Biography
Formed in Glendale, Moonpools and Caterpillars ranked among the most commercially prominent acts of Philippine descent. Their sole major-label effort, Lucky Dumpling, appeared in 1995 on Eastwest/Elektra and was recorded at Bearsville Studios under the joint supervision of Richard Gottehrer, whose résumé already included Blondie, the Go-Go’s, the Judybats, and Jeffrey Gaines, and Jeffrey Lesser, known for prior work with Lou Reed and Barbra Streisand. The quartet quickly became fixtures on the Los Angeles club circuit, particularly along the Sunset Strip. Frontwoman Kimi Ward Encarnacion projected a vocal timbre and theatrical command reminiscent of Natalie Merchant, Björk, and Gwen Stefani, while guitarist JayJay Encarnacion layered textures drawn from U2’s the Edge, 10,000 Maniacs’ Robert Buck, and the Smiths’ Johnny Marr. Bassist Tim DePala and drummer Gugut Salgado supplied a propulsive rhythm foundation. Observers routinely aligned the group’s sound with that of Belly, the Cocteau Twins, Edna Swap, Alanis Morissette, the Cranberries, Velocity Girl, Tuscadero, Blake Babies, the Darling Buds, Liz Phair, and Veruca Salt. Although Elektra deemed Lucky Dumpling’s sales insufficient, critics praised the record; Volkswagen subsequently placed several tracks, notably “Hear,” in its inaugural Jetta advertising campaign, and Disney featured the band’s “Summertime” in the film The Baby-Sitters Club. A second collection, The Pink Album, surfaced the same year on Nobu Records. Twelve Songs, a third set, went on sale the evening the group formally dissolved in 1998. Moonpools and Caterpillars remain a striking yet largely overlooked ensemble whose broader recognition would likely have followed in an environment governed by wider discernment.
Albums
