About Moriarty
“Moriarty come back to the UK for a unique concert at Oslo, to celebrate the release of their upcoming album ‘Epitaph’
‘Moriarty’s exponentially surreal aural cocktail is a bewitchingly refreshing tonic that tantalizes the senses’ The Beat
‘Moriarty are not your average indie-rock band or streamlined electro-pop unit….they’re a ramshackle olde worlde acoustic outfit’ The Guardian
Named after Jack Kerouac’s notorious On The Road Character Dean Moriarty, this band of childhood friends create an impressive modern bohemian sound of some sort. Moriarty takes its inspiration from traditional Celtic music, Irish folk, country and blues, soul and old-fashioned rock’n’roll. They also cover standards and creates rock compositions. Live, Moriarty combined entrancing sounds of guitars, harmonica, xylophone, banjo, kazoo, bass and more seemingly randomly choice of instruments with the soulful, seductive and pure voice of lead singer Rosemary, a cross between Joan Baez, Gillian Welch and Nina Simone, and deliver an off-beat structure and glaring melodies to some intriguing effects.
Their first single Jimmy (from the album Gee Whiz But This is a Lonesome Town) which sounds like it was recorded around the turn of the 19th century, was a success and launched the band internationally. Their debut album Gee Whiz But This is a Lonesome Town (Naïve Records, 2007) went to sell 170,000 copies worldwide and was certified Gold in France. Their second album, The Missing Room (released on their own label Air Rytmo, 2011) is a more stripped-back and acoustic affair. Then in 2013, following a meeting with Swiss band Mama Rosin, they released Moriarty Meets Mama Rosin (Air Rytmo, 2013), an collection of 5 songs of collaboration with the Cajun Punk outfit. In 2013, Moriarty released their latest effort Fugitives (Air Rytmo), interpreting songs which made the American myth and described in fRoots as ‘a concept album of some sort, …. all very folksy and arty-crafty ….connecting ancient and modern, physical and digital, academic and instinctive, and joyously rocks the house in the process’ .
Moriarty on ‘Epitaph’ …’Once more, we were struck by the recurring themes that kept haunting us, somehow linking all those songs together: the passage of time and life, the intertwining of our world with the underworld, the invisible dance between the living and the dead, between humans and ghosts. But on the way, we found out that such songs needn't necessarily be grim, melancholic or sad. On the contrary, we felt that this album needed strong rhythms, blunt colours, organic sounds, accidents and improvisations in order to counterbalance the lyrics and keep the music alive‘. ‘Epitaph’ is the 4th LP by the band and will be released on the band own label (Air Rytmo). The album was recorded in Paris a few months ago, and was produced by the legendary Renaud Letang (Lianne La Havas, The Kills, Feist, Franz Ferdinand, Charlotte Gainsbourg).
Get your tickets for Moriarty through Gigantic below!
