Biography
Margaret McCarthy shaped Moontype around a blend of fuzzy alt-rock textures, punchy guitar pop drive, and yearning singer-songwriter elements, building outward from spare early demos that paired only her voice with bass guitar. Following two solo EPs issued under that name, she added two fellow figures from Chicago’s avant-garde circles and cut the project’s first full-length album as a trio. The sessions drew primary direction from McCarthy’s intimate lyrics and distinctive melodies, yielding Bodies of Water, which appeared in 2021.
Raised in the Boston area, McCarthy studied piano, performed in choirs, and began composing songs on guitar. While pursuing music studies at Oberlin College she issued Fan Music (2017), an EP of acoustic guitar pieces wrapped in electric fan noise, then followed it a year later with Bass Tunes, Year 5; both came out under the Moontype name. Fellow Oberlin attendees Ben Cruz, a jazz guitar major, and drummer Emerson Hunton did not collaborate with her until after McCarthy moved to Chicago. There Cruz had already been working with Hunton across bands that spanned country, jazz, and avant-garde styles. Attracted by the singular character of McCarthy’s writing, Cruz began supporting her performances, after which Hunton joined to complete the trio. The group let McCarthy’s lyrics steer their rhythmic shifts and changing meters. They played their first shows together in 2019 and started tracking a debut album drawn from her demos before the year closed. Advance singles from 2020 brought notice from leading indie outlets, and Bodies of Water arrived on Chicago’s Born Yesterday Records the following April.
Raised in the Boston area, McCarthy studied piano, performed in choirs, and began composing songs on guitar. While pursuing music studies at Oberlin College she issued Fan Music (2017), an EP of acoustic guitar pieces wrapped in electric fan noise, then followed it a year later with Bass Tunes, Year 5; both came out under the Moontype name. Fellow Oberlin attendees Ben Cruz, a jazz guitar major, and drummer Emerson Hunton did not collaborate with her until after McCarthy moved to Chicago. There Cruz had already been working with Hunton across bands that spanned country, jazz, and avant-garde styles. Attracted by the singular character of McCarthy’s writing, Cruz began supporting her performances, after which Hunton joined to complete the trio. The group let McCarthy’s lyrics steer their rhythmic shifts and changing meters. They played their first shows together in 2019 and started tracking a debut album drawn from her demos before the year closed. Advance singles from 2020 brought notice from leading indie outlets, and Bodies of Water arrived on Chicago’s Born Yesterday Records the following April.
Singles
