BBR Artist Spotlight: Mike and The Moonpies

Credit: Greg Giannukos

Nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, the picturesque town of Challis bustles every August when it plays host to the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that draws thousands of visitors from across the globe, bringing artists and fans together in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 9th-11th and will feature fifteen plus Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including Mike & The Moonpies, whose latest album, Steak Night at the Prairie Rose, has earned them accolades from outlets such as Rolling Stone and The Bluegrass Situation further cementing their status as one of the most dynamic and promising bands in Texas and beyond. Ahead of the BBR, frontman Mike Harmeier kindly took some time to speak about the Reunion, the new album, touring, and more.

Currently, the Moonpies are out in Texas and Oklahoma supporting your February release, Steak Night at the Prairie Rose, and in August you’ll be making a stop in Challis for your first BBR.
We’re excited to head up there. We've heard people talking about it for a long time and we were so jealous because we’ve always wanted to do it (laughing), but it just never worked out, so we’re stoked that it actually came together this year.
 
That's great it finally came together. Being that you’re constantly on the road, will you be able to take any time to enjoy the festival and Idaho?
We’re flying in from London after our first-ever tour in France, then we're playing Montana on Thursday with Turnpike and heading to Challis where we plan to take in the whole thing. We’re friends with everyone who is going to be there, so it'll be really nice to see them play and hang out with them for a few days. Spending time together is what I love about things like this….it’s like a vacation. 

It’s such a great time for artists and fans alike.
The release of Mockingbird in 2015 saw you guys gaining a lot of momentum nationally and that's something that's continued to build with this record. What do you think it is about these albums that is connecting with people?
A lot of the songs I write are about what I know - my family and my past – and I think that catches a lot of people’s ears. There’s a nostalgic element, too. We tend to lean on 80’s and 90’s country, which not a lot of other people are doing and I think people appreciate that. I’ve had people tell me our music sounds like what they listened to in their dad’s truck when they were kids, which I think is neat.

---

With Steak Night you handed over production duties to Adam Odor who co-produced Live at WinStar World Casino & Resort.
For the live record, I had a full idea of what I wanted everything to sound like, so I brought in my friend to co-produce and keep me in line, but here I wanted to give Adam full control. I wanted Steak Night to sound like a live record and knowing what a great job he did on the previous one, I think it was the perfect fit.
 
Was there anything else you approached differently this time around?
On every record, I usually write or co-write the majority of the songs, including the music, but on this one, I didn’t show the songs to the band before we went into the studio. I gave the songs to them that morning and we cut them live to tape in as many times as it took to get them right. I let them play whatever they wanted because with this record, I wanted to grab a snapshot of the band the way we are right now.
 
The other thing that was different was that on previous records, I would bring in other players, but this time the only person I brought in was Mickey Raphael [harmonica with Willie Nelson] and I was like, ‘We can stop at him.’ (laughing)

Yeah, if you're going to have one special guest, he might be the one to have.
The album is bookended with “Road Crew” and “We’re Gone”, which really tie the whole thing together quite nicely.
I usually make a bunch of lists trying the placement out, but this was the first sequence I made, and I felt like we nailed it. Like a lot of the songs, "Road Crew" has this Elvis-Vegas-show-band feel to it and was just the perfect opener; and “We’re Gone,” I mean, how can you not close the album with a song called “We’re Gone?” (laughing).

I thought about the sequence in the context of vinyl, too. The fifth track, “The Last Time,” ends with a fade out and when you flip the vinyl over it starts with “Beaches of Biloxi” which has that awesome intro, so it worked out pretty well.

Sure did! My current favorite track is “Wedding Band.” Is there a story behind that one?
That’s funny you say that because a lot of people have been telling me that’s their favorite song, which is awesome, but I always thought it was just a standard honky-tonker, so I kind of buried it there in the middle of the album.
​
We used to get asked all the time to do weddings which I thought was strange because we play all this sad-bastard, cry-in-your-beer, cheating stuff which isn't exactly wedding material (laughing). So "Wedding Band," which is the first song I wrote for the record, is just my take on honky-tonk bands being wedding bands.

You’ve certainly come along ways from being a wedding band though.
For sure. When we started out, we were basically a cover band which is how we figured out the way we play now. We’d pick songs we liked, learn them, see how they worked live, and basically tried to recreate that with our original music.
 
And the original music has brought you from wedding halls to Texas dancehalls to venues all over the United States.
And that’s always been the goal with it. We’ve been playing the Texas dancehalls for almost ten years, and while it’s been great to do that and be a part of dancehall history here in Texas, we’ve always wanted to be an international touring band.  I want to play it all, from rock halls to theaters and everything in between.
 
Since 2010 we’ve expanded into the Midwest, initially playing there supporting artists like Jason Boland, and now we’re headlining festival shows there. As for the West Coast, we did a run there with Turnpike when Mockingbird came out and we’re going to be doing one with Cody Johnson in April. We'll hit those areas, then work our way everywhere else. We did around 185 dates last year and we’re on upwards of that number this year hitting every state except for maybe Maine and Washington. 

That'a a lot of miles.
Over the past few years you have a lot of opportunities and experiences, is there anything you want to accomplish professionally in 2018?
Adam and I are working on a film which we're really excited about. Colter Wall, Charlie Crockett, and others are doing the songs while we’re scoring the whole thing. We’ve been trying to figure out other avenues to keep the momentum going and promote the band, and I think film is going to be our next thing to conquer.
 
Sounds like an exciting venture.
Finally, as you guys hit the road, what’s playing in the van as you travel from place to place?
All kinds of weird stuff (laughing). We drive in 200-mile shifts, so whoever is driving those 200 miles gets to control the music. Lately we've been listening to this band called The Night Game who play this lush 80’s pop, but our steel player is a metal head, and our drummer loves hip-hop. Our van is an eclectic place to be (laughing).


​Mike & The Moonpies are: Singer-songwriter Mike Harmeier, drummer Kyle Ponder, guitarist Caitlin Rutherford, bassist Omar Oyoque, keys John Carbone, and steel guitarist Zachary Moulton.

To keep up with the Moonpies visit:Website/Facebook/Twitter


2018 Braun Brothers Reunion
Challis, Idaho
August 9-11th
​Purchase: 3 Day Pass $124.30
Purchase: 2 Day Pass Friday and Saturday ONLY

The BBR is held rain or shine.
Tickets purchased online will be picked up at will call at the venue.
Tickets are Non-refundable.
Kids age 5 and under are free.
Kids age 6-12 are $15 a day and can ONLY be purchased at the front gate even if its sold out.
Kids age 13 and up pay full adult price.

​Website/Facebook/Twitter

---