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FEATURE FRIDAY: TODAY THE MOON, TOMORROW THE SUN
TODAY THE MOON, TOMORROW THE SUN
Many of you have probably heard of Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun already (referred to as TTM, TTS from here on), as they have been gaining ground in their popularity here in Atlanta, and other places as well. They play an awesome take on electro rock that I think is quite unique and amazing in its own right. At times it is soft and poignant; at others it is exciting and inspirational. Either way, it oozes with talent from every direction; amazing instrumentals and matching vocals. I first heard of TTM, TTS just while working on beatlanta’s calendar when I noticed that they were playing a lot of shows around town; often with bands like This Piano Plays Itself or Tealights and bands of that nature. I have not had the pleasure of catching a live show but it is on my top list of shows to see, and from what I hear on the street, I will not be let down. Below you’ll find an interview (read it, find out what bands are up to…thinking) I did and some videos that were available on youtube. I recommend trying to see TTM, TTS in one of their upcoming shows (tour below – they have a few local dates). TTM, TTS is Lauren – guitars, keys, vocals; Cregg – guitars, vocals; Micah – bass, keys, vocals; Jeremy – drums, electronics. Check out TTM, TTS – Atlanta Electro rock superstars.
1. When did TTM, TTS form? How do you know each other?
TTM, TTS formed about 3 years ago, though we spent the first year writing & having fun in our basement before deciding to play out again, which is something we weren’t even sure we’d do. We all seemed to find each other through a string of outside relationships and random circumstances– Lauren and Jeremy went to high school together, Cregg was in a band with Jeremy (Linger), Cregg and Lauren started dating (& eventually married), Micah was at a Linger show in which Lauren was running tech, Micah was playing in a quasi-band with another girl and they approached Lauren to see if she was also a musician, Lauren and Micah started playing together in Avenge Vegas, then Linger & Avenge Vegas ran their courses & one thing turned to the next, and by 2006, the four of us formed a band of our own. Is that TMI?…
2. Whats the name of the new album? Who produced it? Any previous albums?
MS: The new album is called “Heavyweight Champions”, & was produced, recorded, & engineered by us 🙂 We built our own studio halfway through our first EP, & Cregg has really become an amazing engineer. He is at the helm, & it’s awesome to watch him zipping around in the programs & finding the sweet spots with the mics, amps, preamps etc. It’s been challenging, but with each EP, we’ve learned so much & continue to produce stronger-sounding albums, so hopefully we can continue to grow this side of us. This is our 3rd EP, following in the footsteps of Hurry Up and Wait, and The Lightning Exhibit.
3. What does the term “Indie” mean to TTMTTS?
MS: I think to us, it still means “independent”, however, with that being such a wonderfully vague term, the label “indie” sometimes invokes thoughts of music or efforts that are a little left of mainstream…whether that means grassroots marketing, music that’s experimental or lo-fi or full of other qualities that consumers are not used to seeing or hearing in the popular media… but yeah, we mostly still consider “indie” to mean independent, as in not created or produced from a large corporation or a formula.
4. Is the CD release show the start of your tour? I thought I recall that you have been on the road for a while, is that correct? How many shows total do you have on the tour?
MS: The CD release party is kind of like a formal kick off to our perma-tour. Our goal is to continue to play 15-20 dates each month & keep it going as long as we possibly can!
4. You guys have been playing a ton of shows around Atlanta…and I hear your name pop up a lot in my conversations with local bands…what do you contribute to your current success? Are you happy with the pace that TTMTTS’ is moving forward? Any lessons learned that you can share with other bands starting out?
MS: We’re really happy right now with everything! We get to be full-time musicians & spend a lot of time together…there’s nowhere else we’d rather be. It’s scary at times & it’s an unbelievable amount of work, but it feels amazing to be working toward a common goal w/your best friends. We’re moving forward w/plans & goals galore, but no expectations…we book one day at a time & enjoy every moment of every town we get to visit. Our “current success” is probably very subjective. We might consider ourselves successful b/c we are a functioning group of musicians who get along on most levels & get opportunities to play with the likes of so many outstanding bands also in the scene. It’s also a great feeling to play another show & see the same faces, plus new faces those old ones brought out. I’m sure for every one person who considers us successful right now, there are two others who think we’re crazy.
Lessons learned include– don’t try to drive through the Holland Tunnel with a trailer!….learn to love the dollar menus at fast food joints…make the music you want to make & don’t be discouraged by negative or mean-spirited people…handle the business professionally…oh, & don’t pour bleach on your trailer hitch, even if some drunk a-hole just pissed all over it.
5. How do you find the Atlanta scene? Do you like it? Do you find Atlanta is a good city for young and talented musicians to gain traction?
lg: We love the atlanta scene. We’ve made incredible friends through it, who totally inspire us. Plus, there’s a lot of general love for music here. We’ve found other great cities through touring, but have really come to appreciate the scene we have here. Bands from other towns have told us (and we’ve seen) they have a very different experience in their hometowns. So yes, we think this is a great place to for a band to call home, but you’ve got to play more than just Atlanta to gain real traction.
6. Having just come out with an album, what are your thoughts on file sharing, burning?
lg: We’d love it if everyone bought our albums…it puts food in our stomachs and gas in our van…that said, we honestly just want people that want the music to have the music. So if they pay for it, good for us. If they don’t, it’s still good for us and lucky for them, right? It’s like this, if you come to a show, love what you see, buy an album, by all means give it to everyone you know. Those folks may very well be at our next show…(we’ve actually had people come up to us after a show & give us 6 bucks and say, “my friend burnt me a copy…i love it and wanna pay for it”. cool, huh?)
7. Where do you shop for clothes in Atlanta?
lg: We’re all pretty frugal. here’s a good combination of all us– thrift stores, ross (& the likes of), forever 21, target, the super sale zones @ u.o./anthropologie/etc, pac-sun (jeremy used to be a manager for one of their stores), really anywhere….
8. Name a few of your favorite places to hang in Atlanta. What are your favorite venues to play, intown or out?
lg: We love the Earl: great music (live & in the jukebox), sound, people, and food (yum…sweet potato fries & fried okra). The star bar is always fun (free Thursdays are the best). The Drunken Unicorn is a great place to play and see shows and it’s right across the parking lot from the bookhouse pub which is a really cool place to hang with friends. If we had the time & money, we’d all probably just hang at the zoo and 6 flags, tho. outta town: we love busters billiards & backroom in Lexington, KY, the boot & hell’s kitchen in Norfolk, VA, the Soapbox in Wilmington, Snug Harbor in Charlotte, and Tin Roof in Charleston, just to name a few.
9. Has Lauren or anyone else ever taken vocal lessons?
lg: nope.
10. Are there any shared influences/inspiration that TTMTTS can draw on when creating sounds?
lg: Our tastes vary slightly, but for the most part we can spend days in the van and everyone’s into what we’re listening to even though the music’s all over the place. Having that part of our brains in sync, i’m sure, helps get the music we all wanna make come alive. It’s also nice when you have an idea for a song and you can’t quite articulate what you want and you can be like, “i know it feels slow, but think Portishead or Low” and everyone knows what you’re talking about.
11. What local area acts would you recommend to your fans and fans of local music?
this piano plays itself, tealights, club awesome, royal thunder, a fight to the death, jungol, it’s elephants, jeffery butzer, thy mighty contract, sealions, lions & scissors…and the list goes on…so much goodness in the atl!!!!
You can see more videos of TTM, TTS here.
Atlanta and local dates:
Oct 29 2009 8:00P
88.5 WRAS Atlanta Atlanta
Nov 19 2009 7:45P
The Sentient Bean Savannah, Georgia
Nov 25 2009 8:00P
The Earl Atlanta, Georgia
Dec 11 2009 8:00P
Star Bar (w/ Hammer No More the Fingers & Gift Horse) Atlanta, Georgia
Dec 12 2009 8:00P
Caledonia (w/ Hammer No More the Fingers & Gift Horse) Athens, Georgia
About TTM, TTS – Bio From Myspace
Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun is about the collaborative. It’s about the connections between sound and people. It’s about the heart and the head. It’s for mistakes and triumphs, and against arrogance and underconfidence. Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun is about sharing the ideas that are created by four friends in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s all for sharing much further than there, penniless or plentiful.
Stay tuned for album reviews from TTM, TTS coming up on beatlanta. Their new album drops soon; I’ll be buying those and their past albums to review. Be looking out for that.
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