Moonraker is more than just the Boston-based band du jour to make a name for itself on the national scene. In addition to their superb blend of electronica, trip-hop and rock, the band just happens to sport two Boston University alumni. David Moltz, Kody Akhavi and Dan Mintzer met in Boston University dorms in 2000 and quickly started jamming, continuing their alliance even after Mintzer transferred to the Berklee School of Music. The band then brought in vocalist Kelli Scarr, a former Berklee student, and rounded out the mix with the enigmatically named keyboardist Shaolun.
Moonraker’s philosophy, according to Moltz, is that every band is more than the sum of its influences, so the band never mapped out a particular sound. Instead, they rooted their influences in electronica and classic rock and decided to let the music speak for itself.
‘Music is a force [we] cannot control; it comes through how it comes through,’ said Moltz, the band’s guitarist and a former film major. If you asked any of the band members what they sound like, they would say they sound just like Moonrakerand they have convinced a record label and an international fan base that the Moonraker sound works.
In 2001, while band members were still attending classes, Moonraker released their debut album, Nada Brahma. Last year, they released a self-titled EP, and, after graduation, the group relocated to New York City.
The move was the logical next step for the band, especially because their manager and record label are there. Being in New York also gives the band access to weekly gigs. Plus, they’re still close to their original home of Boston, where they play about every six weeks, including the show they headline tomorrow night at Bill’s Bar.
In the past year, Moonraker toured consistently with a diverse lineup of artists, including Joan Osborne, Lake Trout, The Coup and a number of notable DJs. Moltz said what they got most out of touring was the experience. Without school, the group was free to tour and find out what it was like to live in a tour bus. They ‘developed familial instincts’ and became closer as a group, enabling them to work together musically and disarm any fear of branching out into adventurous musical realms.
If possible, 2003 is going to be an even busier year for Moonraker. They’ve put in time at a studio in rural Ontario and still need to put the finishing touches on two albums they plan to release this year. Their next release will be a full-length album, hitting stores next fall.
As for their future, Moltz says that the band will never fit the ‘rich rockstar’ stereotype because it is not something they are interested in. For them, Moltz said, ‘putting food on the table is the most important thingand just being able to affect people.’ For now, Moonraker is their life, and they’re happy with that. Moonraker will play Bill’s Bar this Friday, Jan. 31.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
