Lunar tunes from Flood the Moon

Two Albany locals behind Flood the Moon are launching their new direction this weekend. Shannon Smith spoke to Aaron Crosby about what we can expect.

Can you tell me about Flood the Moon?

Flood the Moon is an indie/electro/pop two-piece band from Albany, consisting of multi-instrumentalists myself and Caleb Drage. We aim to write catchy, upbeat and infectious music fusing a generous measure of samples, synths and arpeggios with the energy and vulnerability of a rock band.

So what are you guys up to this weekend?

We are officially launching Flood the Moon Live at the White Star Hotel this Saturday. This show has been two years in the making. It’s free entry and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on.

What should we expect for the launch?

We always view live music as an experience, not just a performance, so our aim as Flood the Moon is to bring just that — not only good music but hopefully something that’s exciting and entertaining to watch as well. We are always looking for interesting and different ways to connect with an audience so hopefully you’ll be able to expect the unexpected.

What have you been up to over the last two years while preparing for this?

Two years seems like a long time but it has flown by. We have been so busy behind the scenes. We fitted out a custom little recording/ rehearsal studio here in Albany called Lunar Studios where we’ve been busy writing and recording demos for Flood the Moon. We have also travelled to real2reel studios in Bunbury to work with producer James Newhouse. Some of this material we have released and can be found wherever you stream your music, and some of these songs we are yet to release.

How does it feel to be showing your work to everyone after all this time?

It’s always a daunting prospect as any type of artist to put your heart and soul into something that’s truly yours and offer it up to consumers to either take it or leave it. I think a lot of people forget that, but to be honest, we’re super-excited to play live again. There is something so rewarding and satisfying about playing live. We have been knuckled down in writing and recording mode for so long (which has been great) but we’re so pumped to show everyone what we’ve been working on.

You rebranded recently — are you glad you did this?

We did. Formerly we were a band called Like a Thief. We had a third member and we played shows all around WA. It was heaps of fun and we loved it. We decided to rebrand in mid-2017 when our drummer finished up. It was sad to see the end of that band but it was also a chance to start afresh. We are really glad we did this as it gave us a chance to work out what we really wanted to do going forward.

What’s inspired your new music?

Lyrically we have really focused on writing from personal experiences but in a way that everyone can connect to. It’s a fine line between making a song personal or applicable to anyone but doing so without sounding too generic or cliched. Musically we’ve been inspired to just find “our sound”. There are so many amazing artists out there doing some incredible things and that’s amazing, but it’s much easier to simply copy a sound that you love rather than refine your own. We don’t necessarily have the best synths or pedals or sounds, but our aim is to use what we do have to make interesting and creative music. Many of the greatest sounds on some of the most iconic records in history came about by people trying what others didn’t. As Hans Zimmer says, “If somebody tells you there’s a rule, break it because that’s the only way music will move forward”.

Do you want to say anything to get people down there?

What else is happening in Albany this Saturday night! We have a great line-up of original bands planned, with Kris Nelson and Alison Parade joining us. This is our first ever live show as Flood the Moon and hopefully we have something fresher, more interactive, energetic and exciting than your average rock show. You can find us on socials and anywhere you stream music. We’ll be playing all the songs we’ve released plus plenty we haven’t.