From the bustling Philadelphia music scene, indie rock band Pep Rally launches listeners into orbit with their electrifying new single, "Clubbing On The Moon (Staring At The Sun)."
Led by Grammy-winning producer Tommy Joyner, Pep Rally embodies the spirit of Philly's underground music. Joyner, a founding member of the iconic MilkBoy venue and studio, brings decades of experience and a passion for authentic sound to every track.
Their latest single, "Clubbing On The Moon (Staring At The Sun)," captures the thrill and chaos of a night out like never before. The song builds on the energy of their previous release, promising listeners another wild ride through Pep Rally's musical universe.
Jumping into "Clubbing On The Moon," it grabs you by the collar and pulls you onto the dance floor with groovy guitar licks and toe-tapping alternative instruments. The track pulses with punk-inspired energy, driven by relentless drums and catchy guitar riffs. Tommy Joyner's vocals vividly depict a night out, while drummer Emily Roane adds her sass to the mix with sharp comebacks.
The song's music video, directed by Joyner himself, invites viewers into the recording process. We see the easy chemistry between Joyner and Roane as they lay down tracks interspersed with snapshots of local clubs that bring the song's story to life.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that this is more than just a party anthem. Joyner and Roane's lyrics capture the excitement and fear of losing yourself in the club scene. Their raw lyrics, pulled from actual experiences in Philly's indie rock world, give the track an authenticity that's hard to resist.
Join Pep Rally's lunar dance party with "Clubbing On The Moon (Staring At The Sun)," now streaming on all digital platforms.
Welcome to Buzz, Pep Rally! We're over the moon for your new single, "Clubbing On The Moon." What inspired you to write about an exhilarating night out?
Hi! Thanks for having us! The inspiration for "Clubbing On The Moon?" well... We like to party, hahaha! That's true, AND I always wanted to write a song that had "it's alright" in the chorus, so we started thinking about stressful situations remedied by someone saying, "It's alright." And of course, we thought of "partying," which is stressful because what might make YOUR party can be the same thing that is SOMEONE ELSE'S trigger-point, you know? All-nighters frequently contain fights and other un-fun stuff, which is, I think, why we celebrate it when we make it home, and staying out WAS fun. We might go out to celebrate some good news or a life event, but it can feel rare when the celebration is fun. We made it home in one piece, AND it was fun. HUGE WIN. So inevitably, during a night out, a friend must say something calming to another friend. And it makes such a huge difference, hearing someone say, "It's alright," and maybe stroking their hand or hair. It makes it alright. It's a song about that.
How does your experience in the Philly music scene influence your songwriting for tracks like "Clubbing On The Moon?"
Oh my god, I don't think the song would exist without Philly. EVERYONE plays Philly, and there is always a show to go to. It's hard to get sleep! So when we sing, "You only live once, so sleeping can wait," we really mean it.
The interplay between Tommy and Emily's vocals in "Clubbing On The Moon" adds an engaging, immersive aspect to the song. How did that dynamic develop?
To be honest, it took some time. We were rehearsing and gigging for a little bit, but we weren't sure how to record our vocals. We tried going one at a time, but it didn't sound right, you know? Then, when we hit on doing it on one mic at the same time, suddenly, the sound of our vocals changed. I think the sound waves get more excited, then Emily and I get more excited, and then YOU get more excited.
Can you tell us about the process of directing and shooting the music video for "Clubbing On The Moon?" What was your vision for bringing the song to life visually?
We're big fans of 80's new wave like Talking Heads and Devo, and that sound is mutated because there are only 2 of us making ALL the music; so we wanted to show what performing this sonically rich music looks like just as we make it. We are also big fans of Pomplamoose - they really cracked the code for the "what you see is what you hear" kind of video, and we were very inspired by them. We had my studio (MilkBoy the Studio) for about 5 hours and didn't know what song we would do because we had a couple ready to go. But when we started playing "Clubbing On The Moon," we realized that we didn't have lights, so Emily called a friend who brought lights. Then we found a disco ball at the studio, and our friends tied it to a mic stand. We got into a tremendous collaborative groove, making the video energetic and exciting. When it was time for us to leave, we'd only played "Clubbing On The Moon"! (cracking up), but that was good because we played it enough times to really unpack the nuances in the song, the feeling of the lyrics, and the bridge especially.
What was your favorite part about creating "Clubbing On The Moon (Staring At The Sun)?" What did you enjoy most about the process?
Rehearsing it and hearing the idea become an actual song is indescribable. Seriously, when we are both singing and the harmonies get going, it feels like my heart will pop out of my chest. I've never bungee jumped, but I feel the excitement is like that.