Nick Moon has today released his new single titled ‘Bonfire City’. Nick Moon sounds completely unbothered by convention on ‘Bonfire City’, a track that lurches forward with the kind of reckless confidence most indie rock bands spend years trying to fake. The song thrives in the tension between chaos and control, pulling grimy guitar work and rubbery basslines into a strange but addictive dance. Every instrument feels like it is trying to outdo the others without ever tipping the whole thing over, which gives the track its twitchy pulse and late night danger. Moon’s vocal delivery leans into paranoia and sarcasm at the same time, tossing out lines with the energy of someone laughing through clenched teeth.
What makes ‘Bonfire City’ stick is how alive it feels. The guitars scrape and spiral in all directions while the rhythm section keeps the whole thing grounded in a groove that practically dares you not to move. Fans of scrappy post punk and art damaged garage rock will hear shades of downtown cool running through the song, but Moon never comes across like he is borrowing from a playlist of influences. The track has its own weird grin plastered across it. Every messy solo and sideways lyric feels intentional, like the soundtrack to a party that got out of hand three hours ago and somehow became more fun because of it.
Moon’s greatest trick here is disguising vulnerability inside absurdity. ‘Bonfire City’ hides its anxious core beneath distortion, sleaze, and sharp edged humor, making each listen feel a little more revealing than the last. That balance between catchy and unhinged gives the song real staying power. Plenty of artists can make noise and plenty can write hooks, but pulling both together with this much personality is a different skill entirely. ‘Bonfire City’ sounds like the work of an artist who knows exactly how strange he wants his world to be and has no interest in sanding down the rough edges for anybody.
About ‘Bonfire City’
Standing out above the illusive modge-podge of production, kitschy adlibs, and bombastic vocalizations by Nick Moon is the parallel play between the guitar and the bass. Dancing together in a twisted, ominously sensual string battle, they work together to keep “Bonfire City” grounded amidst Moon’s vocalized insecurities and turmoil. The song takes the audience on a frenzied, sleazy journey, featuring chewy Sonic Youth-esque cacophony that can steal any show. “Bonfire City” is exponentially more experimental than Moon’s previous release, “Setting Sun,” but it features the budding hallmarks of his artistry: obnoxiously absurdist lyricism, lawless guitar solos, and an indisputable lacing of irony and satire.
“Sometimes this song frightens me because I feel like I haven’t written a better one since,” Moon explains. “It’s my favorite to play live because it’s so catchy and chaotic all at once.” The track is deceptively vulnerable in its paranoia, disguised by its groovy undercurrent and seemingly nonsensical wordplay. “Bonfire City” was written by Moon, co-engineered by Jake Wilder, produced by Anthony Rosales and Henry McKenzie, and mixed and mastered by McKenzie.
Nick Moon, a Los Angeles native, is hard to define, and he likes it that way. He is used to pioneering his own way, first by kickstarting his music career as a teenager, making an amateur drum kit out of paper plates and a couch. Now, he uses all the ammunition the current state of the world gives him and crafts a discography riddled with sarcasm, surrealism, and idiosyncrasy, all while poking fun at American and Gen Z culture.
His previously released track, “Setting Sun,” the lead single from his forthcoming album, Who is the Bone Man, earned praise from notable press outlets such as EARMILK and Buzzbands LA. While inspired by the likes of LCD Soundsystem, The Velvet Underground, The Strokes, Car Seat Headrest, Moon’s sound is uniquely and wholly his: blending post-punk, garage rock, and new wave to ultimately produce punk you can dance to. “Here, musically and lyrically, nothing is sacred, and everything is meant to be played with,” Moon says.
Featured image by Jared Brown.
About Nick Moon
LA native Nick Moon is throwing genres into the trash and making danceable, comical music that holds space for a “guitar solo or two.” His musical story began a decade earlier, when he made a drum kit out of couch cushions and paper plates, until his parents caved and bought him an electronic one. When he’s not on stage, Moon can be found working behind the scenes in organizing backyard festivals and punk shows in the Los Angeles area.
Inspired by songwriters like Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and Tom Waits, he does not shy away from poking fun at Gen Z and American culture in his lyrics, using satire and weird imagery to craft surreal scenes throughout his discography.“Here, musically and lyrically,”he says,“nothing is sacred, and everything is meant to be played with.”Ultimately, Nick Moon is here to make punk music to dance to, and isn’t scared to be a bit idiosyncratic.
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/whoistheboneman/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ry73ebOXi8vDG7CWw8lkg
https://www.youtube.com/@nickmoon03/