HEADLINES

Moonlight Drive-in A Nostalgic Throwback To Classic Times

October 04, 2019
The name Moonlight Drive is a nostalgic throwback to classic times that valued art in a different way. Everything from the architecture, cars to music included a strong stamp of creativity from the creators. Now, that artist’s touch seems to be lost and they are ultimately trying to bring it back. They all have an affinity with the classic era of the drive-in and it’s unique stamp on Americana, and which is where much of their passions are derived. 

WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES 
Our biggest influences span many genres and musical generations, to list them all would require a separate article. It is safe to say the entire band is deeply influenced by the new wave music of the late 80's the alternative music of the early 90's and the pop rock music of the early 2000’s. Though each member has numerous personal influences, the tonal and sonic themes of Foo Fighters, blink-182, Avril Lavigne, and Paramore, stand out in our music including other household radio names. Our set lists for cover shows contain songs from many of these influential artists and seems to be a good representation of the bands primary musical inspirations. Come out to a show to really get a better idea!

HOW DIS YOU MEET
The time May was stomping around town doing her original solo music, Greg had just moved to the Daytona area and was frequenting every open mic. The two ran into each other while performing an open Mic night at hamburger Mary’s in Daytona in early 2016. It wasn’t until early 2018 when May was searching for a second guitarist to collaborate with and perform duo shows. At the time Greg was performing in a local passion project at open jams and small shows with Shane on drums, and eagerly jumped at the opportunity. The duo would occasionally perform with the accompaniment of percussion phenomenon Kei Bland. After growing in popularity, the acoustic trio was fielding many requests for full band shows. Grayson Belcher was approached by May to fill the bass position. Due to his demand in the drum world, Kei departed the group, and Shane Hagar substituted at shows that were already on the books. By mid summer the. band decided to solidify the current lineup and officially form as the band, Moonlight Drive- In. We played our first show with electric guitars and amps at the end of the 2018 summer season and co wrote and recorded our first originals shortly thereafter. 

WHAT IS THE CRAZIEST THING THAT HAS HAPPENED ON THE ROAD
One of the craziest things we experienced as a band was our first tvoyage on the Victory One casino ship. We left out of Port Canaveral on what seemed to be a decent weather day however we soon discovered the seas were very rough - sea state four to be exact. Half way through the cruise,half of the passengers got sea sick, many of them laying nearly passed out in the hallways and in the chairs on the upper deck where we were playing. Somehow despite the rocky ride our band continued to perform, unfazed. Our water bottles were rolling around on stage, cymbal and mic stands toppled over, and we nearly fell off a few times, but were ready to rock with the motion, all night long. 

DESCRIBE YOUR SONGWRITING PROCESS
Our song writing process is very unique and is aided by the preproduction techniques Greg learned from the music production technology program at Daytona State College. We all bring information to the songwriting table. All of the members in the band play guitar which makes things almost too easy. Each member has song writing books from past and present containing scribbled ideas, lyrics, cord progressions, beats and riffs and we come together on designated practice times to throw everything into the pot and we start working it into a skeleton of structure and ideas, and sculpt the rest out from there. We are of the mindset that a song is never truly completed and is a living breathing thing that evolves from the infancy of an idea to the remix of one of our well know crowd favorites. We take the time to nurture our material, and tweak it along the way, until we all feel comfortable and confident with it’s current performance.

WHAT ARE YOUR REHEARSALS LIKE 
The band rehearses weekly, unless a crazy show schedule dictates otherwise, at Ferrel note Studios in Holly Hill. We used to practice weekly at May’s home, but found it more conducive to the creative process to rehearse in an environment that resembles an average show. It’s easier when we can crank to 11 without annoying neighbors!

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A BAND?
Our biggest challenge is managing two bands at once. We are a professionally gigging cover band, maintaining license to over 4 hours of playable material, with a schedule of shows into 2020. We are also an original band that has half an album worth of stage tested songs, with 3 studio demos, some with radio air play. To overcome the challenge, each member gives 100% commitment and dedication to a successful future. For us, this is our day job, and we aren’t quitting anytime soon. We are planning on playing larger venues throughout the state, such as House of Blues in Orlando, and other major cities throughout Florida. 

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE
We are in the process of re recording the demos into radio release quality, as we are working on airplay with bigger radio stations in the state. We are also working on getting into larger venues throughout the state, such as House of Blues in Orlando and larger venues to the North and South. Next year we are planning on a SXSW trip, and maybe more!  
We would like to thank Back Stage Pass for this awesome opportunity. For those interested in learning more about us, please visit website, give our songs a listen, find us on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Soundcloud, or come out to a show and say hi! We have a busy original music festival season ahead, along with a music video release. Check out our schedule for more details! Thanks to everyone who have supported us this far! We look forward to meeting you soon at one of our shows and playing across the state, and beyond. 

WHAT DO FEEL ABOUT THE INTERNET’S HAND IN THE INDUSTRY
The internet has fundamentally changed the face of music, and will continue to do so in ways we have all yet to comprehend. On the way to a show in the van, Greg was ranting about how the iTunes business model was broken and how it could not continue as designed. Two weeks later, Apple announced iTunes would close shop. We do our best to navigate the twists and turns just as well as any other business out there. Direct connection with fans seems to be the best thing social media has to offer.

WHO INSPIRED YOU TO LEARN AN INSTRUMENT
The root cause of all of our inspiration can be traced back to family members for each person in this band. For May it was her grandfather that inspired her to pick up her first instrument, for Shane it was his grandparents, for Gray it was his father, and for Greg it was his parents and grandparents. Without the love and support of our family’s that helped nurture our musicianship, we wouldn’t have any of these amazing opportunities. 

HOW WAS MAIN STREET BATTLE OF THE BANDS?
We were hyped to play the Inaugural main street battle of the bands. We didn’t ever think we’d clear the first round and to  be completely honest we were quite intimidated by the competition. We crafted a set list with five additional songs, some of which challenged the abilities of the band. Had it not been for the level competition and showmanship we faced I don’t think we would’ve pushed ourselves as hard, and I don’t think we would be on the trajectory we are on today. It was a surreal moment to hear our names announced at the final competition closing ceremony. The prize money, was spent on bills and instrument upkeep. What else could you expect from starving artists?

MESSAGE TO READERS?
We would like to thank Back Stage Pass for this awesome opportunity. For those interested in learning more about us, please visit Moonlightdriveinofficial.com, give our songs a listen, find us on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Soundcloud, or come out to a show and say hi! We have a busy original music festival season ahead, along with a music video release. Check out our schedule for more details! Thanks to everyone who have supported us this far! We look forward to meeting you soon at one of our shows and playing across the state, and beyond. 
Though the group was featured in recently released Lifoti's September 2019 issue 09, you can check it from below link's for your country:

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