The Get Ahead capture our sense of wonder in their Americana jam “July Moon,” marveling at life’s natural beauty.
Stream: “July Moon” – The Get Ahead
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/516868614?secret_token=s-kyU56″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&visual=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]Life has plenty of awe-inspiring moments, as long as you’re keeping your eyes and ears open for them. This world is full of wonder: From the setting sun and the full moon, to the ocean’s roar and subsequent serenity. The Get Ahead capture our sense of wonder in their Americana jam “July Moon,” marveling at life’s natural beauty.
Tall, tall grass
Sweet apple light
The blue hour, hourglass
Empties into the night
When the July moon meets our horizon
When the July moon devours our sky
We will all go home
Covered in gold dust
We will all go home
Stars in our eyes
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “July Moon,” the latest single off The Get Ahead’s forthcoming sophomore album Deepest Light (out April 26, 2019 via Jullian Records). The five-piece Portland band of two married couples and then some, The Get Ahead are functionally what Fleetwood Mac could never be. Consisting of Nathan Earle, Juliet Howard, Sean Farrell, Angie Johnson, and Danny Johnson, The Get Ahead formed in 2012 and have been blending soul, R&B, and folk goodness together ever since. Their 2015 debut album Volcano established them with a genre-bending flurry of funk, rock, and more — followed in 2017 by their sterling EP Mind Is a Mountain, which found the band further carving out a sound that is all their own.
While the band’s love of classic soul remains everpresent in their music, The Get Ahead’s sound has evolved immensely in the four short years between their debut and sophomore albums. Deepest Light presents the quintet embracing an Americana roots warmth, leaning more on the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival than Parliament-Funkadelic. The transition feels complete in “July Moon,” where the fat bass grooves and complex rhythms of old are replaced by lush harmonies, riffing harmonies, and a tastefully nuanced layering of instruments from the keyboard to violin.
Wild columbine
Smooth river stones
Eventide
Pours down mountain roads
When the July moon meets our horizon
When the July moon devours our sky
We will all go home
Covered in gold dust
We will all go home
Stars in our eyes
“The entire chorus comes from a voice memo Juliet and I made on the way home from Oregon Country Fair,” Nathan Earle tells Atwood Magazine. “They rounded a bend and entered a clearing, seeing the moon just cresting the hills. It was bright and unbelievably big, and they had to pull off to the side of the road to appreciate it. It looked like it was going to eat up the entire sky. Wasn’t long before they were joined by several other cars (also heading back from Country Fair). That moment was the inspiration for a song about the glow that being away from the city with people you love can give you. It has become our ode to the unparalleled Northwestern summer experience.”
“July Moon” hits listeners with big harmonies from the get-go, running off a bluesy guitar lick whose repeats seem to only further emphasize the entrancing beat. In their slow delivery, The Get Ahead convey the awe-inspiring moment Earle describes of stopping everything you’re doing, in order to marvel at the world we get the pleasure of living in. We relive this experience under the cover of a hearty Americana groove that sucks us in and holds us tight.
The Get Ahead have fully embraced a new sonic identity, and they’re great at what they’re doing. Deepest Light finds the band celebrating “life, creation, healing, and the importance of keeping open hearts” while bridging the gap between folk/Americana and funk/R&B. What results is just plain fun: An invigorating collection worthy of repeat listens.
Stream “July Moon” exclusively on Atwood Magazine! The Get Ahead’s sophomore album Deepest Light arrives April 26, 2019.
Stream: “July Moon” – The Get Ahead
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