Moon Fever: On The Sunset Strip and Beyond

Photo Credit: Jeff Forney

Moon Fever: On The Sunset Strip and Beyond

Moon Fever is a rock and roll collective from Los Angeles ready to take over the notorious Sunset Strip and beyond.  The band features charismatic lead vocalist Cody Jasper as well as members of established acts such as Budderside and Santa Cruz.  Moon Fever recently issued an explosive new single entitled Casanova, and are gearing up to unleash an onslaught of new songs within the next few months.  Highwire Daze recently caught up with Cody Jasper to find out more about this exciting new group ready to launch their kickass new music and live shows into the stratosphere!

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Moon Fever, and how long the band has been together.
I’m Cody Jasper, the lead singer. I joined the band in October 2019.

What are your impressions of the local Los Angeles/Hollywood music scene and how does Moon Fever fit into the scheme of things?
I love Los Angeles! To be honest, we try not to worry too much about fitting into any scene, we just do our thing.

What inspired the lyrics for the new single “Casanova”? And what was the inspiration for the lyrics of your debut single “Fever”?
“Casanova” was inspired by a girl who would do things to get my attention and make me jealous, because she in return thought I was a “Casanova” when in all actuality I was not a player/womanizer. I was looking for love. But the façade of being in a rock band and dressing like every day is Halloween made for complications in the relationship… Like I was always looking for something else, when I wasn’t.

“Fever” is about our mind-set, it’s kind of our mission statement. We literally say, ‘We sold our souls to rock ’n’ roll’ in the song – that’s a pretty damn good representation of what you’re going to get from this band!

Who produced the two singles and what was it like working with them?
Jim Kaufman is our producer, and I love working with Jim. He has become a super close friend from recording with us. He truly is a lifer when it comes to music and believes in the real thing. He believes in the supernatural/mystical power of music, like we all do in this band.

How close are you to releasing an EP or full length album?
We have 20 songs recorded – we’re releasing singles for now. It’s just a matter of waiting for the right time to drop them in a bundle, be it EPs or an album. We will when the timing is right.

What has it been like to release a new single and try to promote it right in the middle of a pandemic?
Hahaha – Oh man…. it’s been difficult. The only thing I want to do is go out and perform these songs for people! We’re just doing what we can to get the word out and keep things moving forward until the world gets sorted out and we can tour. This band was meant to be seen live, and we can’t wait to play in front of people again.

What could one expect from a live Moon Fever show?
It’s a pure bred, balls-to-the-wall Rock n’ Roll show! Old school vibe with a modern twist.

If Moon Fever could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Too many to answer that, honestly. But I think we would fit pretty well with Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age.

I think you have played Ultimate Jam Night in Hollywood the past. What was the experience like?
It was my first time to be on the Whisky stage – so for me it was a bucket list experience I’ll never forget. Such great history and so many incredible bands have played there.

Your bassist Gabe Maska used to be in local band called Royal Distortion that played at the Whisky on a weekly basis. How did Gabe become involved with Moon Fever?
Gabe got involved in the band through a few mutual friends on the Sunset Strip, I met him outside The Rainbow – under the usual circumstances after a show.

Are you or any other member involved with any other band outside of Moon Fever?
Joe and Gabe have a few other projects; Joe (American Mile, Santa Cruz, The National Anthem) and Gabe (Motive Black, Budderside).

If the music of Moon Fever was a donut, what kind would it be and why?
Glaze donut. Originally amazing on its own…. It doesn’t need any sprinkles or other flavors. A Moon Fever donut is the OG, bad-ass donut!

What’s up next for Moon Fever?
World domination. 😉

Any final words of wisdom?
Peace, love and big mother-fucking sunglasses!

Band Members:
Cody Jasper, Vocalist
Mitch Micoley, Guitarist
Gabe Maska, Bassist
Joe Perez, Guitarist
Greg Garcia, Drummer

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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