Many bands have sprung from the streets of Montreal to stardom. Rising indie trio Half Moon Run has kept the tradition of success alive.
April will see the band opening for Grammy award-winners Mumford & Sons in arenas across Europe. The following month, they’ll hit the road across North America with Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men.
“It was mind-blowing, really mind-blowing,” vocalist and drummer Dylan Phillips said of being picked by the bands.
This won’t be the first time they’ve reached across the Atlantic either.
“We had the chance to tour with Patrick Watson over there which was really fun, but to do our first arena tour with Mumford & Sons is going to be pretty phenomenal.”
Globetrotters already in their own right, the news follows hot on the heels of their full-length debut, Dark Eyes. The album has received unanimous praise, and has spring-boarded the band to near-stardom.
“It’s really nice to see how things progress,” Phillips said of the growth following the release of the album.
“We just kept playing all these things and we kept working really hard. We didn’t really know where it was going, or if it was going anywhere, but not it’s kind of, we’ve reached a point where I think we’re all kind of developing an awareness of where it’s going, and it’s really exciting.”
The trio’s sound isn’t easily explained, or categorized. Dripping with folk acoustic guitar work, earthy percussion bits and a droning sense of urgency, the true strength lies in the vocal work.
All members of the band sing, and in succinct three-part harmony no less.
“I think singing has been a requirement since day one,” Phillips said. “We’re kind of addicted to exploring new sounds, but in the beginning we were really a folk set up, and singing and harmonies [were] probably the most important parts of the song.”
Usually less band members limits the creative spectrum, and the ability to make bigger sounds. Phillips and his mates go against the flow with massive, spacious arrangements. Part of that can be attributed to the lack of definition that hangs around the band.
“When I sat down on the drums, I’d never really done it before, so I just kinda hit stuff and saw what happened,” Phillips said.
“It’s kind of fun cause I don’t really have to understand it. You just kind of play by feel and by ear, and by what sounds good, as opposed to what you know or what you understand.”
Throwing away the guide book and bucking the trend has long made music history. Stilted styles and a crush of generic bilge dominate much of pop music. Back to the drawing board, says Half Moon Run.
Look for the trio at Zaphod Beeblebrox on March 9 and at Ottawa Bluesfest this July.
