Moonchild
LA based jazz and soul trio Moonchild.
Who They Are
Moonchild is an alternative R&B/neo-soul trio group from Los Angeles, California. This band is comprised of Amber Navran [vocals, tenor saxophone, flute, keyboards, synth bass, drum programming], Andris Mattson [trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboards, synth bass, guitar, drum programming], and Max Bryk [alto saxophone, clarinet, keyboards, synth bass, drum programming]. As you may be able to tell from the multitudes of instruments covered by its members, Moonchild’s music is an eclectic, atmospheric trip into funky beats, groovy basslines, and soaring melodies thanks to Amber’s crystalline voice. Rather than having one main songwriter, the three members all participate equally in writing, producing, tracking, and mixing their records.
Why You Should Listen
The first Moonchild song I ever heard was “Cure” off of their 2017 album Voyager. It immediately hooked me in, and I put the rest of the album on repeat. It’s the kind of music you put on anytime, anywhere, and it immediately transports you into a world of your own. It’s an homage to the smoothness of jazz, the energy of blues, the swing of funk, and the atmosphere of psychedelic rock. Their music is airy and astral, with a light and breezy approach to their hip-hop inspired jazzy soul compositions. Amber’s voice, crooning lyrics that speak to love, heartache, belonging, struggling, misunderstanding, and the enlightenment of finding truth, is ethereal. It floats over the interweaving and sometimes even conflicting bass and melody lines and pulls it all together into a glorious smorgasbord of instruments and styles. This band resists categorization, they push against the limitation of boundaries and genres, and, in doing so, they stay true to their own unique sound.
What You Should Listen To
Obviously I might be a little biased, but the first song should be “Cure”. From there, listen to “Back to Me” off of their 2012 album Be Free. Off of their 2015 album Please Rewind, the two songs “All the Joy” and “The Truth” stand out as smooth, unfettered expressions of enthusiasm and energy. Moonchild released a new 14 song album Little Ghost in September of 2019, and the second song “Too Much to Ask” has already made its way onto three of my playlists. With four albums out, their discography is expansive and deserves a deep dive. Happy listening!