This week, Mighty Jupiter & The Mooncake Band sat down with us to debate the sonic and thematic layers of their newest LP, Compelled Enjoyable For the Simply OK Life. On this interview, they delve into their distinctive style, Shoehaze, mixing shoegaze, punk, and blues rock, and share their views on navigating societal expectations, embracing a DIY ethos, and discovering inventive inspiration in Latvia. From crafting atmospheric soundscapes to balancing introspection with revolt, the band unpacks the core message behind their music: a name to problem the “simply okay” life and reclaim authenticity.
Mighty Jupiter & The Mooncake Band, thanks for sitting down with us to debate your ethos and artwork. There may be a lot to unpack, sonically, thematically and titularly, together with your album, ‘Compelled Enjoyable For the Simply OK Life’. For brand new followers who’ve stumbled upon the LP, what ought to they find out about you and the discharge?
Thanks for having us! Compelled Enjoyable For The Simply OK Life isn’t simply an album. It’s a take a look at the weirdness of the world. It talks in regards to the quiet stress to slot in, to placed on a smile whenever you’re not feeling it, and to hitch in actions you’re advised to take pleasure in, even when they appear empty.
Musically, it mixes baroque pop, blues rock, punk, indietronica, and shoegaze, making a sound we name shoehaze—a dreamy but down-to-earth vibe. Every music shares its personal story, exploring concepts of energy, disappointment, sophisticated relationships, and the hunt for that means in a chaotic world.
We hope listeners will begin questioning the expectations positioned on them, and perhaps even discover a little bit of revolt to problem the “simply okay” life.
Whereas most artists of this era are content material assimilating shoegaze pioneers and repackaging the vortexical tonal alchemy underneath the premise of their very own ingenuity, you’re on the vanguard of innovation together with your distinctive model of ‘Shoehaze’. Are you able to inform us extra about the way you conceived the style?
Shoehaze wasn’t one thing I deliberate to create; it developed naturally as I combined completely different influences into one thing new and fascinating. Our mastering engineer, Natalie Bibby, coined the identify whereas we had been ending the album. She captured the essence of what we had been doing—a dreamy, layered sound that appears like shoegaze however with a contemporary twist—and that’s how Shoehaze began.
For me, it’s extra of a inventive method than a strict sort of music. It’s about bringing collectively atmospheric sounds with sturdy melodies, detailed preparations, and uncooked power. We mix in numerous genres, letting every music stand out whereas making a wealthy, immersive sound. It’s a mixture of being down-to-earth and otherworldly, reflecting the unusual contradictions in life. Shoehaze completely describes this stability between depth, chaos, and melody.
There’s one thing so effortlessly natural in regards to the experimentation in your sound. What’s the key?
Thanks—which means so much to listen to! Actually, the key is that I finished attempting to suit into actual genres or subcultures a very long time in the past. I’ve embraced the thought of making songs as they arrive—some lean right into a rock vibe, others tackle orchestral textures, and a few sit someplace in between. For me, the hot button is ensuring all the pieces feels natural and cohesive. If it sounds stable and true to itself, I do know I’m on the correct path.
Not each music makes it to the ultimate minimize, although. I sometimes have 40-60 tracks in progress at any given time, tossing them round to see how they evolve—each individually and collectively. From there, I slim it right down to 10-15 tracks that not solely work as stand-alone items but in addition inform a cohesive story as an LP.
After all, my background performs an enormous position in shaping this course of. I’ve been taking part in and composing music for over 25 years, working throughout all the pieces from loud rock tracks to intricate orchestral preparations. I’ve additionally accomplished sound design and even foley work for commercials and films. All of that have has given me a novel perspective on experiment whereas staying grounded in what feels genuine and resonant. It’s much less about becoming right into a mould and extra about letting the music discover its personal form.
How does the idea of “pressured enjoyable” mirror your private experiences, and do you discover that your personal struggles with social expectations impressed the extra sardonic undertones that thread by your music?
The idea of “pressured enjoyable” is deeply private to me, and it displays my very own experiences navigating the strain between the need to attach and the stress to evolve. Sarcasm is my coping mechanism—a pointy however cautious device I exploit to course of and critique these social scripts. It’s not bitterness or sardonicism, although. I attempt to keep on the lighter facet of that very tremendous line. Whereas a few of my lyrics may really feel sardonic, I see them as sharp sarcasm—a approach to spotlight the absurdity of social expectations with out shedding hope or humanity.
My life experiences naturally form my songwriting. Music has develop into my approach of digesting not-so-pleasant moments and making sense of how they’ve formed me. I don’t see myself as particular—I’ve simply discovered music to be probably the most genuine approach to course of and categorical these struggles. If I needed to decide a music that captures my life path, it might be Nothing Like You by Cock Sparrer. It completely encapsulates the turbulence of clashing with societal expectations and private battles.
With Compelled Enjoyable For The Simply OK Life, I wished to discover how societal scripts can erode individuality and result in disconnection. It’s about questioning the “simply okay” life and discovering a approach again to authenticity. Even when the themes are heavy, the biting humor and sarcasm assist make the confrontation really feel extra human and relatable—as a result of generally, one of the simplest ways to outlive the absurd is to chuckle at it.
Your lyrics stability melancholy and revolt in a approach that feels concurrently reflective and upfront. Whenever you look again at songs like ‘The Lake’ or ‘Tremendous Me’, how do you bear in mind the precise second of inventive spark, and did you discover there was any battle between eager to be brutally trustworthy and nonetheless making one thing that resonates with listeners?
Thanks for noticing that stability—it’s one thing I try for. With songs like The Lake and Tremendous Me, the inventive spark got here from very completely different emotional areas. The Lake was born out of a quiet second of renewal, standing by an historical, frozen lake in winter. It was deeply reflective, nearly meditative, and the music adopted that temper naturally. However, Tremendous Me got here from a spot of uncooked power—a must push again and reclaim a way of company. It’s extra upfront, nearly defiant, which is the place its energy lies.
There’s at all times a little bit of battle between being brutally trustworthy and creating one thing that resonates. I don’t wish to shrink back from arduous truths, however I additionally wish to go away room for interpretation—so listeners can discover their very own that means within the songs. The problem is to maintain the honesty intact with out letting it overshadow the universality of the feelings. With each tracks, it was about hanging that stability: staying true to my experiences whereas crafting one thing others may see themselves in. Honesty, in any case, doesn’t need to be isolating—it may be the bridge that connects us.
There’s a particular dynamic between introspective calm and unfiltered edginess in Compelled Enjoyable For The Simply OK Life. Have been these shifts intentional from the very starting, or did they emerge naturally as you pieced the report collectively?
The dynamic between introspective calm and unfiltered edginess wasn’t one thing I deliberate from the very begin—it emerged naturally because the album got here collectively. I normally work with a big pool of songs, and as I slim them down, patterns and contrasts begin to reveal themselves. Compelled Enjoyable For The Simply OK Life displays the push and pull of life itself—moments of quiet reflection intertwined with bursts of uncooked emotion.
Some tracks, like The Lake, got here from a spot of serenity and renewal, whereas others, like Unfolded, had been pushed by a uncooked urgency to confront private and societal chaos. These shifts weren’t pressured; they had been simply trustworthy reflections of the completely different emotional states I skilled whereas writing. Because the songs advanced, it turned clear that these contrasting moods had been integral to the story I wished to inform—a story in regards to the chaos, absurdity, and occasional readability of recent existence. The stability felt pure, nearly inevitable as if the album demanded it.
You’ve embraced a completely DIY ethos—from writing and recording to manufacturing and launch. Has this hands-on method ever pressured you to rethink the way you outline success throughout the business, particularly when time and assets develop into a juggling act?
Completely, embracing a DIY ethos has utterly reshaped how I outline success within the business. Whenever you’re liable for all the pieces—from writing and recording to manufacturing and launch—you rapidly notice that success can’t simply be measured by numbers or business accolades. As a substitute, it’s about creating one thing genuine that resonates deeply with folks on a private stage.
The most important problem is navigating restricted time and assets. There have been moments once I’ve needed to take advantage of out of just about nothing—scraping by on a couple of pennies and stretching each ounce of creativity to make it work. With so many transferring elements, prioritizing the core imaginative and prescient turns into important, trusting that all the pieces else will ultimately align.
However there’s additionally freedom on this method—no exterior constraints, simply pure inventive exploration. For me, success is when the music feels real, full, and finds a reference to listeners that mirrors the guts and energy behind it.
The Latvian music panorama isn’t typically positioned underneath the worldwide highlight. How has your private home base influenced your inventive method, and do you’re feeling there’s any benefit to working considerably outdoors of the extra typical indie circuits?
The Latvian setting itself has influenced my music in delicate however vital methods. The atmosphere—huge forests, foggy winters, and a way of quiet introspection—naturally displays within the atmospheric and layered components of my work. Relating to the business, there are particular benefits, like a decrease stage of competitors—you don’t need to battle for venue slots that a lot. And the recording infrastructure right here is great; Riga has some top-notch studios with unimaginable gear and personnel. It’s a improbable base for creating music.
Nonetheless, at a sure level, you notice the necessity to break past the native scene. Being outdoors the same old indie circuits could make international recognition more difficult. That’s what we’re targeted on now—reaching out to labels, reserving companies, and festivals throughout Europe and the US to take our music to the subsequent stage.
Lastly, for those who may sum up the core message that you really want listeners to stroll away with after listening to Compelled Enjoyable For The Simply OK Life, how would you phrase it?
The core message of Compelled Enjoyable For The Simply OK Life is about reclaiming your humanity in a world that usually calls for you lose it. It’s a name to query the roles we’re anticipated to play, to see the absurdity in hole norms, and to push again towards the “simply okay” life. In the end, it’s about discovering authenticity, embracing resilience, and remembering that even in chaos, there’s room for hope, humor, and significant connection.
Stream Mighty Jupiter & The Mooncake Band’s Compelled Enjoyable For the Simply OK Life’ LP on Spotify and join with the band on Instagram.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast