One of New Paltz’s most notable bands has been riding success this October, with a new single released and a show played in their alma mater.
Moonunitt has been together for nearly six years, with gentle beginnings during their time in New Paltz. Members Charlie Peterson (guitar/vocals), Michael Carvajal (bass/vocals), Evan Sligman (drums/vocals) and Bianca Checa (keys/vocals), each have a diverse musical background that contributes to their unique sound.
Peterson, Carvajal and Sligman began rehearsing together before crossing paths with Checa, fulfilling the final piece to the Moonunitt puzzle. Coming together to craft a distinct sound is one of the many reasons for their success.
The four made a name for themselves in their local college town, allowing them to ring in success upon the release of their studio albums, “Like a Dream,” released in 2020, and “What Happens Next?” released in 2021.
“The last album that we did, we recorded it in our basement. It took a really long time, because we were doing it inconsistently,” Sligman shared. “But recently, the last few singles that we put out, we went up to a studio called Dreamland in Woodstock and that was really fun because it’s this big old church and all these cool people have recorded there like Beach House.”
Aside from upgrading their recording process, the band has shown immense growth with the venues they’ve been booked to play. In the early years of their career, the band was primarily seen performing at local venues in New Paltz, bouncing between house show basements and the stage at Snug Harbor and Grill. Lately, they’ve been making their way into the New York City music scene, frequently booking shows at Our Wicked Lady in Brooklyn.
“We did move to the city in August, because we felt like we had been in New Paltz for six years … we kind of felt like we wanted to jump into something new to keep it fresh,” Checa reflected. “The city just seemed like the most viable option.”
Taking a pause from their new city lifestyle, the band paid homage to their college years with a show at Snugs this past weekend. Drawing in a vibrant crowd, the band played as if no time had passed. They shared that they’ll always have a soft spot in their hearts for the dingy dive bar.
In the coming months, Moonunitt is expecting to play some more stellar shows, while finding downtime to record.
“We have one more of those singles that we haven’t released yet from the Dreamland recording session,” Peterson reflected. “We do want to record again, we’re just trying to figure out where and when and who, but we have some ideas and we definitely have songs that we want recorded.”
Check out their groovy tunes on your streaming platforms and follow their Instagram @moonunittxd for updates on their performances!
