Happy Accidents Can Make An Album

Winter Moon's Jake Winter says that while they're now established as an alt-blues sextet, the band have evolved well above their humble beginnings. "[We] began as an acoustic duo, busking our way up and down the east coast... Arriving in Melbourne we got stuck into some open mics and the gigs soon followed." Now with their second EP, Hearts And Hands, the group turned inward for inspiration. "We bounce off each other really well musically, and all have great ideas to contribute," says Winter. "There is definitely running themes of love, lust, sex, freedom and openness, inspired by a summer spent on the road, festival life and living in the sun, pursuing our dreams."

Working with Michael Badger of The Demon Parade to mix the new songs, Winter Moon decided to keep it as raw as possible this time around. "We road tested almost all of them, which definitely had an effect on structures, tempo and vibe." Winter continues, "Most of the tracks on the album were partly or entirely recorded live, to capture the feel and the way we play together. In the guitar solo for one track, I broke a string but played through anyway. That was the take we used."

Excited to take the new EP on the road, Winter still promises it won't just be what you hear on the record. "We're big fans of solos, so where there's a solo in the recorded version, you can almost guarantee it'll double in length live. We like to push ourselves and our audience, and keep things fresh, so sometimes we'll throw something at each other live just to see what happens!"