For those people that haven’t heard of The Moon City Masters could you tell us a bit about the band, your story?
My Brother Jordan (Bass and Vocals) Started The Moon City Masters in 2018 after years of being in bands together but always feeling like we had to compromise too much with other members and never really got a chance to do our own true musical vision. The whole point of The MCM is to write the music we always wanted to hear. Our direction musically is always evolving but we always are on the same page.
Who inspired you to get on stage and perform?
Seeing The Red Hot Chili Peppers on The By the Way tour. Our older brothers got us into Rock music when we were kids but seeing John Frusciante on stage alone doing a cover of “Maybe” by The Chantels was just so powerful to me. This was the lightbulb moment for me to ask my parents for a guitar.
Are there any artists or albums that have stuck with you and informed your sound?
A few yes! Deep Purple’s Album “Burn” is a huge influence on us. It’s definitely a hard rock album but the addition of David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes added some more soul elements and we love the way they sing together. Also Rush definitely made us fall in love with power trios (Which is how we play live) Plus they showed us how to fill in the sound as a three-piece. It’s hard to pick an album but the first album we got from them was their live album “Exit Stage Left” There’s a bunch but those two come to mind at the moment
Do you have any songwriting rituals?
Not Really. We improv Jam a lot so we usually start out with a riff then if we can make a melody we like over the idea we will try to turn it into a complete song. But we both play all the time so we’re always writing riffs.
Could you tell us a bit about the writing/recording of the ReverbNation winning track Spinning Wheels?
Jordan Came over with a bass riff. The rhythm instantly caught my attention and I instantly wrote a part over it and added a few things to the riff. Then we wrote the verse melody and the chorus just came instantly once we got the verse. It felt really effortless which isn’t always the case. After we write a song we really believe in we show it to our producer Justin Craig and he helps clean up our arrangements then we get to recording it. Recording is fun because we get to really experiment with different tones and adding textures.
Do you have any plans currently to release an EP or album?
Yes. We have a bunch of new music in the works that I’m really excited about. I love doing singles but my favorite way to listen to music is listening to an album from start to finish. We’re working on making that happen. Maybe we will put some singles out while we’re working on the album but we’re set on releasing an album in 2023
Where are some of your favorite places to perform?
I love playing The Mercury Lounge in New York City. Our hometown shows are always a blast. I love every time we play Musikfest in Bethlehem PA. People, there are always so awesome to us. Summerfest in Wisconsin is also amazing. We love festivals.
Here at Artistic Echoes, we are always on the lookout for new artists do you have any to recommend?
I have a few! Our friend Suzy Jones from Atlanta is incredible. She’s a powerhouse of a singer and her songs are great and she’s one of the best performers I’ve seen. Our Friends Joyous Wolf are amazing too. We opened up for them on a few of their tour dates in November, a super tight band, great players and Nick is an amazing performer. He does crazy flips and doesn’t miss a note. Having talented friends like these push you to be better haha.
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
We have a good amount of shows in the Northeast, Preparing to record an album and a European tour at the end of November. Stay tuned for those dates.
