Boone Johnson and Michael Swanson met while doing trail work in Eugene, Oregon. The two quickly bonded over music, realizing they were both guitarists, and proceeded to write their first song together shortly after. The song was called “Moon and Bike” – a play on both of their names. Twenty-five years and a variety of musical projects later, the duo created the guitar-focused instrumental project that was named after that first musical collaboration.
Moon and Bike are now preparing to release their second album, Brave State. The 10-song collection represents a leap in the project’s sound, evolving from a duo to a trio. The addition of drummer John Gannon on the record and onstage shows Boone and Michael exploring their rock influences, as well as the energy and thrilling dynamic that comes with working with a top-notch percussionist. Brave State was co-produced by Moon and Bike and engineer/producer Dylan Magierek of Badman Records (My Morning Jacket, The Innocence Mission, Lanterna). It was mixed by John Morgan Askew (Neko Case, Laura Gibson, M. Ward) and mastered by Timothy Stollenwork at Stereophonic Mastering.
The album title, Brave State, references the bravery we all have to muster in the face of our daily struggles, as well as coming to terms with the current state of our world, specifically concerning environmental degradation, violence, and political upheaval. It honors those who have come before us and those who continue to step up to try to make the world a better place. In another way, it also speaks to Moon and Bike fearlessly moving forward with their adventurous sound.
Moon and Bike’s aesthetic centers around strong melodies and richly expressive chord changes. The song arrangements are informed by pop, but, at times, cleverly wander into post-rock, fusion, and ambient territory with mellow and moody passages morphing to frenetic ones. The band’s productions are lush, drawing from their diverse musical backgrounds and experience scoring original music for film and other media. The tracks are layered with the interplay of acoustic and electric guitars, strong rhythmic elements, and atmospheric, electronic textures. Moon and Bike has been compared to Explosions in the Sky, North Americans, and Marisa Anderson and William Tyler. In January 2023, Moon and Bike was featured on Echoes, the daily two-hour music radio soundscape and instrumental program hosted by John Diliberto and heard on 80 radio stations internationally.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the second single from the album, “Southwester,” which references the storms that blow in from the Pacific Ocean and the heavy rains the Pacific Northwest is so well-known for. Easing in with soft acoustic melodies, atmospheric guitar instrumentals and a steady rhythm, the song is an exercise in crafting a dreamy composition. Indeed, the song feels like a quiet storm that aims to capture the moodiness of Pacific Northwest winter and the dramatic feeling that can come from the rain and the gloom. It also captures the chemistry of these musicians who have clearly developed a natural and seamless way of building songs.
Boone Johnson describes the process and inspiration behind the song:
“Being an instrumental project, we don’t have lyrics to build our songs around, which can be very freeing in some respects, but at the same time it can be tough having too many options available when composing. When we begin writing a song we may not be aware yet where we want the song to go musically and emotionally. Usually it’s not until we’re done with a song that we finally understand the energy and story of the song and what it will convey to the listener.
For example, our new single, Southwester, started its life called FGAB, for the bass notes in the opening four chord arpeggiation on the acoustic guitar. As Michael started adding textures and melodic lines on the electric guitar, and we decided on its structure, the feel of the song started to form. The song went from something that was pretty mellow to something that became more intense, especially in the bridge of the song. It then comes back down again and fades away, much like a storm moving across the landscape. The story of the song made itself apparent over time. During this time, one of us had read a passage in a book describing the storms that roll in over Oregon from the Pacific Ocean as southwesters, because of the direction they approach from, and it fit perfectly to the music we had created.”
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