Lunar Intruder: Moonlight

Good music makes you forget you’re listening to it. It picks you up and takes you with it. The opening riff from “Off to Nowhere”, lead single from Lunar Intruder’s EP Moonlight, picked me up and took me back to shenanigans with mates, to spontaneous day trips and to naughty nights that felt like they’d never end. It’s a beautiful opening to this 5-track offering from Lunar Intruder, which tastefully melds indie-pop riffs with strong currents of garage rock and psychedelia. I caught up with Cam and Matt G from Lunar Intruder to chat about it.

Photo by Nikolao Cockerell

“I think when we start writing we decide what we want to do. We ask ourselves “What do we want people to feel?” Then you know you’re heading in the right direction, it sort of writes itself.” says Cam

“That song was probably our easiest to put together.” Says Matt. “Cam came to practice with a riff, and we all just jumped in and started playing. I remember a few people were sitting in on that practice and they were like “Oh, that’s actually a bit of a banger!”

“We have a tendency when writing songs to get really bored of playing the same thing. Off to Nowhere could’ve just been that riff, verse and chorus but we always start feeling bored. For us playing it there always has to be a progressive element to it.” says Cam.

Moonlight speaks to Lunar Intruder’s influences while still being their own authentic brand of indie rock. Tracks like Moonlight and Light The Way access psychedelic dream-pop influences such as Mild Orange. The riff-heavy, chorus-driven tracks are reminiscent of fellow Christchurch indie-rockers Mako Road. Most importantly, Moonlight is an EP that is a beautiful listen top to bottom. It’s a journey into your own imagination and it stirs the sort of nostalgia that has you thinking you’re causing mayhem with your best mates, even on the dreariest of Monday mornings.

Instagram: @lunarintruderband

Spotify: Lunar Intruder