By Tricia Despres
Niko Moon doesn’t do sad songs.
It’s not as if he has anything against them necessarily. In fact, the music mastermind believes there is definitely a time and place for them, and there are plenty of great ones out there, especially within the history of country music. But in a world often finding itself dragging itself through a myriad of pain, Moon prefers to stick with music meant to make you feel good.
“It’s definitely intentional,” the breakout country artist tells Ravinia Backstage as he looks forward to the release of his debut album on August 27, just a few days before taking the Ravinia Festival stage on September 3 as an opener on the country trio Lady A’s What a Song Can Do tour. “I love people and I love making people happy, so I really want to do that with my music.
Indeed, there is a joy that seems to exude from the pores of the 38-year-old with a hat ever-present on his head and smile equally so on his face, a joy that is especially heard in the music he is quickly becoming known for, including on his latest single, aptly titled “No Sad Songs.”
“That one is more than just a song for me,” explains Moon of the uplifting party anthem that he wrote alongside Anna Moon, Joshua Murty, Steven Lee Olsen, and Alysa Vanderheym. “It’s kind of a way of life for me. I want to have my music be for the moments in people’s lives when they’re just feeling great and they want to put on something that makes them happy.”
Currently finding himself making quite a name within the country music ranks, Moon’s love affair with music began when he was growing up in one of those households that always seemed to have some sort of melodies playing in the background of his young life.
“I was always fascinated with how songs worked as a kid,” remembers Moon, who consumed a healthy diet of John Prine, The Eagles, and folk legend Patty Griffin while idolizing the careers of artists such as fellow Georgia music makers Travis Tritt and Alan Jackson. “The first instrument I learned to play was the drums, and I think that’s why my music has such a rhythmic aspect to it, because I write songs with that drummer still in me.”
At the age of 15, Moon added the guitar to his musical repertory, and after learning three basic chords, he found himself quickly falling in love with the art of putting words to music.
“I knew I wanted to write country music,” remembers Moon, who moved from Georgia from Texas at 10 years old. “But really, I loved music so much that I just wanted to do it any way I could, whether it was as a songwriter or an engineer or a producer or an artist.”
Though Moon admits that the “artist” dream often felt a bit out of reach.
“You never know if that’s going to be able to pan out for you,” says Moon. “So, when the songwriting door opened up first for me, I ran through it as fast as I could, and I was happy doing that and helping other artists.”
Those artists ended up being some of country music’s biggest legends, with Moon having a hand in writing hit songs for artists such as Zac Brown Band (“Loving You Easy,” “Homegrown,” “Beautiful Drug,” “Keep Me in Mind,” and “Heavy Is the Head”) and Dierks Bentley (“Gone”). But still, Moon found himself envisioning a day in which his unique brand of country music might find its way onto the charts and through his distinctive voice.
And that’s exactly what happened on what would ultimately become the number-one, platinum-certified title track of Moon’s debut album Good Time, with the single pushing the boundaries of country music, going on to amass more than 235 million on-demand streams, and serving up a slew of momentum for the blockbuster of an album.
“I’m so blessed and feel so fortunate every time someone tells me that my songs really have helped them through something, especially amidst the stress of this past year or so,” says Moon, who had his first exposure to the vibrancy of a Windy City crowd when opening for Michigan native and country music hitmaker Ryan Hurd in February 2020. “Life can be hard a lot of times, and my life isn’t immune to that either. I think some people think I’m just walking around and just skipping everywhere.”
He lets out a hearty laugh before concluding.
“Life can be difficult, and that’s what has always been such a driving force for me. My love for music comes from knowing how music can affect the way you feel. And when you’re in a certain place, music can take you out of it and transport you to a better spot. And that’s what really motivates me to make music.” ■
Tricia Despres is a Chicago-area entertainment writer whose work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, Taste of Country, and a number of local, regional, and national publications. Twitter: @CHIWriter