Moonchild Tickets

Moonchild in Concert

With the Los Angeles trio's richly textured blend of jazz, soul, hip-hop, and electronic music, Moonchild occupies its own special galaxy of sound. It's fitting that the group's members — multi-instrumentalists Amber Navran, Andris Mattson, and Max Bryk — started Moonchild not long after spending a night of stargazing together on the West Coast. The music they've made since 2011 demonstrates both their love of exploration and a suitably spacy sort of effervescence, one that suggests the usual laws of gravity do not apply.

Moonchild's three members first forged a musical bond while they were all students in the University of Southern California's jazz performance program. The band was born when they were touring as a horn and woodwind trio — they tried writing original music together not long after that first starry night. The first song they created — "Be Free" — pointed the way forward with its seemingly effortless integration of musical styles, variously evoking ‘60s spiritual jazz and ‘90s acid jazz as well as neo-soul greats like Erykah Badu and D'Angelo. "Be Free" also became the title track for Moonchild's debut album in 2012, which extended the song's casual feel across a similarly gorgeous array of shimmering keys, sunbursts of horns, and Navran's dreamy, sultry vocals.

Many influential stars and tastemakers were quick to take notice. Among the collaborators and tourmates they soon attracted were Jill Scott, India.Arie, Leela James, and The Internet. And Laura Mvula, 9th Wonder, and Tyler, The Creator have all expressed their love of Moonchild, too. The trio's profile in the U.K. got a big boost thanks to endorsements from Jamie Cullum and Gilles Peterson; the acid-jazz pioneer and DJ included the band's 2014 single "The Truth" in his influential Bubblers series. Perhaps the greatest compliment of all was landing a prime slot performing at Stevie Wonder's annual House Full of Toys charity event in 2012 after the singer heard them on Los Angeles station KJLH and liked what he heard.

Released in 2017 after signing to the British label Tru Thoughts, Moonchild's second album ‘Voyager' sees a further refinement of their blend of neo-soul and new jazz. Future travels are bound to be just as smooth.