Known for “notoriously rowdy live sets”, Mike and the Moonpies have taken a huge step forward on their new album ‘Mockingbird,’ (released Oct. 2nd) making a bold musical statement while capturing the infectious energy of their live show.
“Every song on this album draws on a memory from my past, and music was a big part of my childhood,” says Mike. “Yes it’s nostalgic, but it’s more than that for me. I grew up hanging out in bars, and those are my people. I’m most comfortable sitting in an empty dive bar listening to an old man tell me stories.”
“It’s about the influence of my father and grandfather on the man I am today,” Hermeier says. “The older I get, the more I realize how much I emulate them, whether it’s the clothes I wear, the way I talk, or the music that surrounded me in my formative years.”
“Mockingbird” carries heavy influences of old western music, stirring up sounds influenced by such timeless classics from George Strait and Randy Travis to The Allman Brothers. “Mockingbird” is the kind of song you want to hear live in your local dive bar while having another cold one or shot of whiskey before heading to the dance floor.
An authority on all things country, the blog Saving Country Music offered their take on the new album:
“I’ve seen Mike and the Moonpies get name checked by Sturgill Simpson in front of a sold out crowd of thousands, and open for the Turnpike Troubadours on numerous occasions, and never did their music strike me as second class,” the reviewer says. “They may have just released the album to prove this to the rest of the world…the rest of us should be singing the praises of ‘Mockingbird’ as one of the strongest authentic country efforts released this year.”Mike and the Moonpies have hit the road hard already this fall in support of the new album, including a West Coast tour with Turnpike Troubadours.
Mike and the Moonpies hit the road hard this fall in support of the album, including a West Coast tour with Turnpike Troubadours.
Full List Of Tour Dates:
10/15 — Austin, TX @ The White Horse
10/16 — Tulsa, OK @ Mercury Lounge
10/17 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Wormy Dog Saloon
10/18 — Austin, TX @ Waterloo Records
10/23 — Dallas, TX @ The Rustic
10/24 — Coupland, TX @ Coupland Dancehall
10/31 — Austin, TX @ Continental Club
11/7 — Denton, TX @ Dan’s Silver Leaf
11/13 — New Braunfels, TX @ Riley’s Tavern
11/18 — St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway #
11/19 — Springfield, IL @ Boondocks #
11/20 — Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note #
11/21 — Decatur, TX @ Bono’s Saloon
11/27 — Austin, TX @ Continental Club
12/3 — Snyder, TX @ The Horny Toad
12/4 — Midland, TX @ The Lone Star Bar
12/5 – -Thackerville, OK @ Palladium Club at Winstar
12/11 — Little Rock, AR @ White Water Tavern
12/12 — Dallas, TX @ The Rustic
12/19 — Fort Worth, TX @ Magnolia Motor Lounge
12/26 — Austin, TX @ Continental Club
For more information on Mike and the Moonpies, visit www.themoonpies.com.
