Moonwalker
by: Alyssa Legato
Photo Credit: AB Photography LLC
Who is the band comprised of, and how did you all come together?
Rob Crews - Vocals, Mark Neidhardt - Guitar, Jake Albi - Drums, Bryan Witt - Bass. I (Mark) met Rob when he joined Reckless Serenade and always knew that he had an unreal voice, so he was definitely my first round pick for Moonwalker. We both knew Jake and Bryan from the different bands they played in around where I’m from in Mahopac, NY. Bryan also played bass in RS for about 6 months so we knew they’d be great fits for this band. So after one whole season of Planet Earth, here we are.
We've loved the singles - any hints on when we can expect an EP or full length?
Thanks! As of right now our main focus is touring. We wanted to really hit the ground running, so we recorded the three singles in February and immediately began trying to book shows to support the singles. We’re trying to play as many shows as we can in 2017, but I could see us getting back into the studio at the end of this year/early next year. We’ve already got a bunch of new songs written that we’ll be playing on this upcoming tour with Assuming We Survive and His Dream of Lions.
How is this endeavor different than Reckless Serenade? Does it feel like a more comfortable fit for you as artists?
When Reckless Serenade started, we were just doing it for fun then we got more serious about it as time went on. With Moonwalker, we’ve done a lot more planning into every aspect of the band from day one, and it’s become a full time job for us. Rob is a frontman at heart, so coming from Reckless Serenade where he played lead guitar, he really gets to shine now like the beautiful angel that he is. As for the rest of the band, we all really dig each others' style of playing, so it’s been a great musical fit as well.
Do you see starting brand new as more of a challenge or an opportunity? Both?
It’s definitely a little bit of both. It’s really exciting to start with a clean slate and do whatever you want to do, but also tough starting from scratch where no one has ever heard of your band. Overall though it’s been a blast and I feel like I’ve grown a ton as an artist and as a person as a result. I compare it to getting out of a long relationship and getting back on the market. Both exciting and horrifying at the same time.
Who are some artists you've been listening to recently? Who are some artists that have inspired your writing for Moonwalker?
I feel like I’ve been tripping over a ton of awesome new music for the past year that has led up to starting Moonwalker. I really got into The 1975 and Don Broco, which were huge influences for this band and I’ve always been a big fan of Angels and Airwaves and Explosions In The Sky, so I’ve been trying to tie all that together. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I really got into the new Kanye West album because of all the awesome sounds on there. I also love the new Drake albums (Views, More Life). I really try and listen to as much different stuff as I can, because it’s more stuff I can draw from when writing for Moonwalker.
You've mentioned that a lot of your writing takes place while watching programs on space and nature. Anything cool we should check out?
I wrote the music for our first single “The Way Of The Future” while watching Planet Earth, so if you haven’t checked it out ,I’m pretty sure it’s still on Netflix. Also, Interstellar is nuts and Avatar is definitely worth the watch.
You've already been playing a good amount of shows - are there any touring plans on the horizon?
We’re on tour with Assuming We Survive and His Dream Of Lions from 5/30 - 6/6 and we’re currently trying to fill up the rest of the summer with more dates from July - August. I think the best part about this band is the live performance, so we’re trying to play as many shows as we possibly can this year.
Connect with Moonwalker: