Moonchild Unveil New Single 'Love I Need' Feat. Rapsody
The group's new album will be released on February 11.
By: Michael Major Feb. 01, 2022
Today, LA-based trio Moonchild (Amber Navran, Andris Mattson, and Max Bryk) release their new single "Love I Need" [feat. Rapsody]. It paves the way for the arrival of the group's highly anticipated new album, Starfruit, out February 11. Pre-order/pre-save Starfruit here.
On "Love I Need," horns wrap around finger-snaps and sparse keys as Navran's ethereal delivery hovers above an otherworldly funk bass line. This jazz-y movement gives way to slick, sharp, and spirited bars from GRAMMY® Award-nominated hip-hop phenomenon Rapsody.
"Rapsody took the song to another level. My favorite moment happens halfway through her incredible verse, where the band breaks on beat one and come back in with some hits that match her line." - Andris Mattson
The new track follows on the heels of recent single "Tell Him" [feat. Lalah Hathaway], which has earned widespread critical acclaim. NPR Music praised it as a "bittersweet re-telling of love gone sour" and elaborated that "over a bouncy, drum-heavy groove and dreamy keys, lead singer Amber Navran fights with everything she's got to put things back in order." UPROXX dubbed it "a sensual, jazzy R&B gem," and Rated R&B noted, "The soothing tune is tracked by lyrics where the momentum of a relationship weighs in the balance of unspoken words." Billboard flaunted it among "R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week" and claimed, "The track serves as the intro to Moonchild's upcoming album, creating a powerful ambience all its own."
Additionally setting the stage for Starfruit are singles "Too Good" and "You Got One" [feat. Alex Isley].
Listen to the new single here:
The band have revealed extensive tour with plans to kick off the North American leg at The Vogel in Redbank, NJ on March 29, crisscrossing the country, before concluding at The Independent in San Francisco, CA on Mary 13. Check out the full routing below.
In addition to Hathaway, Isley, and Rapsody, Starfruit also notably boasts collaborations from Tank and The Bangas, Ill Camille, Mumu Fresh, Chantae Cann, and Josh Johnson. Alongside the extensive list of featured artists on Starfruit, the release sees Moonchild experimenting with new synths and sounds. While still rooted in their trademark tones, these textures and sound palettes elevate Starfruit to new and impressive Moonchild musical territory. "Max has this arpeggiator synth patch that makes me so happy, Amber incorporated this cool octave pedal patch on her vocals, and I made a keyboard patch I'm obsessed with," Andris remarks.
The new album follows Moonchild's critically acclaimed album Little Ghost which saw huge support from the likes of Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), Phil Taggart (BBC Radio 1), Jamz Supernova (BBC 1Xtra), Huey Morgan, Cerys Matthews and Don Letts (BBC 6Music), Bradley Zero and from across Jazz FM (who previously named the band Soul Act Of The Year) and KCRW. The album also saw press accolades from Paste Magazine, Vinyl Factory, Soul Bounce, HYPEBEAST, Cool Hunting, Complex, and from NPR, with Moonchild's Tiny Desk Session logging over 3.7 million views.
Moonchild have collaborated and toured with highly respected names from across music including Kamasi Washington, Stevie Wonder, The Internet, Jill Scott, have been compared to the likes of Tom Misch and Jordan Rakei and built up a host of iconic supporters from Robert Glasper (who has collaborated with Amber on his own projects) and Laura Mvula to James Poyser, Jazzy Jeff, 9th Wonder and Tyler, The Creator.
Tour Dates
March 29: Redbank, NJ @ The Vogel
March 30: Boston, MA @ The Paradise Rock Club
April 1: Washington DC @ 9:30 Club (Late Show)
April 2: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
April 3: Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
April 5: Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
April 6: Charlotte, NC @ Amos' Southend
April 8: Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
April 9: Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
April 12: Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
April 14: Austin, TX @ The Parish
April 15: Houston, TX @ Studio @ WHL
April 16: Dallas, TX @ Trees
April 19: Kansas City, MO @ recordBar
April 20: St Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
April 21: Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
April 23: Detroit, MI @ El Club
April 24: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom and Tavern
April 26: Toronto, ON @ Adelaide Hall
April 27: Montreal, QC @ Ausgang Plaza
April 30: San Diego, CA @ Music Box
May 1st: Santa Barbara, CA @ SOhO
May 5: Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
May 6: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
May 7: Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret
May 11: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda
May 13: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
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