5 writers, 5 questions, 1 band, hand-picked by MWA. Welcome to FIVE x FIVE. This week: Enigmatic indie rockers, Mooner.
Take the pop sensibilities and melodic guitar rock of Television, mix in the witty and irreverent songwriting of Wilco, and you’ll get something along the lines of Chicago’s Mooner. The band wear their influences on their sleeve but make some very original & fun indie rock that doesn’t take it self too seriously. Singer/Songwriter Lee Ketch took a moment to join us for this week’s FIVE x FIVE.
You guys obviously have a sense of humor when it comes to writing a band bio, are you actually Led Zeppelin in a new, younger form or did you form out of the demise of New Zealand black metal group Crib Death? How did Mooner actually come to be? | Dan Jarvis
The real story of how the band started is very uninteresting. However, I would recommend doing some cautious research into Crib Deth.
Can you tell us a little bit about the upcoming album and we can expect to hear on it compared to your past releases? | Eric Slager
As with our last two releases, we’re recording with Mike Hagler in his studio, Kingsize Sound Labs. He records everything in a two story tall live room so the recordings sound very splashy and big in a good way. I think we’re starting to feel comfortable there so the new record will sound like our old ones but hopefully with more confidence and better songs. You can read all about it on our blog.
“Making Americans” is a hilariously awesome track. Is there something deeper you were trying to bring forth with that (some great references in there) or are just really having fun “Making Americans”? | Patrick David
I don’t know about anything deeper but I do remember that when I was writing it I was feeling very stressed out about starting a new job and marriage after I graduated. I think that was the idea behind a lot of the birth and death imagery in the lyrics, like the image of the newborn baby being smashed on the ground in the first verse. I was excited to start new things but I was really afraid that I’d screw up.
Besides your upcoming show at The Hideout, what’s in the works for the band? Any new records or tours coming up? | Alyssa Welch
We’re working on the debut full-length and have a show on August 22nd at the Burlington with The Dirty Pigeons, Pinebocks and the Midwestern Charm. For the next few months we will just be demoing and practicing in an 10×11 room with no ventilation. We also will be writing our monthly record reviews which you can get by signing up for our mailing list.
What has it been like being featured on major radio stations as well as a few compilation albums with the likes of Kimya Dawson & Andrew Jackson Jihad? Who else would you love to collaborate with some day? | Dan Fiorio
It was really gratifying being on WXRT. Richard Milne is one of those John Peel types that will sift through mounds of local bands every day so I know that when you get played on his show it means he sees something in you. We were on a Mountain Goats compilation CD with a whole bunch of bands called Tallahassee Turns Ten and it was one of the most fun things we’ve done.
I would love to collaborate with Bobby Conn. If you know him can you please ask him to produce our record?
Catch Mooner live at The Hideout (1354 West Wabansia) this Thursday, June 5th playing along side Warm Ones and Sleepwalkers. Show starts at 9pm (Doors at 8pm) and will only run you $8 t0 get in, grab your tickets here.
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