Q&A: The Moss On Movement, Memory and Making Music
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY DANIELLE HOLIAN ☆
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOSS THAT DOESN’T SIT STILL FOR LONG—Not in their sound, not in their story and certainly not in the way they move through the world. One minute, Tyke James is living out of a van in Santa Cruz, the next he’s surfing off the coast of France; or working on a horse ranch in Montana; or disappearing into the kind of wide-open landscapes that feel more like memory than geography. It’s less “rock band lifestyle” and more like a weather system: constantly shifting, unpredictable and quietly shaping everything it passes through.
Somehow, from all of that motion, The Moss has carved out a sound that feels both deeply rooted and entirely unplaceable. A kind of sun-washed, surf-drenched, emotionally wired indie rock that pulls from 60s harmony pop, 90s alt grit, reggae-leaning rhythm and a restless emo sincerity that never quite lets the surface stay smooth for too long. It’s music that feels like it’s been lived in, like it’s got salt in the seams and dirt under the nails.
Now, with new single “Your Way” leading into their upcoming full-length album Big Blue Moon (out April 24), The Moss are stepping into a new chapter that feels more self-assured, but also more exposed. “Your Way” is deceptively breezy on first listen, bright, melodic, easy to move with, but underneath it sits something sharper—A quiet resistance; A reminder not to outsource your life to other people’s expectations. Tyke puts it plainly: It’s about all the ways people try to define how you should live, and the importance of remembering you don’t have to buy into any of it.
That tension—between freedom and influence, instinct and expectation—runs through everything The Moss do. It’s there in the music, but it’s also baked into their identity. Even the band’s name feels like a philosophy rather than a label. Moss grows everywhere, unnoticed, underestimated, impossible to contain. It doesn’t ask permission. It just exists. That idea of ubiquity without recognition has become a kind of quiet thesis for the project: always present, never fixed, always expanding into new surfaces.
Tyke’s songwriting reflects that same sense of movement. Earlier releases like Insomnia leaned into emotional dependency and late-night vulnerability, while newer material like “Your Way” feels more like a recalibration, less about being lost in someone else, more about reclaiming direction. But there’s no dramatic rupture between the two. Instead, it feels like one long unfolding process, shaped by time, travel and the kind of internal shifts that don’t announce themselves loudly.
There is a lot of movement here: Arizona childhoods, Montana winters, Hawaiian surf culture and European beaches that blur into surreal memory. Even the writing process feels porous, as if songs are something stumbled into rather than constructed. A melody forming on a quiet beach in Biarritz; A lyric arriving uninvited during a moment of stillness. Nature isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a collaborator, catalyst and sometimes even co-author.
That relationship with the outdoors shows up not as aesthetic but as structure. The Moss don’t just write about freedom; they build their process around it. Minimal setups, live takes, instinct-led recording and an openness to imperfection that feels more like trust than technique. There’s a sense that overworking anything would dilute it, that the point is to catch the moment before it hardens.
Now, with over 75 million streams, festival stages shared with the likes of Briston Maroney and a growing reputation as one of indie rock’s most quietly magnetic live acts, The Moss are stepping into bigger rooms without losing the sense that it could all still change direction at any second. A 2026 headline tour is already in motion, including a slot at Kilby Block Party alongside artists like Lorde, The xx, and Modest Mouse—names that sit in a different kind of orbit, but somehow feel adjacent to the band’s world of drift and gravity.
Despite the scale of it all, there’s a reluctance to over-define anything. There are no grand statements about legacy or arrival. Just songs, movement and the ongoing attempt to stay honest inside the noise.
If The Moss are consistent about anything, it’s this: life isn’t a script to follow. It’s something you feel your way through, one shifting landscape at a time. Keep reading on for more about The Moss and their latest chapter.
LUNA: “Your Way” talks about not letting others dictate your life. How has this philosophy shaped your journey as an artist?”
THE MOSS: Performing and stuff and sharing all your personal experiences with people, it’s kinda tough sometimes. I like this song because everyone deals with judgement in some way or another, and it’s important to remember that at the end of the day you know yourself better than anyone else does.
LUNA: The Moss has been described as a blend of surf-rock, 60s melodic influences and 90s emo. How do you balance all these different sonic inspirations when creating a song?
THE MOSS: We all have our own tastes and ideas we try to incorporate into the songs, but most of what we end up making just comes from how things feel when we are playing them live.
LUNA: Growing up in Arizona, moving to Montana and then O’ahu, your life has been very nomadic. How has traveling and living in different environments influenced your music?
THE MOSS: Traveling and moving has definitely had an effect on my mindset towards the world. I am really inspired by nature and new people, more so than listening to music.
LUNA: You mentioned that nature plays a huge role in your creativity. Can you describe a moment in the outdoors that directly inspired a song?
THE MOSS: Yes, I have a little story about one I made recently. I feel very safe when I am deep in nature. It makes me feel really free and I often escape to nature to be alone and scream and sing without being perceived. One of these occasions I wandered to a quiet beach in Biarritz to meet friends for some wine. We all took turns playing songs and telling stories. Just after the sunset everyone left and I lingered while the colors faded, singing some of my favorites like “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?,” and then I started singing something that I’d never heard before, just about the beach and some heartbreak. The coolest part is it felt like the sun kept setting for hours, because that night there was a solar storm, and aurora borealis hummed above the beach all night. Moss is ubiquitous, yet often unnoticed, which you’ve said is part of your identity as a band.
LUNA: How do you see that reflected in your music or lyrics?
THE MOSS: I don’t think about the band name when I’m writing music. “Insomnia” explores themes of codependency, and now “Your Way” encourages independence.
LUNA: How do you approach writing about such different emotional spaces?
THE MOSS: In this example it’s definitely just a matter of timeline and growth, of things I’m focused on in my personal life shifting over the years. I wrote ”Insomnia” six or so years ago and “Your Way” just last year.
LUNA: With over 75 million streams and a dedicated fan base, what’s the most surprising thing about connecting with listeners online versus live shows?
THE MOSS: It is just a very wonderful feeling to go out and see that people really connect with things that we are sharing. I would categorize it as a fun surprise.
LUNA: You’ve shared stages with artists like Briston Maroney and Jack Johnson. How do collaborations or sharing stages influence your own sound?
THE MOSS: The collaboration is done with the band but it’s always inspiring to watch other people perform
LUNA: Your upcoming album, Big Blue Moon, drops April 24. What can fans expect from this full-length that’s different from your earlier EPs and singles?
THE MOSS: We used a lot of live takes on the album, even though this is definitely the most time we have put into a project to date, through all the demos and performances of the songs over time.
LUNA: The Moss has a DIY, free-spirited lifestyle, from surfing to van life. How do you translate that sense of freedom into your recording process?
THE MOSS: I would say that the way we like to make music is very hands-on and with a sort of minimalistic and open mindset. We try to achieve the feeling we want with the least amount of things going on, and be open to new ideas.
LUNA: Touring is a big part of your life. Is there a particular city or venue that has been especially memorable for you, and why?
THE MOSS: I have a different favorite every tour, which is nice. But we love to drive around the Pacific Northwest and North Carolina. This tour so far, Phoenix was especially memorable.
LUNA: Your music often blends upbeat, danceable rhythms with introspective lyrics. How do you strike that balance between energy and reflection?
THE MOSS: I have always been drawn to art that is so honest it is melancholy, but I very much love to dance as well.
LUNA: “Your Way” feels very personal, yet universal. How do you decide which personal experiences to transform into songs?
THE MOSS: I don’t really decide because when things are happening, especially things that I’m avoiding thinking about, they will eventually sneak out into my writing.
LUNA: What’s the story behind the band name, and how does the idea of “moss growing everywhere” continue to inspire your artistic identity?
THE MOSS: When I was younger I would constantly have dreams where all surfaces were covered in moss. Happy sad scary weird dreams, all covered. Some bites, it would be a person all covered in moss with a huge mouth that would gargle and spit mud when it spoke.
LUNA: Looking ahead, what’s next for The Moss beyond the 2026 tour? Are there any new directions, collaborations, or experiments you’re excited about?
THE MOSS: We take things one day at a time, so once this tour is finished up, we will decide what we want to do next. Definitely more live shows.
