Moon And Bike intrepidly explore new sonic and emotional landscapes with their expansive sophomore album Brave State — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Boone Johnson and Michael Swanson met while doing trail work in Eugene, Oregon. The two quickly bonded over music, realizing they were both guitarists, and proceeded to write their first song together shortly after. The song was called Moon And Bike — a play on both of their names. Some 25 years and a variety of musical projects later, the duo now lead the guitar-focused instrumental project named for that first musical collaboration.
Their second album Brave State is a 10-song collection that represents a leap in sound, evolving from a duo to a trio. The addition of drummer John Gannon shows Boone and Michael exploring their rock influences, as well as the energy and thrilling dynamic that comes with working with a top-notch percussionist. Brave State was co-produced by Moon And Bike and engineer / producer Dylan Magierek of Badman Records (My Morning Jacket, Innocence Mission, Lanterna). It was mixed by John Morgan Askew (Neko Case, Laura Gibson, M. Ward) and mastered by Timothy Stollenwork at Stereophonic Mastering.
The album title references the bravery we all have to muster in the face of our daily struggles, as well as coming to terms with the current state of our world, specifically concerning environmental degradation, violence, and political upheaval. It honours those who have come before us and those who step up to try to make the world a better place. In another way, it also speaks to Moon And Bike’s progress and adventurous sound. Their hard-to-classify, guitar-based soundscapes exude a powerful, distinct self-possession. “We envision our music as engaging and accessible, yet it’s something that doesn’t easily fit into the current set of musical genres,” Boone says, “We feel like we’re traveling down a fresh path, creating a new sound on our own terms.”
Moon And Bike’s aesthetic centers around strong melodies and richly expressive chord changes. The song arrangements are informed by pop, but, at times, cleverly wander into post-rock, fusion, and ambient territory with mellow and moody passages morphing to frenetic ones. The band’s productions are lush, drawing from their diverse musical backgrounds and experience scoring original music for film and other media. The tracks are layered with the interplay of acoustic and electric guitars, strong rhythmic elements, and atmospheric, electronic textures. Moon And Bike have been compared to Explosions In The Sky, North Americans and Marisa Anderson and William Tyler. In January 2023,
Brave State was written and recorded in the energy surge that occurred after the lockdown eased, and it reflects this through rocking musical passages that are balanced out by meditative sections. The songs move through almost Pink Floydian atmospheric movements, brimming with mesmerizing, acoustic, arpeggiated motifs and overlaid with lyrical, electric guitar melodies. The imaginatively arranged song February features impressionistic, acoustic guitar patterns interwoven with sublime electric guitar. February flows from moments of deep introspection to bursts of energetic expression. The evocative Reminiscing is a spacious composition with a thoughtfully composed neoclassical section. “Boone’s acoustic guitar part on that one captured wistful feelings of rainy days,” Michael recalls.
The adventurous Waldo and Steel features a mix of odd time signatures and interlocking parts that yield to a serene ending section. The final track, A Pathless Land, gorgeously unfolds with the steady pulse of drums, electronic textures, and meditative acoustic guitar phrasing, concluding with a trail of psychedelic electric guitar melodies that leave you questioning what might be coming next.
Listen to Brave State below and find Moon And Bike on their website, Instagram and Facebook.
