Following on from our review of his incredible new single, ‘Ape Shall Not Kill Ape‘, we speak with Tex Moonlight.
What made you want to leave the mellow side behind and tap back into something darker?
A few things got me headed back into a more raw, energetic, and sometimes darker sound. Definitely reconnecting with my old band, Ephram Bonus, inspired me to push myself out of my comfort zone. And honestly, the other reason was just a kind of self-limiting belief that I was older and had to make more chill, laid-back songs. Once I put that behind me, I feel like I was teleported back to my youth when the fun and sort-of reckless abandon of songwriting came back to me. Nothing felt off-limits after that. “Ape Shall Not Kill Ape,” gave me a real sense of opening up.
You’ve called your sound “Americonica”, how does that come through on “Ape Shall Not Kill Ape”?
Ha! Yeah, it’s actually still there, but in a completely different context. “Americonica” was initially about sound/genre; it was Americana meets Electronica, but now it’s more thematic. Especially, with “Ape”, I chose an iconic American topic to anchor the chorus. “Planet of the Apes” is an American icon for sure. More cerebral than sonic at this point.
Growing up on everything from The Beach Boys to Kiss, when did you start to feel your own style take shape?
I have to say that style is a continually evolving thing for me. I can really chase whatever floats my boat sonically/stylistically. That’s a really nice thing to have that freedom, but it can also lead to some dead ends. I think as a singer, you’re always kind of tied to your voice to a certain extent. My genre style definitely has more range than my octave.
What was it like reconnecting with Ephram Bonus after all this time?
It was so much fun. Just so great to reconnect with old friends, get into a room together, and realize that we could still deliver felt super empowering. It felt just like it did 30 years ago; exhilarating.
The track has that tight, mechanical feel inspired by Devo. What drew you in that direction?
Messing around with different drum loops and parts really helped that song come together. Once I had that thumping sort of lock-step drum going, the song kind of wrote itself. I feel like it even inspired the lyrics.
What made you want to pull from Planet of the Apes and flip those ideas into something new?
Lyrically, it’s a bit of a mish-mash. Actually, I’d recently watched the original so I had the final line of the movie “damn you, goddamn you all to hell,” (when Taylor realizes he’s still on earth by seeing the Statue of Liberty) bouncing around in my head, and of course, the ape law; “Ape Shall Not Kill Ape” comes from the sequel “Battle for the Planet of the Apes”. Also, with a touch of Rush’s “Spirit of the Radio.” However, where they sang “where the words of the prophet were written on the studio wall,” I ended up writing them on the subway wall (another Planet of the Apes reference…. I feel like a gigantic nerd right now.) Then psychologically writing about the villain in the mirror (us) and how we’re so often our own worst enemies. Mix that all up with a bit of “survival of the fittest” language, whereby all the animals and humans of Earth are competing, striving, and fighting against each other.
Your spoken delivery stands out here. What led you to approach the vocals that way?
Hahaha, yeah, I love non-sequiturs in general and the theme of the song seemed kinda heavy so I just started riffing randomly about anything and that’s what came out. The lady walking her dog is based on a real person, though.
The video is playful and a little chaotic. What was the experience like filming it?
I actually met cinematographer Jim Arbogast @jimaphotography through Matt Collorafice, the drummer from Ephram Bonus. He shot a video for Ephram Bonus, and that’s where we met. Jim’s a well-known photographer and has made some killer music videos with some rock and blues legends like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Eric Gales. Not long after we befriended each other he moved about 10 minutes from me in South Florida and we’ve been kicking it ever since. Jim also has a YouTube channel dedicated to his Frenchies @johnnyandaxelthefabfrenchi1776 and also one dedicated to the Ramones @BASEMENTBROADCAST13. It all fell into place rather quickly. We heard Chauncey Pummelsworth IV, well-known Hominidae thespian and lover of 80’s post-punk, was between gigs, so we reached out, and he was super-pumped to be a part. Jim knew Johnny Ramone from working with him on the Frenchies channel, and we heard he was also available. Putting these two icons together just seemed like a win-win. And it was! The shoot was fantastic, but I do have to let you know that my attorney won’t let me speak any further on the issue due to pending litigation. If you’re intrigued, follow along @texmoonlight for litigious updates regarding my simian and canine stars.
What do you hope people take away after hearing the song and seeing the video?
Firstly, I hope they bob their heads along to the incessant beat, and lastly, I hope they, later in the day (hours after hearing the song), find themselves muttering to themselves, in a low guttural voice, “Ape Shall Not Kill Ape.”
Watch the music video for ‘Ape Shall Not Kill Ape’ below and find out more about Tex Moonlight and his music online on his official website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
