Lo Moon

Lo Moon crafts immersive alternative pop and rock textures from Los Angeles, California, blending delicate guitar lines, emotionally charged words, and deep synth tones. The quartet consists of frontman Matt Lowell on guitar and vocals, Crisanta Baker handling synth, bass, and samples, Sam Stewart on guitar, and Sterling Laws behind the drums. Although the project had been developing for years, the group surfaced publicly during the second half of 2016. Their self-titled debut full-length reached the Billboard Heatseekers chart’s Top Five upon its 2018 release, while the follow-up A Modern Life arrived in 2022 and the third album I Wish You Way More Than Luck surfaced in 2024.

Principal songwriter Lowell began shaping what became the project’s first single, “Loveless,” around 2011, repeatedly revising its lyrics, arrangement, and duration. After moving from his native New York to Los Angeles, he met Baker and Stewart, transforming the effort into a collective endeavor. With their contributions, “Loveless” expanded into a seven-minute piece that spanned light and dark passages both musically and lyrically. Once posted online, the track drew early acclaim from Pharrell Williams on Beats 1 Music and the Temper Trap’s Dougy Mandagi, prompting frequent comparisons to atmospheric acts known for substantial songwriting, including the xx, Massive Attack, the Cocteau Twins, and Fleetwood Mac. Rather than rush additional material, the band chose to let “Loveless” represent their sound alone for an extended period.

During that quiet stretch, the demo reached producer and former Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla, whose appreciation for the layered palette and collaborative writing process led him to helm the debut after the group signed with Columbia. Live activity flourished as well, with Lo Moon supporting the Temper Trap, Muna, and the Lemon Twigs across U.S. and international dates. The self-titled album appeared in February 2018; its second single, “This Is It,” reached the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart’s Top Ten, and the set peaked at number four on the Heatseekers ranking. The non-album track “For Me, It’s You” followed later that year, after which touring drummer Sterling Laws joined as a permanent member. In 2021 the band issued “Dream Never Dies,” which entered the Top 40 of the Adult Alternative chart. Their second album, A Modern Life, emerged on Strngr Recordings in 2022 and was characterized by the group as an exploration of survival and the search for identity. Their third album, I Wish You Way More Than Luck, a collection centered on departure and closure, was released in 2024.