into a Beatles song again and decided for one thing, I really liked the name of the group because of Leonardo DaVinci and masterpiece paintings of excellent workmanship in general. I wondered what prompted the group to name themselves The MonaLisa Twins. That was one question that I had. This time, the same song as before came on and I was captivated by it. It was the song “I Don’t Know Birds That Well”. I saved this song and wanted to know more because it captured what I was going to try to do myself late in life. I was totally shocked to find out that they wrote this song as an original. That got my attention. Plus, I studied voice as a boy, and noticed that Mona with Lisa together were both blessed with an ear for excellent pitch. Then I found out they were REAL twins. I really liked everything about them but the most interesting thing was they somehow were built of the same stuff that I was, at least I think that they hear the same thing and appreciate a certain sound. Not that they are duped into thinking they have to be hippies to make good music, but that the music itself is what they are after. I also noticed that they understood the blues aspect that runs in the background. I still find it difficult to find the right words to describe it.

    Most of all, I am thankful to the MonaLisa Twins because they took risks in life and have given almost half of their lives to us. In return, let me say that in a few short years, I sort of felt like I grew up with them. So, thank you to Mona and Lisa and the MLT team. I secretly worry if I am being the best possible fan for you at all times but you have made it abundantly clear that you appreciate your fans. I think you made the right decision in life and are on the right track. You do seem to make people happy.

    So, which one do I like better, Mona or Lisa? I’ll never tell. I sense that their music will endure.

    Mike
    (The happiest MonaLisa Twins fan that ever lived)

  5. Hey Mona and Lisa
    I wached your first Youtube videos from 10 years ago ….really liked All my loving and Mr Tambourine Man ….i guess the Bass guitar and the tambourine are your parents ….Nice to have the family playing together
    True that already 10 years ago you could feel the emerging talent ….probably less comfortable on stage and less energy but already wonderful voices and attention to musical details

    First time i saw one of your videos is when i was watching friends who have a Beatles tribute band in Slovenia called “Help” … your videos were on the side and i believe the first one i watched was “Revolution ” …..i already knew ” you are gonna be alright “….

    Cheers and keep rocking

  6. Hey ladies , greetings from a place you know well down under ….Adelaide !!

  7. I’m another of your 67 year old fans. The first YouTube video of yours I ever heard was about 8 years ago when I found “I Wish I Was a Punkrocker…” Of course I had to check out your other covers, and fell in love with all of them. The Beach Boys and Beatles are my two favorite groups of all time. I don’t think I have a favorite, although I was excited when you recorded “When I’m 64” about 9 months before my 64th birthday. I was also immediately impressed with “This Boy is Mine” and “The Wide, Wide Land” and that you could create such great originals that had the same harmonies and sounds as so many of my favorite songs.
    It’s been fun to watch your journey from two young girls with a cute accent to the beautiful and talented young women that you are today. Best wishes for the next 10 years!
    I too hope you will tour the US someday – It would be a great experience to hear you in person.

  8. First video I saw was You’re Going to Lose That Girl (Youtube) perfect! Is that a Gretsch and a Rickenbacker? Great sound. You must be famous now! Loving your music/vids.

  9. I am 67 years old and i think i have lived through the best music ever recorded. I sure miss the music of the 60,s & 70,s, that is when it had class and originality. I,m so glad i discovered ( 6 years ago) you multi talented sisters. The first video what introduced me to your music was ,,Love is al around,, . I was searching for this Troggs classic song. On the same page i noticed 2 young girls performing the same song. The rest is history. I love all these covers,especiality Beatles, my all time favorite band.You capture the spirit of the originals in a fresh way. I realy love ,, if i fell,,one of your best Beatles covers. The songs on the radio nowadays have very little meaning compared to great songs like these. But i also like your originals.My favorites are ,, the wide wide land,, and ,, all about falling in love,, Harmonies and melodies that lodge in my mind and soul forever. We have nothing in the same class in popular music today. My favorite clips ? pretty difficult,for sure. I,ve seen all the 102 (!) videos. I guess my choice has to be ,,the wide wide land,, The meaning of the song,about your grandmother,your talented song writing and the touching video, wich fit the song so perfectly, makes this video my nr 1 clip. Another favorite clip must be ,,when i,m 64,, I,m glad i discoverd you, and been a fan ever since. Ofcourse I have all your cd,s. If it wasn,t for youtube i probably would never have heard of you. Youtube is really a treasure. It,s an amazing archive for finding old and new music. Next video is on the way? Can,t wait. Hope you wil continue doing Beatles covers. I would love to see you perform ,, something,, My all time favorite Beatles song. Best wishes on your musical journey for the next 10 years!

  10. Happy 10 year anniversary, Mona, Lisa, Rudi & Michaela. The body of work you all have compiled over the last decade is quite impressive, indeed. Your passion is contagious to all your fans, and your commitment and tenaciousness are so admirable. I think that’s what impresses me most when watching the videos and listening to your music. You are all just so dedicated to getting to where you want to go. It’s as if you won’t be denied, and it’s delightful to see the progress and maturity in your music with each successive year.

    What was the first video I watched? I was playing on YouTube one night and quite by accident I came upon your videos. I believe it was the “Drive My Car” video that I clicked on first, and it looked to be a live performance in a smaller setting. I enjoyed it immensely and then clicked on “Day Tripper”. Yep…..liked that one, too! Not just the singing and harmony, but the tight instrumentals behind you. So cool to watch. From there, I wound up watching for hours. Next thing I knew, a few days later, I’ve bought all 3 albums and have all your stuff organized perfectly in my iTunes, so I can listen to my heart’s content!

    Some of my favorite videos include “Twist and Shout,” “Money,” “That Boy,” and “God Only Knows”. And, of course, I love all your newer videos. The quality of your videos are VERY impressive, so kudos to your dad, and whoever else is responsible it. Just beautiful, impressive work!

    I have a real soft spot for “That Boy” because the melody and harmony is so pretty. It goes straight to the heart and it makes me instantly think of the black and white scene in “A Hard Day’s Night” when Ringo is walking around all lonely, taking pictures. The instrumental version of “That Boy” is playing throughout that scene and it was soooo pretty! The instrumental version was George Martin, I believe, and it wound up being on the “Hard Day’s Night” album in the USA. If you haven’t heard it, please find it and listen to it. You’ll love it.

    Thanks for all you are doing and I know you’ll keep up the good work! I’ve already told you this once, but PLEASE do find your way back to the States as soon as you can! You’ll be loved!

  11. Hi There, MLT Consortium :-)…It is so great to here from you!
    I remember the very first MLT video I saw and was so impressed! It was “This Boy” cover of the Beatles classic. It just happened to be on a Youtube page I was surfing. Not only were the vocals so smooth and flowing but the quality of the production was fantastic. The opening of the boxes of guitars and the excitement of Mona and Lisa just made me want to be there with you. I started to look for more videos after that. I was so excited to find so many, well produced, videos that I was listening and watching ever chance that I could. The more I watched and learned the more I was impressed with the “family” enterprise. Years ago I had a small recording studio in my home so I really appreciate the technical side of the recordings (tell Dad I’m impressed greatly).
    I just love what you do and the way you do it. Keep it up! I’m staying groovy as much as possible nowadays. 🙂
    Love ya!

  12. I discovered MonaLisa Twins a few years ago while looking for a good version of “If I Fell” by the Beatles. I wanted to learn the “John” part of the harmony and they performed it beautifully, I still can’t even hum it myself. I think I’ve seen heard the video 100 times over by now, it remains my favorite. It knocked me for a loop and started a rich journey through all their videos and music. I have every CD & DVD that I know of including the one-of-a-kind vinyl along with other collectable things. Every song is great, both covers and originals and I’m still amazed by how well and how many instruments both girls can play. The singing is wonderful and the videos a very well thought out and produced. You two have brought to me many hours of listening pleasure and I cannot thank you enough for that. Keep up the great work, I’m looking forward to hearing more from you down the road. And, congratulations on your milestone, I feel certain there will be many more to come. Best wishes!

  13. Awayback when….while I was looking for a top notch decent cover of ” California Dreaming “…BAM…Smack Awed was I at Tge MonaLisa Twins’ video/version…Damn…I knew right then and there I was going to be a lifelong fan…I was going to love their music…know they are but of utmost cool wonderful people of Creative & Funny & Groovy kind and From that day onwards…a Fan Club later….new friendships formed….A Happy Positivity Fateful Stumble Encounter Discovery indeed….Thankyou ☮️????✌️????????????

  14. If I remember correctly, my first MonaLisa video was “This Boy”. I only discovered this song in 2015 when I was interning in New York City. On John Lennon’s 75th birthday I happened to walk past Strawberry Fields in Central Park. I didn’t have this date on my mind and I luckily stumbled upon a musical birthday party at the famous mosaic. I was so touched that I couldn’t even sing along in the beginning! Later it started to rain, but we were persistent and simply shared your umbrellas. One of the songs that was sung that night was “This Boy”. When it was over, a woman in the crowd said something like: “Well that was nice!”. I thought so too. So later I did a little YouTube research and some blond and red hair caught my eye… 😉
    I think your cover version is fantastic! And ever since I discovered it, I have been truly enjoying your music – it is a part of what makes my life orange 🙂

  15. I discovered MLT last August, 2017 listening to several Beatles covers. The 1st couple songs I heard were ” If I Fell” & ” Drive My Car “. Then I started to notice them talking about a new release coming in September 29th called ” Orange “. I was so intrigued with their music I had to buy it, the rest is history, been a fan ever since. Purchased Orange CD & vinyl, When Were Together CD, MLT Plays Beatles & more CD, tee shirt, & coffee mug. Love that you two write, sing & play your own instruments, plus your harmonies are awesome. I wish you much success and look forward to the Future of your musical career.

  16. I was listening to various versions of the Beatle song “You’re Going to Lose That Girl” when I happened across the MLT version being performed, of all places, in The Cavern Club in Hamburg! The Twin’s rendition included all the elements that made the song so good in the first place; the beautiful three part harmonies, the rocking beat, the call and response sequences all come together perfectly. And I would be remiss not to mention, the fantastic lead solo and the skillful use of the “twang bar”! The MLT renditions of songs, Beatle and other, also somehow capture the hope for the future, the optimism and the fun of the era which is amazing considering it happened decades before the two young women were born. Please keep it up and come and tour in the US! Your band is perfect for some of the smaller venues that are so popular these days. I really look forward to it. Thank you!!

  17. I first discovered MLT on you tube in I think 2014 when I chanced across your version of Bus Stop. Being a Hollies fan I thought your version was fab. I then discovered God only knows (Awesome) and a whole host of other fabulous videos . I have been hooked ever since. I love what you do and look forward to each and every thing you do. What a huge ray of sunshine in this sometimes gloomy world. Orange is a fabulous album and all I can say is thank you !! for making such such wonderful music. Keep on rockin ‘ x

  18. Je vous ai connu sur internet il y a environ 1 an, en recherchant des reprises des Beatles par d’autres artistes.
    Depuis j’ai tout vu et écouté de vous sur internet. Vous jouez trop bien, j’aime aussi votre look et son fils très années 1960.
    J’ai acheté vos CD, dont “MonaLisa & Band Live in Concert 2007”. Bravo aussi à vos parents.
    j’aime beaucoup votre interprétation de “Stand by me” de Ben E. King, mais je n’ai pas trouvé la vidéo sur Youtube.
    Dommage. Peut-être qu’elle n’a pas été filmée …
    Vous êtes de grandes artistes. Continuez encore longtemps.
    Merci …

    I knew you on the internet about a year ago, looking for Beatles covers by other artists.
    Since then I have seen everything and listened to you on the internet. You play too well, I also like your look and his son very 1960s.
    I bought your CDs, including “MonaLisa & Band Live in Concert 2007”. Congratulations also to your parents.
    I really like your interpretation of “Stand by me” by Ben E. King, but I did not find the video on Youtube.
    Pity. Maybe she was not filmed …
    You are great artists. Continue for a long time.
    Thank you …

  19. In November of 2016, I was looking on my Phone for songs to listen to. I came Across God Only Knows, I passed it up 5 different times then I finally gave it a try( one of my most favorite Beach Boy Songs) I was pleasantly Surprised! And I immediately fell in love with the MonaLisa Twins MUSIC!!! It has been nothing short of PHENOMINAL since then. You ladies have brought back the sound of the Sixties. I have listened to every song at least twice. One More Time, Won’t You Listen Now, Club 27, Sweet Lorraine, Still A Friend Of Mine, are among my favorites of your ORIGINALS!!!
    CONGRATULATIONS on your Success, your upcoming Milestone on You Tube (20,000,000 views on You Tube) you are Fantastic and deserve all the accolades you receive. The best is yet to come.

  20. I cannot remember exactly when I bought my first Mona Lisa Twins CD but it was quite some time ago. I probably saw Mona Lisa Twins on YouTube somewhere around nine or ten years ago as this was the time I had to stop working for reasons I need not elaborate on. It will be at least six to eight years since I started watching Mona Lisa Twins online more seriously.

    I was initially drawn to the online videos due to my interest in sixties music but I really enjoy the MLT own music. I had not seriously been ‘into’ a band for many years and, though always exposed to music, had all but given up on playing my CD’s, MP3’s, vinyl and taped music. Now I have all the commercially available MLT releases including orange on CD and vinyl and digital, turntable slipmat and more. Though I’m not known for liking hoodies I got the MLT hoody recently and wear it often!

    I wish MLT every succes as they move past this ten year upload milestone and look eagerly towards the next ten years and on.

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