Liverpool-based indie rock outfit Ernest Moon released their new album ‘Skipping to Maloo’ on June 15, offering us a preview of the lead single ‘Unkind’ in the meantime.
Ernest Moon are Steven Doran and Brian Murphy, two highly creative songsters with a gift for wise cracks and impactful one-liners, brought together by a liking for eggs on toast. They offer lush lyrics, heavy hands and a rat-arsed sincerity. Their sound has been described as pushy pop, “filling the gap between pretentious lyrical art and bog standard pop music”.
This album was recorded and mixed in the past few years during lockdowns at Liverpool’s Ark Recording Studios by Steve Powell (Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band) and Rory Ballantyne. Their songs are as meandering in style and sound as their musical taste, drawing on influences such as The Blockheads, Arab Strap, Talking Heads and The Specials.
“The song ‘Unkind’ was born out of a chord progression that came to me over time. The mood of these chords and the sway of a slow 6/8 rhythm seemed to suggest the ardent theme and lyrics,” says Brian Murphy.
“The song starts with some not uncommon sayings of a moralistic or guiding quality which are to be found in our culture. The song then moves from the general to the personal and to my own desires and reflections. I wanted the chorus to be as simply written as possible.. A quiet, innocent plea in a screaming narcissistic age.”
Since forming in 2017, Ernest Moon has released two EPs, debuting with their ‘Ba-jesus’ EP, recorded at Orphan Recording in Dublin with Peter Ashmore and Gavin Glass (Paul Brady, John Grant, Lisa Hannigan, Mundy), followed by the electric crack 6-track collection entailed in the ‘UH’ EP, released in 2019 and recorded in Barcelona by Marc Antoli.
Previous to that, Brian and Steve supplied the guitars and words for a now-defunct band called Betty Backskuttle, a band they say was infamously vain and famously unfriendly.
Unkind’ may be obtained via Bandcamp, where the ‘Skipping to Maloo’ LP can also be pre-ordered. As of June 15, it will be available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music and Spotify.
SINGLE CREDITS
Recorded & mixed by Rory Ballantyne & Steven Powell at Ark Studios, Liverpool
Written and performed by Brian Murphy & Steven Doran
Drums by Jake Woodward
Strings and vocals by Amy Chalmers and Vicky Reid
Cover artwork and photography by Tommy Wood
Videoclip by Nora Doran (with photos by Tommy Wood)
Keep up with Ernest Moon
Bandcamp | Soundcloud | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | Apple Music | Press contact
