Psychedelic Soul Collective Moonalice Shares A Stripped-Down Version Of Grateful Dead’s “Attics of My Life”
November 3, 2023 BY Emma Orland
Today, Bay Area collective Moonalice announces the companion piece to their new Father & Son EP titled Mother & Child. Mirroring the electric songs on Father & Son, this second release is comprised of reimagined acoustic versions. “Can You Feel It” (Acoustic) is out today and makes for a rousing rootsy alternative to the electric version which was released last month. Listen on all digital platforms (here).
Guitarist Roger McNamee explains the meaning behind the original track, “Each of us has important people in our lives. People we like a lot. People we love. We want those people to know how we feel, but sometimes it is hard to find the words for what we feel. If this sounds familiar, share this song with them. They will get it right away.”
Familial themes that bridge generations run through both releases as the band highlights the unbreakable bonds between them in songs like “Old & Proud,” “Can You Feel It,” and “Attics of My Life.” With the help of Nashville songwriter Dylan Altman (Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins), Moonalice delivers stirring new original songs written during the most collaborative period for the band to date.
Father & Son is due out on December 8th via Nettwerk, and Mother & Daughter is set to follow on December 29th.
LISTEN & SHARE “CAN YOU FEEL IT” (ACOUSTIC) HERE:
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.
In the Fall of 2022, Moonalice began working on their latest project, adding another member to the family, Nashville songwriter and producer Dylan Altman. “Everybody in the band is super talented, creative, and easy to work with,” he reflects. “Each song was a true collaborative effort where the only thing that mattered was creating something good. I really appreciated that and look forward to making more music with Moonalice in the future.” Bringing new energy to the group, Altman helps tell the story of the Chambers Brothers’ founder and musical legend, Lester Chambers. “Old & Proud” is a tribute to the spirit of the older generation through Chambers’ experience finding a life in rock & roll, going from the Jim Crow South of the 1940s to the top of the Billboard charts during the psychedelic 1960s.
Moonalice’s new release not only chronicles the benefits of experience that come with age but highlights the voices of the future. “Born to Be Ready” and “Can You Feel It?” see Lester’s son Dylan follow in his father’s footsteps. Born into a life of rock & roll, Dylan embraces the role he has been filling since he first appeared on stage with his dad and The Chambers Brothers in 1989 during a performance of “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.”
Dylan recalls: “When I was three or four years old, I started jumping on stage with [Lester]. When I saw the lights come on and the sea of people, I knew it was something I definitely wanted to do.”
Lester adds: “If you could’ve seen his expression. It said, ‘Wow, this is something I want to do forever.’ There are no words to express it. It brought tears to my eyes.”
Another part of Moonalice’s new generation is the T-Sisters. Since joining the band, Rachel, Chloe, and Erika have infused the group with inimitable, angelic harmonies. They’ve become fan favorites for their unique renditions of Grateful Dead songs like “Uncle John’s Band,” “Brokedown Palace,” and “Attics of My Life,” the Robert Hunter-penned tune that reflects on adulthood and the ritual of succeeding generations. The T’s find a way to balance their lives as musicians and activists with the lifelong job of motherhood. It’s not easy, but they do it with style and grace.
If anything, the new music sees the family tree of Moonalice extend its branches even further, ushering in an exciting new era. Their ongoing message of love, peace, and happiness extends from the past to the present and into the future.
MOONALICE – 2023 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
Date City/State/Province Venue
11/10 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Bandshell
11/30 Menlo Park, CA The Guild Theatre
12/1 Auburn, CA Odd Fellows Lodge
12/2 Sebastopol, CA Hop Monk Tavern
ABOUT MOONALICE
Moonalice is an exuberant Bay Area ten-piece known for delivering a unique brand of psychedelic soul and rock-tinged Americana. 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, 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 the recent release of the Chambers Brothers classic, “Time Has Come Today.” 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.
