When they launched their career over a decade ago, Mike & The Moonpies were essentially a covers band with a repertoire of over three hundred songs. Having earned a reputation in Texas as one of the leading country dancehall bands, a succession of cracking studio albums has subsequently transported them from high end impersonators to one of the most pivotal bands in the country music genre.
Rather than stick with a tried and trusted formula with their studio output, each of their last four recordings has found them challenging themselves both sonically as well as in the songwriting of front man, Mike Harmeier. Those albums included recording with The London Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road in London, paying tribute to the oft-overlooked country singer Gary Stewart and, with their latest release, ONE TO GROW ON, creating a concept album of deeply emotional and fiercely honest songs. Described by Saving Country Music as ‘one of the most anticipated releases all year’, it more than lives up to expectation and will most certainly feature at the business end of our favourite albums of the year.
Normal touring duties have recently resumed for the band and we caught up with Mike Harmeier as he headed off on the road for a series of shows in America before coming to Europe in the new year.
How did the Covid related restrictions in 2020 pan out for you personally?
It was definitely a time for reflection and a re-assessment of what’s really important to me. I got to spend time with my wife and three-year-old son that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise and got a ton of things done here at the house that I never would’ve gotten around to. I’m trying to remember all of the lessons and epiphanies that I experienced over that year and keep that perspective now moving forward.
You like to experiment with ONE TO GROW ON following last year’s TOUCH OF YOU – THE LOST SONGS OF GARY STEWART and CHEAP SILVER AND SOLID COUNTRY GOLD (one of the Lonesome Highway albums of the year in 2019). Where did the idea of a concept album come from?
We always try to steer away from making the same records that we have in the past. I’ve always wanted to make a fully conceptual album and build a narrative that flows front to back. When the first couple of songs started to flow for this record, I started seeing a character develop that seemed to be a little of me and a little of someone that I didn’t really know. I decided then to really explore who this guy was and try to tell his story. It wasn’t until I had written all of the songs that I really sat down and put them in the right sequence to build the character. It was a very fluid process and it evolved over the whole course of making the record.
Did revisiting Gary Stewart’s songbook influence the musical direction of ONE TO GROW ON?
I most definitely learned some things while making the Gary record. I think my biggest take away from making that record was experimenting with new ways to move my melody lines. Gary always went to unexpected places with his vocal melodies and that must’ve really ingrained itself in me while singing this record. I found places to go that I never would’ve thought I’d find vocally.
Johnny Paycheck is referenced on the opening track. Is he also an artist whose back catalogue is played on the tour bus?
From the beginning of the band we have all been huge Paycheck fans and have built a lot of our performance aspects around old Paycheck footage and recordings. We take a lot of pages out of his book. We found a lot of old bootleg concerts that we love to listen to for inspiration and to get pumped up before the show.
Were the songs on the new album written during quarantine and do you normally write between tours or when you’re on the road?
Most were written during quarantine. I tend to write at home anyway but this time felt a lot different. Definitely more rewrites and editing than ever before. Once we started to build this character narrative, we did dig up two songs that we had never cut for any previous albums. They were songs we had tried but never found a home until now. Brother and Whose Side You’re On were originally written for a movie soundtrack but they lined up perfectly for the aesthetic of this record.
Did you have the opportunity to ‘road test’ any of the songs on your last tour or were they written after that tour?
We didn’t get to play these songs on the road prior to making the record. We hardly ever do that anyway, so it wasn’t a big change for us. We like to really arrange things in the studio before releasing them into the wild.
Is there a chunk of Mike Harmeier self-examination in some of the songs?
Absolutely. I was consciously writing from a character’s perspective during the whole process, but subconsciously I think I was learning all the lessons that my character was speaking to simultaneously. It’s a very chicken or egg scenario.
There is a central theme of ‘growing up’ and taking responsibility across the album. Is this in any way a reflection of many years touring with the band and is life on the road less frenetic now than in the early years?
With over a decade under our belts touring and recording, we have all grown up quite a bit. We really pick our battles now a little smarter and I think we’ve all learned about what’s really important to us both personally and professionally. And we have all learned to appreciate where we’re at and take pride in the work it took to get us here. I think we are all more grateful people these days. Those are all major themes on this record.
Adam Odor, who produced the album, seems like an unofficial member of The Moonpies at this stage. How important is his contribution both to your songs and your sound?
Our whole game really changed when Adam came on board. It was the first time we really had an outside influence on our music and business, that we welcomed with open arms. We immediately found ourselves on the same page with the same work ethic and he’s been paramount in both the sound of our band evolving and the way we operate.
Were you able to get everyone into Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley to record live or were you restricted with Covid?
We did a lot of pre-production from our homes. Everyone had built home recording rigs while making the Gary record, so we utilized those again to trade ideas and demo things out. We were able to all get together at Yellow Dog though to cut the final product.
It plays out like an album made for live shows. How have the songs been going down on the tour?
Most of the songs are upbeat on this record and I think they could all fly for live shows, unlike some previous albums. We’ve been adding them into the set and so far, they are crowd hits. I look forward to when everyone knows the words and we can all sing them together.
Are you finding the atmosphere at the shows even livelier than before given that punters have been starved of live music for so long?
This has been very apparent to us. Crowds are bigger than ever and everyone is really participating more in the shows. More singalongs than ever before and in general just a more attentive audience. It’s been feeling really great.
As someone who always seems to be one step ahead, are you already thinking of the next album and will you continue to strive for something different to this one?
We had a few ideas for a new record before we even started this one. We always have a trick up our sleeve and when the time is right, we will pull the trigger on the next one. We have some very cool ideas for some cool places to go sonically and a different approach to recording we’re thinking about playing with next time. Stay tuned.
We’re huge fans of Mike and The Moonpies having seen you play a number of times at AmericanaFest in Nashville. You have shows lined up in the U.K. for April of next year. Will you make it over to us in Ireland for the first time or should we be booking flights for the U.K?
I don’t think we have any Ireland shows this time but we are already planning another trip back over again. So come see us in the U.K. and keep your eyes peeled for some more tour announcements next year.
Interview by Declan Culliton