Island Moons (Brandon Harwood) stopped by Live & Local this week, ahead of the release of his debut EP “Dream” – the first of two he’s planning to release this year.
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With a sound that’s inspired by a wide range of artists, from Bon Iver to the late-period Beatles, Island Moons made a splash in 2023 with four stellar singles, but “Dream” will be Harwood’s first longform release – and his first release of any kind since arriving in the Triangle two years ago. And it’s a long time coming: Harwood’s been working to reach this point since he started recording his music in New York City during the pandemic.
“This is a milestone for me,” he says. “I really am excited: I sometimes as an artist get stuck in analysis paralysis, you know, and self-sabotage, procrastination…(so) I truly know the meaning of the word ‘release.’ It’s out, it’s out of my hands, it’s in the universe, (and) it’s a weight off at the same time.”
The lead single, “In This Town,” is out already. It’s an uncanny, haunting dreamscape of a song, with characters and images drawn from old history and Westerns that still feels inexplicably immediate and timely – a fitting vibe for an artist who draws his stage name from the poetry of William Blake.
“It’s kind of a cool story,” Harwood says about the name Island Moons, which came about during a recording session in upstate New York. “I (had) some reservations about releasing it (under) my name, and Tim Barr at Lower Oceans Recording was just like, ‘Look, you got three days, and if you don’t have a name within three days, we’re just going to release it under your name.’ So I was in his guest room, just thumbing through a bunch of books – and I found a collection of poems by William Blake, and there was this one page that was just completely blank, except for an island in the moon. And I was like, ‘these words are speaking to me.’
The release date for “Dream” is Friday, January 30, and Harwood is celebrating with an EP release show at Local 506 in Chapel Hill the day before, Thursday, January 29. And that’s just the beginning: Island Moons is also set to release a second EP, “Bell,” later this year – along with a “Dream Bell” vinyl release that combines the two.
Click here to learn more about Island Moons’ show at Local 506 and buy tickets.
Island Moons stopped by Live & Local this week to discuss “Dream” and play three songs: “In This Town,” “Slumber Sail,” and “Can You See The Future?” Listen:
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