Moon Taxi are back today with the title track of their upcoming sixth studio album “Set Yourself Free“. The track was written over a 5-way FaceTime call, mirroring its lyrical themes about the importance of collaboration and community. “The idea of falling back on someone you trust is so important nowadays. But truly it’s how we’ve tried to operate as a band for all these years,” explains vocalist/guitarist, Trevor Terndrup.
Out June 9th, the album features sounds that range from pop to bluegrass, showcasing a dynamic range that comes as no surprise after fifteen years as a band. The five-member group- vocalist/guitarist Trevor Terndrup, lead guitarist Spencer Thomson, bassist Tommy Putnam, keyboardist Wes Bailey, and drummer Tyler Ritter – stepped back into their roots to create an album primarily written and recorded by themselves and set for release on their own label, 12th South Records.
“It was really rewarding for each of us. The last record had quite a few co-writes- this record did not. We challenged ourselves to write most of the material on our own and that’s really something to hang your hat on these days when you typically hire an outside writer or producer,” said Bailey on the band’s creative process. “We really tried to look inward and do a lot of that on our own.”
“During the pandemic, we got used to FaceTime songwriting. For better or worse, it’s been a great way for everyone to collaborate remotely. The lyrics for the title track, Set Yourself Free, were even written on a 5-way call. And the song shows that collaborative color throughout. The idea of falling back on someone you trust is so important nowadays. But truly it’s how we’ve tried to operate as a band for all these years,” said Terndrup.
“You know, we’ve been a band for a while and we know each other really well. We spend a whole lot of time together, so it’s not that foreign to be able to get on a call and get your point across to anybody else in the band. We know each other well enough to be able to accomplish that,” added Putnam.
The album was finished through work in a few Nashville studios with the help of producer and collaborator, Brennan Aerts.