Breakout Toronto Bands: Moon King

Breakout Toronto Bands features local artists that we think you should give a listen to.

Who are they?

"I originally based it on three characters from popular culture: Bart Simpson, Peter Pan, and to a lesser degree Robin Hood. So the Moon King band is a group of merry tricksters — fun-loving but able to take care of some pretty serious biz," explains Daniel Woodhead. And while his description of the project might leave some scratching their heads, a listen to the songs offers a trip into his brain that quickly connects the dots.

Woodhead, 24, writes and produces the songs, and is often joined by childhood BFF and Spiral Beach partner in crime Maddy Wilde (they grew up a few blocks away from each other in the Annex).

"I started writing new songs around the end of 2010, for no reason other than I was frustrated and needed an outlet. Me and Maddy's old band had broken up in 2009, and I had spent much of my time just wandering from place to place and project to project after that," Daniel shares. The result of that anxious boredom was Moon King.

They sound like...

It'd be fair to say that Moon King's sound is in flux right now. While they originally put out two-minutlong fizzy pop-punk tunes, they're now expanding the instrumental sections and polishing up the production on more recent offerings. As far as influences go, Daniel's involved in a number of projects at any given moment, and it's easy to hear the crossover.

Whether it be "writing aggro-punk rap music with my friend Alex Low, playing drums with Grimes occasionally, and touring with my brother's band Doldrums (which I still do whenever possible)," there's a diverse mix to draw upon. "As far as other bands go, I get inspired by electronic music, the Ramones, and dreamy pop stuff like the Cocteau Twins and Julee Cruise," Daniel notes when asked about his influences.

Hear them / See them

Their debut EP OBSESSION I is out now on One Big Silence — Mike Haliechuk from Fucked Up's label (when does that guy sleep?) along with a video for the incredibly infectious "Only Child." The duo is embarking on a short US tour this week with Twin Sister and School of Seven Bells, ending in Toronto on December 15th at May Cafe. Daniel also notes that he'll be spending the rest of the month recording their follow-up 12" — I can't wait to hear how their sound will evolve.