Moon Taxi introduces SwimVille to another side of Music City

Kelsey Hendrix | Feb 18, 2015

Moon Taxi at SwimVilleYve Assad/SI

The rest of America may associate Nashville solely with country music, but the members of Moon Taxi are tearing down that misconception.

A rock band out of Music City, these guys are not only pushing the boundaries on the South's music scene, but they're also just plain cool. Learn more about the band that shook things up last week at SwimVille!

SWIM DAILY: Tell us about your start as a group and a little about how you’ve evolved since the creation of your first album, Melodica. 
MOON TAXI: We were definitely more in the jam/exploratory world when we first started out. As the band grew, we learned the importance of "the song" and our writing started to thrive. We've become better performers as well after playing over 600 shows since then. I think the combination of songwriting, performing, and experience in general has helped us mature into a very unique band.

SWIM DAILY: How does a rock group in Nashville compete with the hype of country music that the city is so often known for? 
MOON TAXI: The two are pretty separated in my mind. The venues downtown are all known for their honky tonk swing, but there are great rock clubs in town like Mercy Lounge, Exit In, and Marathon that are almost entirely non-country. Nashville is slowly becoming more known as the "music city" rather than the "country" music city. We're honored to be a part of that transition. 

SWIM DAILY: How does playing festivals compare to playing regular concert venues? Which do you prefer as a band? 
MOON TAXI: I love playing the festivals because they can feel like a tournament. We don't consider it a competition, but some of the fans do. A lot of people like to give their top 5 acts and I want to be on that list. It's also a good way to make a lot of friends in other bands and see acts we'd otherwise miss. I always leave feeling inspired to make our shows and songs better. 

SWIM DAILY: What was the importance of having Mountains Beaches Cities released on vinyl? 
MOON TAXI: So many people love to listen to music on vinyl to get the full aural experience. We want our fans to be able to listen to our music on whatever medium they choose and it wouldn't be fair to leave the vinyl listeners out. 

SWIM DAILY: Lastly, how did you get involved in Swimsuit Launch Week? Was it a unique experience to most of the shows you play?  
MOON TAXI: I think the Kings of Leon helped curate the bands playing and we were on their radar. I'm not entirely sure. It was incredibly unique, I can't think of another time we had supermodels introduce us. But I hope it's not the last. 

[Answers from band member Tommy Putnam]

Be sure to come back later today for our Q&A with country music superstar Chris Young!

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