The Moons

The Moons, a five piece from Northampton, were founded in 2008 by singer, songwriter and guitarist Andy Crofts, formerly the bassist in The On-Offs who released two singles This Town and Wrong Upstairs, the latter produced by Bernard Butler.
Andy also honed his craft in the High Drivers and is currently Paul Weller’s keyboardist and he performs lead vocals on Weller’s live set encore, a cover of The Jam’s Art School.
Born in Brazil, Andy’s mum was a dancer at Paris’ Moulin Rouge and she also danced at the London Palladium. His dad was an animal trainer in the circus. Aged 1, he came to Northampton, and growing up with his mum, auntie and grandma and granddad in a small terrace house, he was immersed in pop culture – his mum’s Tamla Motown and Stax records, his auntie’s Beatles records, but it was on hearing the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds that suddenly the sounds and colours and shapes in his head started to make sense and he began to write, in his bedroom, and when it rained. He’d go out as the first drops started to splash on the pavement and while walking down the road would compose his songs in his head and by the time he reached his front door again, he’d be ready to dash upstairs to write his creations down. He’d also spend his time learning guitar, piano, bass, and as a keen photographer, filmmaker, artist and DJ at Northampton’s The Buzz club, he is today a genuine renaissance man.
But the Moons isn’t solely about Andy Crofts.
The line-up is completed by keyboardist Tom Warmsley, an MA journalism student, Pretty Green shop assistant and Vox Continental organ obsessive, bassist, music shop worker and Motown fan Adam Leeds, drummer Ben Gordelier (the Moons’ secret weapon) and lead guitarist James Edward Bagshaw. James has experience to bring to the band: as a member of indie band Sukie, he wrote their 2008 Number 1 indie hit Pink-A-Pade.
Together, The Moons head a return to classic songwriting, mixing Beatleish melodies with Kinksy guitars to make Buzzcocky pop which they then feed through a Joe Meek and Jack Nitzsche paradigm. Other influences range from Ian Dury to The Coral.
Their smashing debut album 2010’s Life On Earth was an indie Top 30 hit and recorded over two weeks in Paul Weller’s Black Barn studios, is a thrilling amalgam of observational lyrics, rich melodies, honeyed harmonies and cracking musicianship. It spawned the four contagious singles Torn Between Two, Nightmare Day, Let It Go and Everyday Heroes. Paul Weller played piano on album track Wondering and played guitar on another album track Last Night On Earth.
The group were also included in HMV’s ones to watch. Sold out headline slots at London’s The Borderline and 93 Feet East followed as did a storming show at the Isle Of Wight’s Summer Madness festival.
The group are currently recording their second album, a 14 tracker called Tales Of The Unexpected at Edwyn Collins’ West Heath Yard studios with Edwyn Collins and Seb Lewsley, (Edwyn’s engineering partner) producing the record for release on Edwyn Collins, Grace Maxwell and James Endeacott’s new label AED (Analogue Enhanced Digital). The album includes a duet with Paul Weller on a co-write called Something Soon. A single will be released in May with the album to follow in June. The group will also be appearing on Channel 4 in May as guest of Mani (Stone Roses/Primal Scream) who is curating a JD Set dedicated to the songs of The Smiths.

Praise for The Moons

“Great songs and playing, well thought out arrangements, a lot of love has gone into this record ” – Paul Weller

“ Emotional, funny, quirky, warm, sad, reflective, thoughtful and unique songs. Love the guitars and the vocal sincerity” – Dave Davies, The Kinks

“It’s a pleasure to hear a great new band who echo the finest traditions of songwriting and performance whilst keeping them alive and vibrant” – Ian Broudie, Lightning Seeds

For further information please contact Lois Wilson at Moons Management on 07986699289 / loiswilson@live.com