Half Moon Run Explained

Half Moon Run
Origin:Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genre:Indie rock, indie folk, indie pop[1]
Years Active:2009–present
Label:BMG, Indica Records (Canada), Glassnote Records (USA), Communion (UK),
Indica Australia (AU and NZ)
Current Members:
  • Devon Portielje
  • Dylan Phillips
  • Conner Molander
Past Members:
  • Isaac Symonds

Half Moon Run is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. The group is known for their heavy use of layered percussion, group vocal harmonies, and for playing multiple instruments during live performances.

Career

2009–2013: Formation and Dark Eyes

Half Moon Run was formed in 2009 in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood by Conner Molander and Dylan Phillips, who had both moved to Montreal from Comox, British Columbia. They posted an ad on Craigslist that said they were looking for a bassist and/or a drummer. The ad caught the attention of Devon Portielje, originally from Ottawa. Despite not being a bassist or a drummer, he got in touch with Molander and Phillips who agreed to let him join.[2] [3]

Their debut album, Dark Eyes, was released on 27 March 2012, with "Full Circle" being released on 19 March as the lead single. The entire album was co-produced with Daniel Lagacé and Nygel Asselin.[4] [5] They toured Europe, Australia and North America.[6] Critical acclaim has included praise for their three-part harmonies.[7]

Shortly after the release of Dark Eyes, Isaac Symonds, originally from Comox, joined the lineup.[2]

Throughout 2012 and 2013, the band played at numerous music festivals including South by Southwest, Osheaga, Canadian Music Week, Glastonbury, WayHome Music & Arts Festival, and opened for artists such as Of Monsters and Men, Metric, Patrick Watson, City and Colour, and Mumford & Sons.[8]

In August 2013, "Full Circle" was featured in a trailer for Ubisoft's . The song "Unofferable" also appears on an episode of the CBS's show Elementary as a backtracking to a scene.

2014–2019: Sun Leads Me On and A Blemish in the Great Light

In July 2014, they announced that work on their second album had begun.[9] They announced that it would be released in fall 2015.[10] That same year, they were the recipients of the International Achievement Award at the annual Francophone SOCAN Awards in Montreal.[11]

On 24 July 2015, the band announced a European tour that included shows in the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.[12]

On 7 August 2015, the band announced, via their Twitter page, the release of their second studio album, Sun Leads Me On, on 23 October 2015. They simultaneously released a teaser track, "Trust", which was available as a free download with pre-orders of their album. Pre-orders via their website offered the album signed by all band members. A deluxe version was also released.

On 1 November 2019, Half Moon Run released their third full-length album A Blemish in the Great Light. The album won Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020.[13]

2020–2022: Symonds's Departure, The Covideo Sessions and subsequent releases

On 25 May 2020, the band announced that Isaac Symonds would be leaving the group.[14]

Throughout May and June 2020 while the band members had been self-isolating due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they recorded and released videos of themselves performing together via video conference. Symonds remained with the group throughout this time. That same year, they also released seven new singles, six of which were then released together as an EP entitled Seasons of Change on 17 July.[15] [16] [17] They followed up in September with The Covideo Sessions, an album featuring the recordings of their May–June video performances.

On 21 August 2020, Dylan Phillips released his debut solo EP entitled Undercurrents.[18]

On 18 March 2021, the band released a single, "How Come My Body", to promote their Inwards & Onwards EP which was released on 18 June 2021.

On 26 December 2021, Half Moon Run released Seasons of Change and Inwards & Onwards together on a compilation album.

On 10 March 2022, the band released "Fatal Line", a song they contributed to The 1969 Record. The album also featured songs from Louis-Jean Cormier, Elisapie, Les Soeurs Boulay, Jason Bajada, and Matt Holubowski.

2023–present: Salt

On 3 March 2023, the band released a single, "You Can Let Go". On the same day, the band announced that they signed to BMG, as well as a tour for Europe and North America.[19]

On 20 April 2023, the band released a single, "Alco", to promote their album Salt.[20] On 18 May 2023, the band released another single, "Everyone's Moving Out East".[21]

On 2 June 2023, the band released their fourth studio album, Salt.[22]

Members

Current

Former

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsSalesCertifications
CAN
[23]
AUS
[24]
BEL (Fl)
[25]
BEL (Wa)
[26]
FRA
[27]
NL
[28]
UK
[29]
US
Folk

[30]
US
Heat
[31]
Dark Eyes 8 119 186 138 48 56 12
  • MC: Platinum
Sun Leads Me On
  • Released: 23 October 2015
  • Label: Indica
  • Format: Digital download, CD, 12" vinyl
4 39 152 81 110 49 46 16 9
  • MC: Gold
A Blemish in the Great Light
  • Released: 1 November 2019
  • Label: Crystal Math Music
  • Format: Digital download, CD, 12" vinyl
3
Salt
  • Released: 2 June 2023
  • Label: BMG
  • Format: Digital download, CD, 12" vinyl
48
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilations

EPs

TitleDetails
Seasons of Change
  • Released: 17 July 2020
  • Label: Crystal Math / Glassnote
  • Format: Digital download, 10" vinyl
Inwards & Onwards
  • Released: 18 June 2021
  • Label: Crystal Math / Glassnote
  • Format: Digital download, 10" vinyl

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsAlbum
CAN
Alt

[33]
CAN
Rock

[34]
BEL (Fl)
NL
SCO
[35]
UK
2012"Full Circle"29 27 67 63 60Dark Eyes
2013"Call Me in the Afternoon"19 39 69 166
2014"She Wants to Know"22 37
2015"Trust"Sun Leads Me On
"Turn Your Love"11 13
2016"Consider Yourself"43
2019"Then Again"21 A Blemish in the Great Light
"Flesh and Blood"
"Favourite Boy"[36] 36
2020"Grow into Love"Seasons of Change EP
"All at Once"
"Jello on My Mind (More Sugar Mix)"Non-album single
"You Won't" / "Look Me in the Eyes (Skitstövel)"Seasons of Change EP
"Monster"
"Seasons of Change"
2021"How Come My Body"Inwards & Onwards
2022"Fatal Line"The 1969 Record
2023"You Can Let Go"Salt
"Alco"
"Everyone's Moving Out East"
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released.

Music Videos

YearTitleDirector
2012"Full Circle"Pierre-Luc Racine
"Call Me in the Afternoon"Człowiek Kamera
2014"Judgement"Matt Joycey
"No More Losing the War"Człowiek Kamera
2015"Turn Your Love"
"I Can't Figure Out What's Going On"Heston L'Abbé
2016"Consider Yourself"Devon Portielje and Conner Molander
2017"Hands in the Garden"Agathe Bray-Bourret
2019"Then Again"Sacha Roy
"Flesh and Blood"
"Favourite Boy"Philippe Grenier
2020"Look Me in the Eyes (Skitstövel)"
"Monster"
2021"How Come My Body"
"On & On"Alex Tomlinson
"It's True"Michał Biegański
"Fxgiving"
2023"You Can Let Go"Alex Tomlinson
"Alco"Marc-André Dupaul
"Everyone's Moving Out East"Maïlis

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Saxberg. Lynn. Half Moon Run on the Rise. 8 July 2017. Ottawa Citizen. Postmedia Network Inc.. 7 March 2013.
  2. Web site: Half Moon Run: Bio.
  3. News: Saxberg . Lynn . Half Moon Run on the rise . 8 March 2022 . 7 March 2013.
  4. Web site: Disques Indica – indica.mu . Halfmoonrun.indica.mu . 2021-11-20 . 2022-02-14.
  5. Web site: Half Moon Run – Dark Eyes . Discogs . 23 January 2020.
  6. (14 June 2012). "Half Moon Run are indie's rising stars", Daily Mercury, p. 28.
  7. Sadleir, Rose (17 January 2013). "Trio bask in moonlight", Gold Coast Bulletin, p. 5.
  8. Lepage, Mark (7 December 2012). "Montreal trio Half Moon Run: Lunar rovers in the fast lane ", The Gazette. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  9. Web site: Half Moon Run facebook. Facebook. 8 September 2014 .
  10. Web site: Half Moon Run . Half Moon Run . 2022-02-14.
  11. Web site: 2014 Socan Awards | Socan . 26 August 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170628132104/http://www.socan.ca/about/awards/2014-socan-awards . 28 June 2017 . dead .
  12. Web site: Tour Dates.
  13. Stephen Cooke, "Virtual 2020 Juno Awards includes breakthrough win for Neon Dreams". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, 29 June 2020.
  14. Web site: Half Moon Run Part Ways with Isaac Symonds. 25 May 2020 .
  15. Web site: Half Moon Run Deliver New Song "All at Once". 6 July 2020.
  16. Web site: Half Moon Run Deliver a Pair of Isolation-Recorded Singles . 6 July 2020.
  17. Web site: Half Moon Run Share 'Seasons of Change' EP . Gregory . Allie . 17 July 2020 . Exclaim! . 9 August 2020 .
  18. Web site: Half Moon Run's Dylan Phillips Announces Debut Solo EP 'Undercurrents' . Gregory . Allie . 29 July 2020 . Exclaim! . 9 August 2020 .
  19. Web site: Major . Michael . Half Moon Run Return With New Song 'You Can Let Go' . 2023-03-10 . BroadwayWorld.com . en.
  20. Web site: Hudson . Alex . 20 April 2023 . Half Moon Run Announce New Album 'Salt,' Share Single "Alco" . Exclaim!.
  21. Web site: Vigil . Dom . 18 May 2023 . Half Moon Run Release New Single, "Everyone's Moving Out East" . 19 May 2023 . Prelude Press.
  22. Web site: MacIntyre . Dave . 1 June 2023 . Why Montreal's Half Moon Run are the salt of the earth .
  23. Half Moon Run Chart History: Canadian Albums. https://web.archive.org/web/20191111151513/https://www.billboard.com/music/half-moon-run/chart-history/canadian-albums . dead . 11 November 2019 . Billboard. 12 November 2019.
  24. Web site: Discografie Half Moon Run. australian-charts.com . Hung Medien.
  25. Web site: Discografie Half Moon Run. Belgium (Flanders) Charts Portal.
  26. Web site: Discographie Half Moon Run. Belgium (Wallonia) Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
  27. Web site: Discographie Half Moon Run. French Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
  28. Web site: Discografie Half Moon Run. Dutch Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
  29. Peaks in the UK:
    • For all except noted: Web site: Half Moon Run. Official Charts.
    • "Call Me in the Afternoon": Web site: Chartlog UK: 2013 . 14 October 2020 . The Zobbel Website.
  30. Half Moon Run Chart History: Folk Albums. https://web.archive.org/web/20191111151909/https://www.billboard.com/music/half-moon-run/chart-history/americana-folk-albums . dead . 11 November 2019 . Billboard. 12 November 2019.
  31. Half Moon Run Chart History: Heatseekers Albums. Billboard. 12 November 2019.
  32. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20150917090733/http://hitsdailydouble.com/new_album_releases . 17 September 2015 . Upcoming Releases . Hits Daily Double.
  33. Peak positions for the Alternative Rock songs in Canada:
  34. [{{BillboardURLbyName | artist=half moon run | chart=Canada Rock}} Half Moon Run – Chart History: Canada Rock ]. Billboard . 18 September 2019.
  35. Scottish Singles Chart positions for Half Moon Run:
  36. Web site: Half Moon Run Share Steamy New Video for "Favourite Boy". Exclaim. 4 March 2020.