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Lo Moon: Tiny Desk Concert

They drove into the NPR garage crammed into an extended cargo van, 9 feet tall, instruments and luggage packed all the way to the ceiling. They didn't use all of that gear, but even on this mainly acoustic, stripped-down set, Lo Moon radiated a signature sound — intimate and demonstrative, haunting yet uplifting, an old-fashioned rock beat under glimmering guitar and keys, overlaid with beautiful, textured vocals.

Lead singer and instrumentalist Matt Lowell says this journey began 5 1/2 years ago with "Loveless," the last song in this set. He created the demo version in a basement studio in New York, moved to Los Angeles and then linked up with Crisanta Baker (guitar, bass, keyboards and backing vocals) and multi-instrumentalist and principal guitarist Sam Stewart. They spent months in a backyard shed with gear and guitars everywhere. There they learned to feed off each other, sometimes jamming on two-chord drones for six hours straight without even saying a word. With the lights turned down, it was a comfortable space for the band to catch its artistic wind and create a celestial sound.

Here too at the Tiny Desk, Lo Moon is at ease, mesmerizing the audience with hooks loaded with what they call "bunches of atmospheres" and a gorgeous blend of soothing harmonies, pulsing rhythms and soaring melodies.

Set List

"This Is It"

"Real Love"

"Loveless"

Musicians

Matt Lowell, Samuel Stewart, Crisanta Baker, Sterling Laws

Credits

Producers: Suraya Mohamed, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Alyse Young, Bronson Arcuri; Production Assistant: Salvatore Maicki; Photo: Christina Ascani/NPR

For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Suraya Mohamed is a three-time Peabody Award-winning producer, sound designer and editor. She currently serves as the project manager for Jazz Night In America and is a contributing producer on the Alt.Latino podcast. She also produces NPR's holiday specials package, including Tinsel Tales, Hanukkah Lights, Toast Of The Nation, Pink Martini's Joy To The World: A Holiday Spectacular and most recently Hamilton: A Story Of US. You'll also find her work on the Tiny Desk series as either a producer or engineer.