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ALL AGES!
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 lyics 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.
“You know, we’ve been a band for a while and we know each other really well. We spend a whole lot of time together, so it’s not that foreign to be able to get on a call and get your point across to anybody else in the band. We know each other well enough to be able to accomplish that,” added Putnam.
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.