Biography
Moaning operates out of Los Angeles as a post-punk group whose lyrics, laced with bitterness and vulnerability, confront personal struggles and inner turmoil. Their debut album from 2018 arrived as a self-titled noise-pop release steeped in caustic textures, yet the follow-up, Uneasy Laughter in 2020, pivoted the trio toward a darker new wave palette.
Sean Solomon, Andrew MacKelvie, and Pascal Stevenson comprise the lineup. The three first connected through repeated encounters on the Los Angeles club circuit during the 2010s, where they launched several short-lived projects and performed at venues throughout the area. Drawing from New Order’s new wave innovations and Slowdive’s shoegaze approach, the musicians honed their direction once Solomon shared early demo sketches for “Don’t Go” with his bandmates. They cultivated an expansive approach built on forceful drumming, guitars drenched in reverb, and vocals submerged beneath dense layers of distortion, yielding a gloomier tone than their prior work while exploring themes of love, loss, and nihilism. After completing additional demos, the group tested the material in live settings and quickly arranged a series of regional West Coast tours. They also captured and filmed a video for “The Same,” which drew the notice of producer Alex Newport, known for his work with the Melvins and At the Drive-In. Newport proposed assisting with future recordings, prompting the band to enter the studio to develop and lay down tracks for their initial proper release.
Impressed by the band’s drive, attitude, and visual style, Sub Pop extended a contract in 2017 and issued the self-titled debut the following March. For Uneasy Laughter in 2020 the members overhauled their sonic framework, swapping layers of abrasive guitar for icy, atmospheric synthesizers while preserving the raw, introspective lyrical focus established on the first record.
Sean Solomon, Andrew MacKelvie, and Pascal Stevenson comprise the lineup. The three first connected through repeated encounters on the Los Angeles club circuit during the 2010s, where they launched several short-lived projects and performed at venues throughout the area. Drawing from New Order’s new wave innovations and Slowdive’s shoegaze approach, the musicians honed their direction once Solomon shared early demo sketches for “Don’t Go” with his bandmates. They cultivated an expansive approach built on forceful drumming, guitars drenched in reverb, and vocals submerged beneath dense layers of distortion, yielding a gloomier tone than their prior work while exploring themes of love, loss, and nihilism. After completing additional demos, the group tested the material in live settings and quickly arranged a series of regional West Coast tours. They also captured and filmed a video for “The Same,” which drew the notice of producer Alex Newport, known for his work with the Melvins and At the Drive-In. Newport proposed assisting with future recordings, prompting the band to enter the studio to develop and lay down tracks for their initial proper release.
Impressed by the band’s drive, attitude, and visual style, Sub Pop extended a contract in 2017 and issued the self-titled debut the following March. For Uneasy Laughter in 2020 the members overhauled their sonic framework, swapping layers of abrasive guitar for icy, atmospheric synthesizers while preserving the raw, introspective lyrical focus established on the first record.
Albums
