As the summer heats up so does The Zone @ 91-3’s Band of The Month, returning with their penultimate band of 2022, Liam Mackenzie & The Moondogs.
Fresh off appearances at Fernfest and Laketown Rock, Liam Mackenzie & The Moondogs are set to take over the airwaves with their rocking sounds inspired by the American south, country, and classic rock.
The Moondogs are comprised of past and current members of respective bands Jets Overhead, Leeroy Stagger, and the Jesse Roper Band. Featuring Liam Mackenzie on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Luke Renshaw on bass, Andrew Laing on lead guitar and Jamie Troy on Drums.
After a slightly revised photo shoot with Rocktographers filled with movie quotes and laughs the band chatted with Tyson Elder.
Tyson Elder: Liam McKenzie & The Moondogs, congratulations on being August’s Band of the Month on The Zone.
Liam Mackenzie: Thank you. Hell yeah.
TE: Tell me a little bit about the band. How’d you guys form and get together?
Liam: I’ve been writing songs for a long time and when I moved back out west I’d been trying to get Luke, he was playing drums for a long time. I always tried to get him and Andrew in the band. We formed about three years ago and Luke was playing drums and We had another guy on bass. Luke wanted to make the transition to bass. So we did that. We got JT, Lainger was my first roommate when I was 17. I always really looked up to him and admired his guitar playing so he was a natural selection… is it natural selection, isn’t that when you are going to die?
Luke Renshaw: Yeah. It kind of sounds like that.
Liam: It was a natural fit. Like the guy who’s gonna play leads. Yeah, and throughout COVID we just kind of kept rehearsing, writing, recording, and here we are.
TE: Yeah, you guys put out a record during COVID. Well, a four song EP. How was releasing music during COVID for you guys? I’m sure you’ve all released music with other projects before, how was it releasing it during COVID?
Liam: I’ve always found that releasing music is just kind of awkward anyways for me, just personally. We don’t have a label or anything so it’s all DIY. It’s a little almost bittersweet and anti-climactic cause you wanna… [Fire truck flies by with sirens]
Jaime Troy: Someone’s gotta save this interview. Am I right? [Everyone Laughs]
TE: So, it was anti-climactic
Liam: A little anti-climactic because you’ve got this record out that you’re really proud of and you worked so hard on and then it’s just like… when are we gonna see you play? It’s kinda like, I don’t know. We managed to do a show. A friend of mine on Pender Island and I put together a festival and we got to play a festival last year. It was a small thing on his farm and an airplane hanger, but we got in right before they put the new mandates down or lockdowns or whatever they are. We got to have a little bit of a shindig. It kind of wasn’t exactly a release party but it was enough of a release.
TE: It was something – you got to show it to the world.
Liam: Yeah!
TE: Now, speaking of releasing music, you guys have got some new music coming out and one of those singles is The Mountain. It’s going be your Band of the Month single. Tell me a little bit about that song. It’s a catchy, summery rock song and got some country vibes.
Liam: I have a friend that I stay with in Sidney. Who’s been awesome. He’s been a fucking lifesaver ’cause I have to commute back and forth from Pender Island. So, I stay with him a lot to get the early boat back. One weekend I stay with him and we kind of woke up on a Saturday morning and kind of just threw the guitar back and forth, had a couple shots of tequila. It’s a really simple song. It wasn’t like I thought too hard on it and that’s kind of the way that most of the songs work out. I think I just kind of have these ideas and then bring it to the band. They do their own thing, put their flavours on it, and then it is what it is.
Liam: The Mountain isn’t really about anything particular in general. It was written pretty – I don’t wanna say flippantly, but just came really naturally. We ran through it three times and knew this is the fucking song we’re gonna record and along with the other ones . . . can I say fuck?
TE: Yeah, of course. [band laughs] This isn’t going on the fucking radio. [laughs]
Liam: Okay, perfect.
TE: It’s going on the fucking internet.
Liam: Alright! [laughs]
TE: It’s great to hear, that you guys have worked and made some new music. What have you guys got going on for the rest of the summer? When this comes out, you’ll have just played Laketown Rock. Do you have anything else coming out?
Liam: Yeah, we’ve got that festival that I mentioned that we were able to do last year that my friend and I on Pender Island put on. It’s called Shithooks and Shenanigans. It’s in an old airplane hanger. Come it’s cheap and free camping. We’ve got that and then we’re on Rifflandia. Then we’re probably just back to the studio for a couple more songs to record. Nothing really set in the stone for touring or shows.
TE: Nice. Where are you gonna be playing at Rifflandia? Do you know?
Luke: Yeah, The Powerhouse.
TE: Oh, sweet. The pinball one.
Luke: Yeah, With DJ diesel. That’s Shaquille O’Neal
TE: You’re playing with Shaq?
Luke: Shaq is his basketball name. He is DJ diesel. [Laughs]
TE: I’ve heard he is planning on staying the whole weekend and just hanging out. So like, there’s gonna be a million pictures of Shaq this weekend.
Luke: Oh yeah, he seems like a pretty chill dude.
TE: I’m like super excited to see him. I’m gonna try to get him to sign a box of cereal I have with him on it. [band laughs] Ask him about Kazaam or whatever the genie movie was.
Andrew Laing: I remember seeing that movie in theatres with my mom when I was like eight years old. What a trip.
TE: Thanks for chatting guys. This has been fantastic.
Liam: Thanks for having us. Thanks for your time. Cheers.
Liam Mackenzie & The Moondogs’ new single, The Mountain, will be featured on The Zone @ 91-3 all month. Find out more about the band and listen to more of their music on their Band of the Month microsite.
Rocktographers is a proud supporting sponsor of The Zone’s Band of the Month program.