Bay Area Psychedelic Soul Collective Moonalice Share A Powerful Version of the Grateful Dead Classic “Bird Song”

Today, Bay Area collective Moonalice releases a powerful version of the Grateful Dead classic “Bird Song,” from their forthcoming EP, Cool Cats. Originally written by the legendary songwriting team of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter as a tribute to the great Janis Joplin, the song has become a Moonalice live staple as audiences listen and dance to the T-Sisters’ transfixing harmonies and the nuanced interplay between lead guitarist Barry Sless, keyboardist Jason Crosby, and bassist Pete Sears.

The T-Sisters’ Erika Tietjen reflects on the Grateful Dead and how their mesmerizing rendition came to be: “We T’s didn’t grow up listening to the Grateful Dead but rather discovered our affinity for the music in recent years. We were aesthetically drawn to the poetic lyrics of Robert Hunter and the interesting (though sometimes hard to discern) harmonies. It was a wonderful challenge to pick them out and we may have used some artistic license in our vocal arrangement of Bird Song. The song is a beautiful tribute and we try to do it justice with every performance.”

The accompanying single artwork for “Bird Song” sees Moonalice make their own playful homage to the song’s origins, with statues of Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia flanking a radiant, winged Janis Joplin. The song follows the Roger McNamee composition “Walk With Me,” the anthemic “MYOB,” and the joyful “Happy Here Now,” which will appear on Moonalice’s new Cool Cats EP, due out on November 29th. 

Listen & Share Moonalice’s “Bird Song” Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpWSYZzohOo

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, 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, the light-hearted “Doggy Waggin’ Its Tail,” and the joyful “Happy Here Now,” celebrating the life and legacy of legendary band member Lester Chambers. 

Cool Cats will be available everywhere on November 29th, 2024.

MOONALICE – 2024 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

Date            City/State/Province Venue

9/22 Sonoma, CA Sebastiani Theatre*

10/5 San Francisco, CA Hardly Strictly Bluegrass – Tower of Gold Stage

10/19 Sebastopol, CA HopMonk Sebastapol Garden

*Lester Chambers & The Mud Stumpers

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.