We had the pleasure of interviewing Moon Taxi over Zoom video!
Nashville-based indie/alt band Moon Taxi have released their highly-anticipated 6th studio album Set Yourself Free, available to stream now on all DSPs worldwide. Later this summer, the band will begin their Set Yourself Free tour - a 3 month US run with support from The Stews including stops in Atlanta, Nashville, Boston, Cleveland, and many others.
Once again ready to push the boundaries of their genre, Nashville-based indie alt-rock band Moon Taxi is back with their sixth full-length album, Set Yourself Free. With tracks ranging from rock to synth to pop to bluegrass, the new lineup showcases what 15 years as a band gets you: a polished, classic sound without fear of exploration. The five-member group- vocalist/guitarist Trevor Terndrup, lead guitarist Spencer Thomson, bassist Tommy Putnam, keyboardist Wes Bailey, and drummer Tyler Ritter - stepped back into their roots to create an album primarily written and recorded by themselves and set for release on their own label, 12th South Records.
“It was really rewarding for each of us. The last record had quite a few co-writes- this record did not. We challenged ourselves to write most of the material on our own and that’s really something to hang your hat on these days when you typically hire an outside writer or producer,” said Bailey on the band’s creative process. “We really tried to look inward and do a lot of that on our own.” Remote collaboration on Set Yourself Free started for the group during the pandemic, but 15 years of working together made that transition a smooth one.
“During the pandemic, we got used to FaceTime songwriting. For better or worse, it’s been a great way for everyone to collaborate remotely. The lyrics for the title track, "Set Yourself Free," were even written on a 5-way call. And the song shows that collaborative color throughout. "The idea of falling back on someone you trust is so important nowadays. But truly it’s how we’ve tried to operate as a band for all these years,” said Terndrup.
The album was finished through work in a few Nashville studios with the help of producer and collaborator, Brennan Aerts.
Despite a more fragmented process, the band regards Set Yourself Free as more reminiscent of their early work, citing it as fresh and exciting. Ritter believes they have a fan favorite on their hands - something that will re-energize the old fan base as well as draw in new listeners. Without a set sound in mind, the group was free to mold the record into what feels like an authentic Moon Taxi album.
With five previous albums under their belt, Moon Taxi had, and took, the opportunity to think outside the box and make some reaches, both musically and lyrically. “I think a lot of that freedom comes with having done it for a long time and on album number six, you’re no longer trying to find your sound like you are in earlier albums. You can kind of do what you want and then objectively look at it towards the end,” said Putnam. “You just trust yourself and your ear.”
Set Yourself Free showcases the skill of a fully developed and practiced group of musicians. Free from the barriers of genre and self-definition, Moon Taxi presents a fresh and bold take on their sound.
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