Band Interview: Moon Machine
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are pleased to bring you an interview with melodic progressive metal/rock band, Moon Machine.
1. How did you get started as a band?
We met as students at Tufts University. We were actually all playing in a pop fusion group called Space Ink. When that band fell apart in 2018, the three of us kept jamming, and our love of heavy music started seeping into our jams. Then we wrote some songs and recorded this album and here we are.
2. How would you describe your sound?
I would call us melodic progressive metal/rock. We don’t focus much on technical instrument playing (which is normally associated with prog metal) We are more progressive in our arrangement, songwriting, and mix of genres. We also are influenced by some post rock and post metal.
3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?
Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Devin Townsend, Alcest, Dream Theater, Muse, Tool, King Crimson, Ghost, the Contortionist, Steven Wilson, Megadeth, Anathema, Periphery, Deftones, Tigran Hamasyan, Space Ink, classical and jazz music.
4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?
It has probably helped us. At the moment, we are only a studio project and don’t play live. Without the internet, it would be hard to get anyone to hear our music without playing live shows. However, trying to get around Facebook and Instagram algorithms is pretty tricky without giving them a bunch of ad money. It’s also hard to compete with all of the bands that use social media for marketing (which is every band these days).
5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
My day job and music aspirations definitely take up a lot of my time as I try to be a multi-instrumentalist and producer at night. My non-music hobbies are definitely more outdoor and health related. I’m really into playing tennis, biking, going into the gym…stuff like that.
6. What are your future plans musically? Tours?
I just want to keep being creative and making music. I also play drums in the Boston bands “We Are Space Horses” (psych rock / stoner rock) and Luxury Deathtrap (grunge / shoegaze). We will be playing shows around the Boston area. I am going to record some acoustic stuff with my Moon Machine bandmate Angel Castillo. He is a quite good mandolin player as well as a drummer! For the rest of the year, I will also likely be working on writing the next Moon Machine album!
Links
Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
