Monica's first bit of notoriety came when she and drummer Daniel Ingram formed the hard-edged punk outfit Madhouse in 1983.

Madhouse recorded and released a self-titled album on Fountain of Youth Records in 1984, and went on to become a staple act in the Washington D.C. punk scene. In the later stages of Madhouse, the band began to lean in a darker direction and Monica as a singer began to display a tremendous amount of diversity; in the summer of 1985 they recorded and mixed their second album, from which they released the "Mecca" single. The single received a large amount of air-play along the East Coast, yet a break with their label forced the shelving of the album; it lies somewhere in the storehouse of a DC area recording studio.

Line-up changes and creative differences began to rattle the band, as well as the complete loss of Monica's voice in 1986 due to her severe vocal experimentations. This resulted in the band's forced hiatus while Monica went through months of voice therapy and training, and when "The Artist formerly known as..." offered the band a helpful sum of money for their name (which he wanted for his jazz project), the group conceded that Madhouse had run its course. During the length of its existence, Madhouse shared the stage with underground favorites such as XMAL DEUTSCHLAND, BAD BRAINS, CIRCLE JERKS, and UK SUBS.

Spring of 1987 heralded the formation of Strange Boutique; a band which Monica, Daniel, and ex-Beefeater guitarist Fred Smith founded with the intention of exploring a more serene, ethereal side of their musical interests. With the addition of bassist Steve Willett, the band's first EP, Easter Island was released in the Spring of 1989, showcasing Monica's new voice and the band's diverse musical talents. Strange Boutique set out on tour around the East Coast in support of the EP, and due to the distinct looks and on-stage energy of each bandmember, SB earned quite a reputation for their spirited and unusual liveshows. Following a powerful performance supporting Killing Joke in D.C., the two bands struck an immediate friendship, and KJ gave Strange Boutique the support slot for their European tour. Due to visa problems, the band was only able to appear on the UK leg of the tour, but charmed audiences nonetheless, returning home with a growing international fan base.

Strange Boutique entered the studio again in February 1991 to record their long-awaited debut album The Loved One. The album, which featured a new recording of their EP favorite "Quicksand Minds," was released on their own Bedazzled Records in the Fall of 1991, and at this time, Daniel Ingram left SB to explore his expanding musical interests. He joined England's Swervedriver for their 1992 world tour, and moved to London. Brilliant drummer Rand Blackwell joined Strange Boutique and the band performed extensively, touring the East Coast in support of the release.

Strange Boutique, sharing the stage with such kindred spirits as PIL, LUSH, XYMOX, and CATERWAUL, drove to Norfolk, VA in October 1992 to perform with SHADOW PROJECT. It was on this evening that Monica Richards met William Faith; the two struck an instant rapport, and began making plans for a future project together...

In November 1992, Strange Boutique began recording the Charm album, again for Bedazzled Records, and released it in February 1993. The group flew to the West Coast in March for a double-bill tour with the immortal This Ascension, as well as a crowded show at San Fransisco's House of Usher with Switchblade Symphony. It was during this time that Monica met William Faith again, and, during a break in between shows, the two collaborated on their first musical effort together; the result of which was the song "Heal", and "Faith and the Muse" seemed to be the obvious title for the project. The concept took wing from there. Strange Boutique continued writing and touring in the ensuing months, but for numerous personal reasons (cited in the liner notes of their third album, The Kindest Worlds), the band decided to go on a possibly permanent respite.

Monica came to Los Angeles in August 1993 to join William in the recording of a version of the Bauhaus classic "Hollow Hills" for Cleopatra Records's The Passion of Covers - A Tribute to Bauhaus, marking the very first recording by Faith and the Muse, though it was not released until 1996.

The Kindest Worlds was released in late Summer of 1994. Strange Boutique's farewell performance took place at the Black Cat in Washington D.C. on November 11th, 1993, which resulted in an emotional evening for the band and fans alike. Monica Richards moved permanently to Los Angeles in December 1993, and she and William Faith began to concentrate entirely on Faith and the Muse.

Monica Richards is also an accomplished graphic designer as well as an experienced gallery artist and illustrator. Her designs have been featured in the artwork of Faith and the Muse, as well as other bands, including Malign and Sub Version. Currently, she is designing the reissue of Strange Boutique's first album, The Loved One...