A Dirty Dozen with ELIJAH SCARPATI from MOON KISSED – June 2024

Photo credit: Olivia Smith

According to a recent press release: “Today, the New York City based alternative trio Moon Kissed are thrilled to announce their third full length album, I’ll See You In New York, and share the LP’s lead single, “101,” a dreamy yet longing anthem. Check out the lyric video for the song here. The album is due September 20, 2024 via Final Girl Records. With Khaya Cohen on vocals, Elijah Scarpati on guitar and drums, and Em Sgouros on synth, Moon Kissed generates an infectious energy that, if you are lucky enough to encounter, feels like a secret ecosystem of its own that is powerful and precious. The trio writes about the complexity of becoming one’s own self, desire, the ache of longing, and the all encompassing nature of heartbreak.” We get guitarist / drummer Elijah to discuss new music, influences, and more.

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Something cool about this song is that the chords were taken from the first song I wrote when I moved to NYC. I was living at The Salvation Army and staying up till 5am writing songs most nights, and developed this very specific energy that I think really ended up coming through in “101.” It felt like I was about to have my heart broken.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I don’t know that I ever really considered doing anything else. I was into music since I was a little kid. I remember whenever a song would come on the radio in the car or in a store I’d ask my mom what it was about. I was just pretty much obsessed from a young age and never thought about doing anything else.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

There are tons. When I was 4 or 5 I was really into Bob Dylan, I wanted to be able to sing with his attitude. My first live concert was seeing The Avett Brothers, a folk band, and I watched what they were doing really closely and started teaching myself all of their songs on guitar, banjo, and piano. They’re probably one of my all time favorite bands.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

I think in this current moment I’d have to say Charli XCX. brat has changed my life more than any other singular album that I can remember. She’s completely iconic.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

Most of what I do is walk around the city and write stuff down. Sometimes journal, sometimes write songs. I like to read, I just finished Anne Carson’s Eros The Bittersweet. And I’m currently obsessed with the show Killing Eve.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I’d describe our music as exciting and nostalgic. One reviewer said we sounded very inspired by early 2000s music, and that the reviewer typically liked musical inspiration from the 90s and earlier. That made me cringe for them because early 2000s music rocks.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Em is a terrific chef, Khaya would get the drinks in, and I’d probably be starting the sing along.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Probably the most starstruck I’ve been is meeting Cecil McLorin Salvant after she performed. She played this tiny show in a show room at the Steinway shop in midtown that was one of the most captivating performances I’ve ever seen.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part by far is seeing the look on someone’s face when your music has really moved them. It’s the most special thing in the world I think, to be able to affect someone so deeply. If I wasn’t a musician I think I’d like to be a dancer.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

A question I’ve always wanted people to ask is what you want you audience to walk away feeling after your show. My answer would be a sense of levity, a feeling of internal clarity and freedom. To feel completely in their bodies and like themselves. A question I’m tired of answering is where our band name came from.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Nothing specifically I wish I could “do over” but I do wish I could tell my younger self that everything is going to be alright down the line, no matter how scary it feels in the moment.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

It would have to be brat by Charli XCX. There’s an energy in this album that I think is actually groundbreaking. I just think it is what it is and isn’t pretending to be anything else. It feels like it’s bringing us into a new era, like I’ve met a new friend group that I’m obsessed with.

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Category: Interviews