Good Night Moon released "End of Beginning" (originally by Djo) on March 3rd. The band recently released a re-recording of their 20 year old Self-Titled EP, but "End of Beginning" represents the closest thing we've had to brand new music from Good Night Moon since they announced their reunion. Our Swemo caught up with the band to ask about the new single.
Swemo
I got to talk to Rob recently about returning to the scene after almost 20 years and there were hints that some new music would be coming. I didn't expect a ripper cover of "End of Beginning" though. What inspired you to take on this song?
JB Corey
Originally, we talked about releasing a cover to hint that we were planning a reunion and to get people re-engaged. We just could not find the right song at the time. When "End of Beginning" started going viral, it felt like the right fit. It is a really pretty and simple song where we could add depth and our own sound...it also felt on mantra with chorus on revisiting the band twenty years later.
Swemo
Djo's version of "End of Beginning" has a very chill groove to it. You guys turned the intensity up with heavy guitars and screaming vocals. Was there something about the original that made you want to turn the amps up?
JB Corey
From the early scene days to [From the Screen Your] Stereo and Pop Goes Punk being a mainstay for us, we have covered some random songs over the years, so this is not out of the ordinary. As I mentioned the song is very bare and simple, it's great in its own right but I feel like there was a canvas set for much more. As a father of two, I am constantly screaming over Top 40 songs to keep myself and my kids entertained. My kids think it is normal to edit heavy breakdowns into regular songs at this point. This is just one of those songs.
You would enjoy this as one of my bigger dad win accomplishments. My daughter is a big Swiftie, and I have successfully convinced her that A Day To Remember’s version of "Bad Blood" is based off the original Taylor Swift song and she requests it on the drop off drive often.
Swemo
When I talked to Rob, we discussed the band recording across the country during the re-recording of your self-titled EP. Was this recorded the same way and at the same time? Did you have any producers helping you?
JB Corey
Somewhat similar. The power of new technology is wild. I was on a train from Miami to Orlando and sketched out the song for a few hours, mapping out how I thought it should sound. I texted Rob that I had a free weekend to lay down the vocals, so he had to get to work. He sped up the original track to the BPM we wanted and recorded his drum track before we laid down vocals, guitars, and bass, which is the first time we have done anything like that. Ian Marchionda helped produce and mix the song in record time, and Jonathan Berlin once again mastered it for us.
Swemo
A lot of people associate Djo with his character Steve Harrington from Stranger Things. Your promo for this song leaned heavily into the Stranger Things vibe. I take it you are big fans. How do you feel about the finale?
JB Corey
We are big fans. To be honest, the finale hit harder than almost any television show I have seen. Specifically, the scene where they are leaving the basement and symbolically leaving childhood behind really resonated with us. It aligned closely with the age we were when Good Night Moon originally wrote those songs and eventually disbanded. I am sure everyone who watched the ending was taken back to a time when they had to walk away from their childhood. For us, it was the band, the venues, and even the band members we had to leave behind as we moved into the next chapter of life. Watching that while revisiting songs we wrote 20 years ago felt like a strange and powerful parallel.
Swemo
Before the reunion, were there other cover songs in your setlist? Anything that people might hear again?
JB Corey
We have had some fun ones over the years. We used to play with the band Halifax quite a bit when they toured through Florida, and we have performed their cover of "Straight Up" from Pop Goes Punk at prior shows to help promote them coming in future weeks. I sang "Until the Day I Die" at Rob’s wedding...after a couple of cocktials we hijacked the wedding band’s equipment and performed to an unprepared crowd of wedding guests. We might throw in a classic "emo night' song at these upcoming shows for the nostalgic crowd that might be coming to a reunion show who potentially hasn't been to a concert in a while!
Swemo
You have reunion shows coming up in Orlando and West Palm Beach. Should people be ready to scream "End of Beginning?"
