The Moondoggies

Rooted in folk-rock and woodsy Americana, the Moondoggies drew from vocal-driven ensembles like the Byrds, the Band, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Although the group claims Seattle as home, its origins trace to Everett, Washington, where Kevin Murphy (vocals, guitar), Robert Terreberry (bass), Carl Dahlen (drums), and Caleb Quick (keyboards) first assembled as teenagers at Cascade High School. There the quartet uncovered a knack for three-part vocal harmonies, and after Murphy came back from an extended summer in Alaska during 2005, the four reconvened in Seattle to launch the Moondoggies. They settled into the Blue Moon Tavern, a neighborhood dive, where they refined their sound and soon secured a deal with Hardly Art, the Sub Pop imprint based in their city. Their woozy debut, Don't Be a Stranger, surfaced in 2008, followed by the more mature Tidelands in October 2010. The third album, Adios I'm a Ghost, arrived in 2013 with multi-instrumentalist Jon Pontrello now aboard, placing its sound and tone midway between the first two records. Extensive touring supported the release, including bills shared with Blitzen Trapper, Dawes, and the Head and the Heart. By the time the band tracked its fourth album, A Love Sleeps Deep, Pontrello had incorporated pedal steel guitar into his instrumental palette, and the record appeared in 2018.