Texas Hits: On The Line W/ Dexter and The Moonrocks
quitting their Day Jobs
The Texas Sound That Conquered Alternative Radio.
Dexter and the Moonrocks, a band whose roots stretch across the vast expanse of Texas, have carved a distinct niche in the alternative landscape, punctuated by their breakout hit, "Sad In Carolina," released on Severance Records, a Nashville-based imprint of Big Loud Rock. This chart-topping track, a blend of raw emotion and relatable storytelling, resonated deeply with listeners, propelling them to the coveted number one spot on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart. The band's candid approach to songwriting, drawing inspiration from both their Texas upbringing and a surprising wellspring of athletic prowess, has forged a unique connection with their audience. With the release of "Rittalin," averaging 50k streams daily and surpassing 1.45 million in its first month, and their latest single, "Say I," Dexter and the Moonrocks are poised to be a mainstay in a world ready for more guitars.
Hometown/Currently based?
We are spread out all throughout Texas, with some of us in West Texas, North Texas, and South Texas, but we normally just say we’re from Abilene or the DFW area for ease of conversation.
Who was the person that got you into music?
Our parents had a pretty big role in getting us involved in music. That’s how we grew up on a lot of Texas Country and 90s grunge.
What's been the biggest non-music inspiration for you lately?
Sports, for sure. We love athletes and really admire greatness in sports, and it helps inspire us to be bigger and better at our own craft.
When did you first find out you had a number one song on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart? How has the reaction been since it happened?
We found out in December when it went number one. A lot of people love hearing that song live, especially when we play it in the Carolinas. It’s been super cool, and it’s awesome we can call ourselves #1 recording artists!
How did "Sad in Carolina" start getting radio play? Was there one station that championed it first?
There were a lot of great stations that started playing it. We owe a lot of thanks to our label and radio rep Joe for helping get the song out there and showing how well it was doing in culture and amongst our fans.
What do you think is the biggest challenge that artists face?
Tackling social media. It’s really hard nowadays to promote your music, and the fact that you have to rely so heavily on self-promotion to get people to listen to your music instead of the traditional means of the past makes it a little tiring, but it gives you far more autonomy, which is nice!
“This is the part where I freak out
Don't know what to do
Said you wanted just a rebound
All I ever do is shoot
You don't want to see me geeked out
Baby that's the truth
This is the part where I freak out”
Dexter and The Moonrocks' - “Ritalin”"
Is there anyone you'd like to collaborate with? Other artists to appear on a song or even a visual artist for an album cover or merch?
There’s so many great artists out there from Treaty Oak Revival to Mom Jeans to Rainbow Kitten Surprise to the Foo Fighters or Cage The Elephant. Really, we just wanna make great music with great people, especially the ones we are fans of and admire
Are Abilenians Rangers or Astro fans?
Rangers for sure. Astro’s are cheaters
Agreed!
The Lyric video for "Ritalin" looks great! Heavy, but great. How did you link with the director Michael Herrick?
We actually found him through a video he made for a band called Free Throw. “Two Beers In” is a personal favorite song of one of our members and he shot the live video for it. We stumbled upon it and immediately said we wanna work with the guy who made this
What's been the best thing that's happened since you started releasing music?
We got to quit our day jobs!
Have you had a "it happened for a reason" moment in the recent past? Something you weren't happy about at the time but turned out to be a good thing?
There have been a lot of things like this in all honesty but those are things that only we will know and don’t intend on sharing. The people who did us dirty know who they are and that’s good enough for us
What platforms have been the most helpful with getting your music heard? Bandcamp, YouTube, IG etc.
TikTok and Instagram have been HUGE. Every young artists should learn to use them
How would you define success?
Trying your very best and accepting whatever result comes along, and making sure you have no regrets or reason to say you should’ve done differently
Can you share one of your lyrics from your songs that sums up your state of mind RN / feels representative of you?
“I just wanna be cool enough to kick it” - “Sectional”
For more info dexterandthemoonrocks.com
