Coral Moons are tempted to backslide into the arms of an ex in their seductive new single Like We Used To — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
Anchored by a smouldering soul groove, driven by slowly chugging guitars, glistening keyboards and solidly thudding drums, topped with singer-guitarist Carly Kraft’s haunting Amy Winehouse-style vocals and a growling saxophone, the timeless track from the Boston band’s upcoming debut album Fieldcrest is a wakeup-call ode to anyone who’s ever had second thoughts about that breakup.
“Like We Used To is a song about an old lover,” Kraft confirms. “Its natural toxic energy keeps wanting to pull you back into an old relationship while you fantasize about it. The end of the song ends in an abrupt snap that ends your daydreaming and knocks you back to reality to remind you why you left to begin with.”
Thankfully, Coral Moons’ union has proven to be a more serendipitous match. “Our story began in a corporate office, actually,” Kraft shares. “I met Manuel Camacho (our bassist) at our day jobs, where our boss was looking to incorporate more music in the office and wanted to do some open mics. We started experimenting with ’70s rock covers where he would play guitar and I would sing. I always wanted to be in a band growing up but never played any instruments (other than the oboe in wind ensemble and orchestra) so Manuel taught me some basic chords and soon thereafter I wrote the songs for our first EP.”
Rounding out the Coral solar system are guitarist Justin Bartlett and drummer Kevin O’Connell, both of whom had previously accompanied Kraft on the 2018 indie rock/ambient folk project Hope & Things. Within three months of the release of their debut single Fall In Love in July 2019, Coral Moons rocketed past 50,000 streams while appearing on over 600 playlists worldwide.
Their debut EP Quarter Life Crisis soon followed, heightening the frenzy as they quickly stormed the music scenes of the Northeast, bringing large crowds to sold-out rooms in Boston, N.Y.C. and Rochester. When the pandemic curtailed their live work, they dove into writing, ending the year with the framings of a nine-song album while garnering noms for Video of the Year (for Winnebago) and Alt/Indie Artist of the Year at the 2020 Boston Music Awards.
Influenced and inspired by Alabama Shakes, Tedeschi Trucks, Eagles, Maggie Rogers, Amy Winehouse, The Allman Brothers and Lake Street Dive, the band poured themselves into the vast expanse of Fieldcrest, their debut album produced by Sam Kissirer (Lake Street Dive, Josh Ritter, The Dustbowl Revival). A raw, vibrant mix of rock, jazz, pop, soul and blues, it rings classic without being nostalgic.
Check out Like We Used To and the video for Winnebago above, hear more from Coral Moons below, and get to know them on their website, Facebook and Instagram.