Psychedelic Soul Collective Moonalice Tell The Legendary Story of Lester Chambers On “Happy Here Now”

Today, Bay Area collective Moonalice is happy to announce their next project, the seven-song EP Cool Cats & Kittens, out November 29th via Nettwerk. The project features several new compositions, including the joyful new song + video “Happy Here Now.” It celebrates the powerful story of their legendary frontman, Lester Chambers, the band’s heart and soul. Lester has lived a rock ‘n’ roll life with many twists and turns. Born in 1940 in Mississippi, Lester moved to Los Angeles with his family, where he heard rock n roll for the first time, and it changed his life forever. Lester went on to front The Chambers Brothers, one of the most successful groups of the 1960s, with their anthemic, chart-topping hit, “Time Has Come Today.”

“Happy Here Now” pays tribute to all that life has given Lester. In it, he looks back at the long journey from working on sharecropping farm at the age of nine to touring the world several times over, playing the music he loves.

Written by Lester and Nashville songwriter Dylan Altman, alongside his son, Dylan Chambers, Roger McNamee, and John Molo, “Happy Here Now” has been embraced by fans at our live shows. Listen to the song on all digital retailers (here). 

“Lester’s journey combines the story of rock ‘n’ roll with that of of a black man in America in the second half of the 20th century. Happy Here Now wraps those stories in Lester’s customary optimism and good humor, reminding us of the power of love, peace, and happiness,” says band member Roger McNamee, who contributed lyrics to the song.

“It’s a great thing to be happy and I want the world to know I’m so happy to be here now!” exclaims Lester.

The fun-loving music video brilliantly juxtaposes iconic images of Lester and The Chambers Brothers with live performances of Moonalice. Current-day Lester shows the same soulful charm and spunk that launched him to stardom nearly sixty years ago.

Watch & Share Moonalice’s “Happy Here Now” Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPsl34JWlRo

For Bay-area psychedelic soul collective Moonalice, making music is more than just a career; it’s in their blood. It’s family. The 10-piece group includes the father-son duo Lester and Dylan Chambers, the T-Sisters vocal trio of Erika, Chloe, and Rachel Tietjen, and a band of musicians that have performed together for long enough to call each other brothers: Barry Sless, Pete Sears, John Molo, Jason Crosby, and Roger McNamee.

Known for delivering a unique brand of psychedelic soul and rock-tinged Americana, the group of musical legends and next-gen rock-n-roll lifers has released seven albums since October 2022, including four in 2023 and two in 2024. They explored their familial bonds with the companion EPs, Father & Son and Mother & Child, delivering a combo of heart-pounding originals (“Old & Proud,” “Can You Feel It”) along with classic covers (“Attics of My Life,” “Teach Your Children”). They have shared two concert albums: Live at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, highlighting an electrifying performance at the beloved San Francisco festival, and Live at the HopMonk (December 2, 2023) [Second Set].  The band’s first Nettwerk releases were Full Moonalice, Volumes 1 and 2, and the first acoustic album, Light Side of the Moonalice.  

If the past year proved anything, it is that Moonalice’s creative energy continues to build. Now, the band is excited to share their new EP, Cool Cats & Kittens, a collection of new compositions written by Moonalice with Nashville songwriter Dylan Altman along with a spellbinding rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Bird Song,” a harmony-filled take on “Honest Hour,” written by dear friend Reid Genauer of Assembly of Dust, and the light hearted “Doggy Waggin’ Its Tail.” Cool Cats & Kittens will be available everywhere on November 29th, 2024.

More About Moonalice:

With an unparalleled list of collaborations with some of the biggest names in music, the family tree of Moonalice has touched every corner of rock and roll history. Vocalist Lester Chambers co-founded the pioneering ‘60s psychedelic soul group The Chambers Brothers. Bassist Pete Sears was a founding member of Jefferson Starship and played with everyone from Rod Stewart to Jimi Hendrix. Moonalice band members have toured with Bruce Hornsby & the Range, John Fogerty, The Other Ones, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Weir & Wolf Brothers, Hot Tuna, Jackson Browne, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Blind Boys of Alabama, Jenny Lewis, and many others. Guitarist Roger McNamee was an advisor to the Grateful Dead and U2, and fights against entrenched power in the tech industry. Moonalice’s incredible chemistry shines through in their live performances and six releases over the past two years. Moonalice also features esteemed members Barry Sless (lead guitar and pedal steel), Jason Crosby (keyboards), Mookie Siegel (keyboards), Grammy winner John Molo (drums), along with the next generation of legends including Lester’s son Dylan Chambers, and Erika, Rachel, and Chloe Tietjen of acclaimed Americana band the T Sisters. Moonalice has a renegade spirit and an ethos of love, peace, and happiness that permeates everything they do.