The Moon Jays are all about bringing people together through their melodious tunes and upbeat tracks. Based out of beautiful Orange County California, and inspired by the best of the old and new, The Moon Jays bring an eclectic and fresh version of pop rock to the table. The group recently released their debut EP “Discovery” and is bringing their vision to life, making pop rock musically impressive again. Justin and James share a perfect blend of strength and beauty with both vocals and guitar. Ryan’s bass will put rhythm in your soul, and Josh’s beats behind the drum kit will pull anyone from their seat to the dance floor.
“Sway” is an upbeat single from The Moon Jays newest EP “Discovery”. At over 7 minutes long you will not be disappointed. It’s a song to dance and “Sway” to so grab a partner and vibe along to the lush and transcendent sound. The vocals are incredibly unique and accomplished, The Moon Jays know exactly what their listeners and fans want to hear. A pop rock song of this length that remains consistently interesting and alluring is a phenomenon. I’m personally blown away by the raw talent and expansive music knowledge that these guys exude. Cohesive to their message of bringing people together, “Sway” is a fun loving summer anthem. It’s a timeless classic that I can’t wait to add to my personal playlist! It’s a finely-calibrated and poetic composition that anyone can dance along to. The end of “Sway” is wrapped up with an absolutely hypnotizing piano piece that allows your mind to escape into the music for a moment. So talented and so uniquely themselves, The Moon Jays are on their way to the top.
Listen to "Sway" here and get to know more about The Moon Jays below!
Hi guys! Can you start by introducing yourself and describing your start as a group?
We're The Moon Jays from Orange County, CA. On drums we've got Josh "Butterfingers" (because he drops sick beats) Brown; on bass we have Ryan Nakata; James Butler plays lead guitar and sometimes sings lead vocals; and on lead vocals/rhythm guitar we have Justin Jenks.
About two and a half years ago Justin and James decided they wanted to pursue a career in music and asked if Josh (a friend from high school) wanted to join them. Lucky for the two of them Josh said yes. Ryan, who used to be James's younger sister's boss, joined a little later and we've been rocking ever since.
What’s your writing process like?
Typically James or Justin will present a very bare version of a song (melody, lyrics, and guitar) to which Josh and Ryan will then write their drum and bass parts for. As a band we'll discuss the tone/mood that we want the song to have and give each other suggestions, but overall each member of the band is responsible for writing their part of the song.
What is each of your favorite parts in “Sway”?
James: The breakdown. (@ 3:50)
Josh: The breakdown and the outro (3:50 and 6:15)
Ryan: The outro (@ 6:15)
Justin: From the breakdown on through the rest of the song
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Josh: Zigaboo Modeliste, Dennis Chambers, and Clyde Stubblefield
Ryan: John Paul Jones and Flea
James: Synyster Gates, Joe Satriani, and John Mayer
Justin: Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marc Roberge, and Sam Cooke
AS A BAND: OAR, Walk the Moon, Earth Wind and Fire, and the Rolling Stones
How would you describe your live performance and stage presence to someone who has never seen you perform?
James: Electrifying Josh: Booty shaking
Justin: when we're done the dance floor is nothing more than a smoldering pile of ash
Ryan: In all seriousness we try very hard to keep our shows fun and keep the audience out of their seats. It's our goal that for the limited time we have with the listeners they can forget about their problems and have a good time.
Connect with The Moon Jays on social media
www.instagram.com/themoonjays
www.facebook.com/TheMoonJays