Rooted in tradition but driven to push the limits, folk-rock and Americana band Comanche Moon is known for delivering expansive soundscapes that convey the desolation and toughness of the band’s native Texas Panhandle and often slip effortlessly into upbeat rock and roll.
Born into Texas cattle ranching families, the band’s core members, Mark Erickson and Chandler Sidwell, grew up steeped traditions of cowboy folk music and storytelling. In their teenage years, they discovered rock and roll and consumed the music of 60s and 70s British and American rock bands that were taking traditional American blues and country and driving them through guitar amps at high volume. Likewise, Comanche Moon pursues a sound that is grown out of a deep musical tradition, but is new and fresh in its own time.
Sidwell and Erickson met in Amarillo in 2011 and founded Comanche Moon in 2013 with then bandmate Jake Vernon and Carlos Martinez-Arraras, who continues to play guitar for the band. In 2015, Comanche Moon released its debut self-titled EP. Short on cash and long on content, it wasn’t until early 2017 that the band had saved up enough money to book studio time for its first full length album, “Country Music Deathstar.”
Comanche Moon is set to release its debut full-length album August 3rd, titled “Country Music Deathstar”, recorded at yellow DOG studios in Wimberley, TX. Engineered by Dave Percefull (Hard Times Are Relative) & Adam Odor (Steak Night at the Prairie Rose) and produced by Tim Allen (Shane Smith & the Saints, Zach Nytomt). Country Music Deathstar is a concept album created with the intent to push the Texas country music sound in a neo-classic rock direction. Comanche Moon has found itself at home in an emerging community of Texas musicians centered around yellow DOG studios that range from traditional country and red dirt artists to gritty folk rock bands, and drew from that community to complete the album.
Featured artists include Dave Percefull (Saints Analogue, Yellow Dog Studios), Charles Cruz (Emily Bell, The Black Analog, The Victory March), Cody Angel (Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Kyle Park, Josh Ward), Nick Jay (Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights, Century Recordings), Bennett Brown (Shane Smith & The Saints), Dr. Shane Pitsch, Pat Lyons (Cody Jinks, Colter Wall), Adam Odor (Saints Analogue, Mike And The Moonpies). The first single off the album, “The One That You Love”, climbed to #46 on CDX and to #54 on TRRR. The second single off the album, “Oilfield Blues”, is out now and climbing in the Texas Top 100. The band will be touring in support of the new album through 2018 and early 2019.
