If you’re looking for mind-altering mood music, Damian Lazarus is your man, and if you want to take that experience one deeper, get cozy with the psychedelic sounds of his full band The Ancient Moons. Catching this band live is a multi-sensory experience. It’s the kind of desert disco you feel in your whole soul.
It’s been two years since the band released its debut album Message From The Other Side, but today, Lazarus and the band invite you to “Fly Away.” The dreamy groove is classic and easy. It flows so sweet, you’re almost shocked when it ends. It serves as the lead single for The Ancient Moons’ forthcoming sophomore LP, Heart of Sky. The album was recorded in a custom-built studio overlooking the Mugello mountains in Tuscany, Italy, and draws heavily on ’80’s funk and soul, though he promises the world influence is “still there.”
“I’ve been digging in crates, searching for interesting, weird music in Middle Eastern record fairs,” Lazarus is quoted in a press release. “These inspirations appear throughout the new record, but after touring I knew I wanted to write the next record with the band, utilising the power of a soulful vocalist at the front. My background is very much in soul music. I started buying records when I was 12, listening to pirate radio stations in London, going to soul all-dayers, jazz-funk, rare groove, I spent every penny on records with strong vocals and hooky choruses. On the new album, I thought maybe there was a way to connect that heart and soul to a positive, trippy, psychedelic sound.”
Heart of Sky sees full release July 20 on Crosstown Rebels. Listen to Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons’ “Fly Away” and check out a behind-the-scenes tour video from the band below.