The Moderate whom we have warmly reviewed before, is playing RNR hotel this Sunday, with Delta Spirit. To get you all warm and fuzzed up for what is to come, we asked them to play some of their music for you and throw some words on top.
Enjoy:

Rock & Roll

Jim Dempsey (Guitar/Vocals): I guess Rock & Roll was the first song I wrote after moving to DC. I originally wrote it with a shuffle beat (imagine that) but I got the bridge melody in my head one day and decided to slow the rest of the song down. I love the shift between the 3/4 bridge and the 4/4 verse and chorus. Oh, and check out Drew's fill at the end of the third verse (see "Why won't you just let me let it go?").

The funny thing is that the first verse has no real connection to the song's subject. That fall, I went to Black Cat with my friend Ted to see the Grates and Oxford Collapse. The Grates' singer was this totally wacked-out and amazing girl who kept growling and yelling at the audience. Unlike most people there, we thought it was the greatest thing we'd ever seen. The rest of the song is about an ex with a penchant for drunk-dialing and getting herself into trouble.

Drew Marks (Drums): Rock & Roll showcases our dynamics as a band. The song really came together as we played the song live more and more. That is especially true for the outro. As we come out of the second bridge, we kick it into high gear. It came through lots of trial and error. It's like a lot of our songs – they've changed so much since we first played them.

Blue Eyes/Barflies

JD: Like all the songs on our EP, I wrote Blue Eyes & Barflies almost two years ago. I remember scribbling down the lyrics the day after New Year's. It kind of wrote itself mainly because the first verse came from an actual conversation I'd had. Other than that, BE/BF is pretty self-explanatory. When I finished writing it, it finally occurred to me that I was capable of writing a good tune.

DM: Our arrangement of Blue Eyes & Barflies places an emphasis on the songwriting. I'd say it one of our most straight-ahead country songs.

Lost, Boy

JD: Lost, Boy is obviously an intensely personal song written about a friend from home who was killed in a drunk-driving accident. He was older and had always taken me under his wing growing up. The hurt was so deep when he died. I don't think it's ever quite made sense to me.

Musically, I'd say it's a deceptively complex song. The chord structure is simple – true – but the riff under the chorus builds from a sort of sweet dissonance. I love Mike's harmonies on the recording. And Drew's fills at the end of the guitar solo make for such a dramatic stop before the last verse.

DM: When I heard Jim's solo demo, I knew I really liked Lost, Boy. But it was the chorus that sold me. I could already hear the accents I wanted to add. It also seemed to come together immediately when the three of us played for the first time. I think it's our strongest song in terms of performance…a great showcase for everyone's abilities.

be here: