THIS IS WHAT 21ST CENTURY ROCK IS ALL ABOUT.
HONEST-TO-ROCK MELODIES GO BIG AND THEMES STRIKE DEEP
Scrap the old-school idea of a rock band. Then enter the world of Moon Shot, where insight and experience replace youthful chaos as the thing that leads to great rock’n’roll. This is timeless music that sits right at home in the times we live in. Feel the energy from these musicians who have been around the block enough times to deliver you the power!
“Yes, we can be the change
Yes, we can breath the grace
Yes, we can ask instead of telling our truth
Yes, we can do this better
Yes, we can do this together”
Let-the-music-do-the-wowing
The way the world is throwing up craziness upon us, no twenty-something rock star can shock us with some old-fashioned hotel room obliteration before the break of dawn. We need new ways to get our release from the mad world because the old cliches are no longer relevant. For Moon Shot, the no nonsense let-the-music-do-the-wowing approach has been clear from moment zero – instead of the fly high and burn Icarus-type lifestyle (their past is familiar with that too), they come at us with a common sense approach, rewriting the rock’n’roll dream as something lasting. With tunes that give you release.
Where once there was posturing, now it’s about showing your burns, cuts and fragility. Being honest! While also having fun and making touching power tunes with melodies big enough to build bridges between planets, nations, ex-lovers or estranged family members.
First, let’s take a look at how Moon Shot actually got to this place called now. Like any moonshot, it’s a dream before it becomes reality. This is true of the moon landing (d’uh), pretty much any rock band ever started by a pimply teen (applies to these guys’ former bands Children of Bodom, Disco Ensemble and Lapko), creating the greatest stamp collection in the world or renovating the hell out of your home. Whatever makes your dreams tick. Always: first imagination, then action.
In the case of Moon Shot, whose debut Confession hit us in the collective gut in October 2021, that dream was following a first career in bands with which they grew into musicians. Who knew what would happen before putting out tracks to burn your socks off and heading out to engage with people at gigs. It was just four guys getting together to make music hot on the heels of decades making music and touring like hectic evil-eyed-bunnies.
Well, spoiler alert, good stuff happened.
Really. Things just flew up, up and away – this was a moonshot to a new planet of sound to introduce us to honest-to-rock 21st century rock’n’roll. And the guys are still accelerating on that high of a loving reception.
Onto the second wave
“We never cared about the zeitgeist anyways.”
Ok, second things second: How do you avoid the second album stress?
You start writing new songs even before the first one is out.
“Yeah, in the summer of 2020, which was still heavily Covid times, I wrote several demos in a burst. Some of those even made the final cut – Yes for instance,” says guitarist and producer Jussi Ylikoski who has the main responsibility of the compositions.
He then sends demos over to vocalist Ville Malja, who listens and sees what sticks or inspires – then sending a development, a vocal melody or lyrical idea back to Jussi.
”I was impressed how Jussi could write these new demos so soon after the first album was done. Of course, it took a while before they started forming into songs,” says Ville about the process that stretched through the debut release and following tours.
That initial surge took place about a year before Moon Shot got to play their first-ever gig, which took place in Viersen Germany in July 2021 after corona restrictions started to ease up. Songs are developed further by Jussi and Ville, before the other half of the band steps in to give their comments or approval.
”Quite often it’s more about saying ‘this works’ rather than suggesting changes – I mean, I know from experience that these guys have worked on the songs a lot, so if I say ‘have you tried it this way’, Jussi will flatly answer ‘Yes’,” explains drummer Mikko Hakila – who played with Jussi in Disco Ensemble since a young age.
Nonetheless, it sounds like he and bass player Henkka Seppälä play a big part through their comments before heading to the studio – the others trust their judgement on what works and what doesn’t. In fact, how the songs come to be is just one example of the benefits of a more mature rock band who have been at this – in different bands – for a good while.
“When we started out with our previous bands, it tended to be the whole band getting together in the rehearsal place. Sure, it was more collective but a lot more banging the head to the wall too,” Henkka points out.
After the main recordings are done – together with co-producer, recorder and mixer Julius “Juppu” Mauranen and for vocal parts multiple Grammy awarded producer David Bottrill –the songs still go through intense post-production editing and rearranging especially by Jussi and Juppu to find the final published form.
“And as someone has said: only when you see an audience dancing to your songs will they be complete,” Mikko quotes some unknown musician. The others chime with nods and “yeahs” all around. Looks like that is true for Moon Shot.
YES! Yes! YES!
“When I look at this life
I see too many fingers on too many triggers
I want to be better than that
I don’t understand
How this anger grows
Thicker and thicker”
So, you think Moon Shot is a theme album kinda band? No, they’re not that band. Unless the theme is great music and the totality that is Moon Shot itself.
“I have no theme in mind when I make music, I just follow my intuition and whatever inspires me throughout the process,” says Jussi in a way that you definitely know there is a dedication to making music that inspires and not trying to fit things into a theme.
“With the miles we have under our belt, we’ve learned there is no one we need to please but ourselves. Staying true to our own vision is what counts,” Jussi says, giving an example of the maturity at the heart of this four-man gang.
Any theme or analysis is left to the listener – well, even the band members can find new angles too: “When I first listened to the album’s songs in one go, I realised that there is a lot about power and these energies that are all around us and everything we do,” says Ville.
They are there in all human interactions in every which way, and you could say even heightened during live shows. Mikko continues Ville’s thought: “So in a way you’re saying that when we play live it’s about exchanging energy – we get energy from the crowd?” “Yes,” Ville replies.
About the album as such, there are good news and bad news. First the good: The second album continues on the same track as before with themes familiar from the debut – just deeper, fuller, more honed and developed. Moon Shot has taken its honest-to-rock vulnerability even further – here is a rock band really cutting its ties with teen dreams and focusing on music and emotionally aware lyrics that communicate some deeper views of being this fragile thing called human. And there is the music, rock by heart with an unprejudiced approach to song writing – heck, there’s even a power ballad (with balls) while lighting up that enthusiasm for music that got them all to play in the first place.
And the bad news: The upcoming is a mouthful for the unprepared! A full house of solid titanium tracks presenting enough new music to chew on for months to come. A lot to digest in these attention-challenged times. Ok, it actually doesn’t sound bad at all.
This presents a new chapter.
In Moon Shot’s honest-to-rock 21st century rock’n’roll.
Written from the heart and shot to yours.
Courage is bringing forth what others hide within.
There is romance – just not the cliched kind.
Let it wrap its arms around you.
It’s an empowering experience.
“Yes, we can be the change
Yes, we can breath the grace
Yes, we can ask instead of telling our truth
Yes, we can do this better
Yes, we can do this together”