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Biography
The members of Moon Taxi are no strangers to the stage. Hailing from Nashville, the five-piece formed in 2006 and set out to conquer the Southeast with their unforgettable live set. Nine years later, they’ve amassed over one thousand shows and released two albums, Cabaret (2012) and Mountains Beaches Cities (2013). The latter landed the band their first National late-night television appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and Conan as well as multiple commercial and TV placements including BMW, Nashville, MLB, NFL and HBO Sports to name a few. With a rabid fan base under their belts, they’ve upped the ante this year to become a festival favorite with recent performances at Bonnaroo, Governor’s Ball, Wakarusa, Houston Free Press and upcoming appearances at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits.
Endless hours on the road in support of Mountains Beaches Cities allowed for reflection and collaboration like never before. The band, who all split song-writing duties, found themselves sharing personal experiences with one another, opening up about relationships, and becoming very aware of how powerful the human bond can truly be. This realization is heard throughout Moon Taxi’s third and most relatable album to date, Daybreaker. “To me it’s an album about facing the unknown, starting something new and realizing that the relationships you have with other people are what get you through life,” notes guitarist Spencer Thomson.
Recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Daybreaker was produced by Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse, Tom Waits, James Bay) and is comprised of eleven tracks that showcase exactly why Moon Taxi have become known as THE live band. For the first time since inception, all five members were together in the studio, performing and rehearsing as a band rather than self-producing bits and pieces at home. “As a whole, Daybreaker sounds like a performance to me,” says keys player Wes Bailey. “You can hear fingers moving, breathing and all the other subtle sounds that one would hear at a live performance.”
The album opens with the stadium ready first single ‘Year Zero’ and immediately envelopes the listener with echoing oh’s and ah’s, a swooning chorus, and soaring guitar riffs. ‘Year Zero’ is the perfect live sing-a-long; it’s meant to be heard with arms up, eyes closed, and bodies swaying in the warm summer air. “This album has summer vibes all over it,” says frontman Trevor Terndrup. The first song that was unveiled ‘All Day All Night’ is an excellent representation of that and is already making its mark with festivalgoers. “I want the listener to feel like they have stayed up all night with someone and that they are the only ones in the world experiencing the new day dawn,” he says.
Daybreaker continues to glide effortlessly from track to track each building upon the sentiment of the last. Mid album gem ‘Make Your Mind Up’ is the perfect juxtaposition of upbeat hooks and heartfelt lyrics, while closer ‘Rooftops’ shows a softer more intimate side to Moon Taxi, lending itself to be the soundtrack of a midnight rendezvous. From start to finish, Daybreaker is sure to leave fans feeling more connected to the band than ever before.
“When we release a new album, we enter a new chapter in our story; an experience we share with our fans. When the day breaks and the sun rises, changes happen and the world we know illuminates. That’s the same kind of effect we hope to achieve when we share new music.” – Wes Bailey