For now, “mellow” Tex Moonlight is stepping aside, replaced by an artist returning to his roots and venturing once again onto the darker side of the moon. A trailblazer of “Americonica,” his signature blend of modern tech elements with traditional instrumention and song structure has always pushed beyond genre conventions, creating soulful, rugged, meditative soundscapes that resonate far and wide.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Moonlight grew up surrounded by a melting pot of sounds and influences. At home, the radio was almost always playing the best of ’70s pop and oldies. While he appreciated the nostalgia of artists like the Beach Boys, Elvis, and Dusty Springfield, everything changed the moment he got his hands on his first Kiss record. By eight years old, Moonlight was already writing songs, pulling inspiration from poetry, books, movies, and everyday life. Ten years later, he joined his first punk band, a move that set the course for his lifelong musical journey.
After relocating his family of 7 from Baltimore to LA and eventually South Florida, Moonlight reunited with one of his earliest metal and hard-rock projects, Ephram Bonus. Reimmersing himself in the band’s loud, fiery spirit reignited his joy and inspired him to revisit music meant to electrify the mind, body, and soul. Today, Tex Moonlight is hitting the ground running, tapping back into the Charm City teenager who first fell in love with the grit and glamour of new wave and post-punk songwriting, ready to let that fire burn brighter than ever.
His debut single from his upcoming new album, “Ape Shall Not Kill Ape,” builds on a robotic punk pop drum loop that echoes and honors the mechanical precision of Devo. In doing so, this contemporary track finds a home in the shadowy corners of the new wave and pop-punk scenes of the ‘70s and ‘80s, unleashing a frenetic rush of alluring textures and alt-rock gusto. The song comes to life alongside longtime producer Dave Nachodsky and a host of other deeply talented collaborators from across the mid-Atlantic. Teetering on nonsensical, Moonlight reimagines some of the most iconic lines from Planet of the Apes, weaving them into a string of bone-chilling sentiments. His spoken word vocals bounce atop a rubbery bassline before plunging into an atmosphere of disruption. It’s new territory for Moonlight—listeners may not expect to be drawn in by the screeching sound effects and blaring guitars, but as they’re pondering the “villain in the mirror” and ancient commandments scrawled on public transport, they might just find themselves nodding along, unable to stop.
In a world divided and distracted by the pressures of modern life, Moonlight’s new chapter is all about keeping things light. “Silly” is a word he not only embraces but actively chases in the “Ape Shall Not Kill Ape” music video, offering viewers a rare chance to set their troubles aside and step into the vivid wonderland of a lost early-2000s aesthetic. After all, it’s hard not to be distracted by a human-sized ape roaming the streets of Fort Lauderdale, especially when he’s joined by director Jim Arbogast’s free-spirited French Bulldog named none other than Johnny Ramone. Even the interwoven footage of Moonlight grooving in front of the green screen nods to decades past, when music videos were designed to simply grab attention and share the artist’s joy with the viewer. It might say something about the world, or it might not, and that’s perfectly fine. But viewers who aren’t careful might suddenly start pogo dancing as if they’ve stumbled into a fever dream of a London punk gig—fronted by a gorilla and his enthusiastic pooch.
What does this new chapter mean for you right now?
Freedom, pure and simple. I feel invigorated and inspired. I’m glad to still be writing and singing, and I’m super happy with the way the latest songs came out in the studio.
You’ve lived in a few different places. How have those moves shaped your sound?
Honestly, these latest songs are more chronologically-based than geographically. I was trying to recreate the sounds and feelings I felt at many a sweaty high school dance in the late 80s. It was a magical time.
You started writing songs really young. Do you still feel connected to that early creative spark?
Absolutely! It’s been a blessing to have this outlet in my life to create and express myself. When I was younger, I was more focused on other people’s ideas of what success meant, but I’ve come to realize that the real joy, the real win, is just being able to create.
This track has a strong punk edge. Did going back to those roots change how you made it?
Over the past two years, I was able to put together 13 new songs, of which “Ape” is the first release, and they all kind of kept falling into this post-punk, upbeat vibe from the 80s that I grew up on. To be honest, two years ago, my idea was to make a lo-fi album, and I had demoed the first song called “None Came Close,” but as I worked on it and listened to the evolving demos, it quite naturally morphed into a new wave anthem now called “Tears in Rain” after the famous Rutger Hauer monologue in Blade Runner.
What was it like working again with Dave Nachodsky and your collaborators on this one?
So I’ve been working with my guys for many years now, namely Steve “Boz” Manuel and Dave “Dutch” Nachodsky. I’ve been writing with Boz since we were in 6th grade, and Dave has been producing and engineering me in a few different incarnations since 1997. Basically, Boz gets me and my musical references, and we speak the same musical language. He has a degree in Jazz Bass and can interpret my sonic shorthand. He lets me soar and go wherever I like. Dave, on the other hand, brings it all back to ground. He’s an honest person and has no qualms with keeping it real with me. For 30 years, he’s pushed and prodded me to be a better singer and songwriter. Their opinions carry just as much weight as my own when crafting my songs.
The song shifts between groove and chaos—how did you build that balance?
I really feel like with “Ape” that the drum loops and programming were really instrumental in setting the tone. Once we kind of locked onto the sound of that beat, everything else fell into place.
The video leans into humor in a big way. Why was that important for you?
It was really just a natural extension of that upbeat thump of those drums. The song made me bounce. Made me want to jump around without a care in the world. To have fun.
There’s a throwback feel in the visuals. What inspired that look?
Inspired by the Haight-Ashbury hippies performing in front of overhead slide projectors. Not the same as the green screen, but close enough for me. I think surreal-ity was the ultimate goal.
How does this single set the tone for the rest of the album?
“Ape” is definitely one of the upbeat tracks off the album that can get you pogoing, but there are some more groove-oriented songs and maybe one near-ballad/love song. The overall tone being set is one of pure joy. Happy to be here, happy to be alive, and glad you’re here with me. Peace, Tex
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