MOONRIIVR have finally dropped their debut album, entitled Volume 1, described by the band as “an out-there funky blend of chilled out indie tracks that the band has half-jokingly likened to Buddy Holly meets Krautrock”.

Armed with a Tascam 388 tape recorder, the quartet of vocalist Gavin Gardiner (The Wooden Sky), guitarist “Champagne” James Robertson (Lindi Ortega), bassist Ben Whitely (The Weather Station), and percussionist Lyle Molzan (Kathleen Edwards) have managed to craft an idiosyncratic brand of exotic indie-folk, laced with sweetly reverberating slide guitars, wonky string synths, and nimble percussive environments.

The band is also releasing a video for their track, “Flowers On The Fire Escape”, which features the whole band jamming the track out in front of what appears to be a small-town antique store. Cozy and intimate, the gentle track compels you to sway your hips, and transports you from ground-floor gray skies to balcony’s overlooking seaside cities.

MOONRIIVR’s knack for creating sonic worlds that are at once lightly trippy and wholly inviting means that, as much as Volume 1 draws on inspirations from decades past, it maintains a pleasing, distinctly out-of-time feel. The band has continued their album rollout with tracks like, “Midnight at the Garden Hotel,” “Bachelor Nation,” and “The Hypnotist,” all released alongside their own videos.

“”Flowers on the Fire Escape” was something that was inspired by a friend who had dressed their fire escape up like a backyard. Space in the city is so scarce and astro turf goes a long way! I was inspired by the different rhythm sections on a mellotron and wrote the song like that before James and I worked it up and brought it to the band”.

MOONRIIVR 2023 Tour Dates

Nov 17 – Grad Club – Kingston ON (w/Peter Dreams)
Nov 18 – Dominion Tavern – Ottawa ON – (w/Peter Dreams)
Nov 23 – Owls Club – ALBUM RELEASE – Toronto ON

Order tickets MOONRIIVR for HERE