A veritable melting pot of musical styles, Moonshine Still (MsS) enters a new decade enjoying their highest level of success to date. While their sound has been dubbed by many of their ever-growing base of loyal fans as “Indie Rock JamTronic,” their music is even more genre-defying than this. At times the band presents a bristling Indie rock feel, and at other times their subtle forays into electronica have become more frequent and at their heart they are a rock band that is not afraid to experiment with a song. However, a careful assessment of the band’s entire sound would reveal reggae, soul, world, acoustic singer/songwriter, metal and jazz influences as well.
At the core is the rich baritone of singer/guitarist Scott Baston. Baston is equally adept at crooning a soulful ballad, belting out a powerful rock number or playfully engaging in a lighthearted lyric. Baston and bassist Ray Petren formed the band in the late ‘90s in Macon, Georgia. Over the next few years, they found a kinship with certain top notch area musicians, starting with drummer Will Robinson and followed by percussionist Bill Jarrett and guitarist David Shore. A short time later, the band was joined by keyboardist Trippe Wright. By the time the band’s third record came out, a live document entitled “Moon Over Georgia,” they had become a fixture at southern festivals like Harvest Fest, Magnolia Fest and Smilefest - and begun to outgrow some of their favorite venues. They would go on to sell out consecutive New Year’s shows at Athens, Georgia’s legendary Georgia Theater.
Now a nationally touring band supporting their 4th release (with particularly strong fan-bases in the Southeast, Rocky Mountains and West Coast - especially in Colorado and California), MsS has made return trips to the High Sierra Music Festival and Wakarusa. The 2006 summer festival season found the band performing at high profile events such as the Bonnaroo Festival and moe.Down. The band further evidenced its far-reaching eclecticism by celebrating Halloween 2006 with a memorable Hip/Hop-flavored performance during which they were joined by some of the hottest DJs and Hip/Hop acts in the southeast like Bling The Children Back Home and Bboy Quic and The FunkLordz. MsS rang in 2007 by returning to their home city of Macon, headlining an interesting night of music that also included DJ Number Five, Liquid Jungle and Treas in Season.
Multiple music-related web sites and magazines have identified MsS as a band to be experienced, and they were recently appeared on the cover of The Marquee magazine. The tasteful brilliance of keyboardist Wright, and the prudently dazzling, at times searing guitar of David Shore have each received particular accolades. Last May (’06), the band played their final show with drummer Robinson with an emotional performance at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse; the recording of the show continues to be traded internationally online. Robinson has since been replaced by the Jazz-trained Jon Joiner (a veteran of Lionz and Thelonious). Joiner is set to graduate from the Georgia College and State University, and his Jazz background is augmented by a healthy dose of rock, dub and electronic music work. With the recent departure of Jarrett, the current, lean version of Moonshine Still is able to turn on a dime musically, and to take full advantage of the versatility of Joiner.
Thus, a new chapter in the ever-evolving history of this southern musical treasure has begun.
Prior Press Quotes:
“(Moonshine Still) has found a way to combine Southern soul, rock, funk and elements of electronica into its musical elixir. (Drummer Jon) Joiner’s addition to Moonshine Still does bring some new blood into a band that has dug deep into the musical heritage of its home state of Georgia.” - Charleston Post and Courier
“The group combines an eclectic blend of influences, from warm, exotic Middle Eastern and Indian overtones in guitar solos and percussion to vocals that hint at the slow and soulful Georgia gospel style. The group combines the styles with skilled musicianship, which is exemplified by keyboardist Trippe Wright’s distinctive ability to blend the sound of a church organ with psychedelic jam-rock sensibilities.”- The Maneater, Columbia, MO
“Moonshine Still is propelled by seamless jams with stunning guitar work, keyboard solos and soulful vocals that rise with the spirit of Georgia’s churches.”- Everything Alabama
“Moonshine Still is a six-piece band with a unique sound. In the nearly 10 years the band has been touring, it has created a reputation for powerful guitar and keyboard work mixed with strong rhythms and soulful vocals.”- First Coast Community, Jacksonville, FL
“Have you ever been in a situation where you stumble upon a band that possesses such grit and power that you are left utterly speechless?”- Jambase.com
