For the members of Madison, New Jersey-based rock band Above the Moon, there’s nothing worse than someone in power abusing their authority and whining whenever they don’t get their way. It’s the theme of their song “King Baby”, the lead track from their latest EP, There Is No Arrival Vol. 2.
“Lyrically, the song uses the idea of a baby throwing a tantrum as a metaphor for emotionally immature people who are put in positions of power,” says singer and guitarist Kate Griffin. “The lyrics were actually written in three different segments, about three different situations, which is new for us. I started with the second verse, then pulled the chorus from an acoustic ballad I couldn’t finish. After a while, I wrote the first verse and realized that there was a lot of overlap among all three parts.”
Sonically, the song sticks closely to her original demo’s arrangement. Guitarist Shawn Murphy says that while they usually “each write our own parts and collaborate to make the song come alive and have each of our stamps on it”, “King Baby” is “very true to the original demo and seemed to fall in place from the start.”
“What you hear on the recording is more or less what we played during that first rehearsal, he says. “We recorded the song at our home base, Bottle Hill Recording in Madison, NJ. Kate laid down scratch guitar and vocals to a click track, and we built the song from there. Drums and bass recorded first and then guitars and vocals.”
Today, SWT is excited to premiere the music video for the song, which you can watch below:
Griffin says the video is “directly inspired by what we’ve seen firsthand at the protests and rallies some of us have attended over the last few years.”
“Making protest signs has kind of become its own art form, and in a time where you want to shout all of the things at once, it can be really challenging to pick one phrase or topic to focus on,” she says.
“Additionally, things are feeling pretty bleak, and we decided rather than focus on what we’re angry or upset about, or what’s already been said, to try and take a more positive and protective approach. We made a list of things to remember and things you can do to remind people of their power. Then we turned those lists into signs.”
Formed in 2015, Above the Moon also features bassist (and Kate’s younger brother) Kyle Griffin and drummer John Gramuglia. According to their bio, the “suburban New Jersey rock band” is “built on a foundation of authentic performance – no bells and whistles, no backing tracks. Drawing from a diverse range of influences spanning singer-songwriter and rock to shoegaze and pop, the band has developed a distinctive sound entirely their own.”
“2025 marks a decade together, the bio continues. “In that time, the band has played extensively throughout the tri-state area and released five EPs – one recorded with Rob Freeman of Hidden in Plain View, and two with Joe Reinhart of Hop Along – as well as an acoustic EP recorded during the 2020 pandemic. In 2023, they released an 11-track full-length album, which the band wrote, produced, and recorded themselves at their home base, Bottle Hill Recording, in Madison, NJ.
Always seeking to challenge themselves and explore new creative territory, the band plans to release two five-track EPs in 2025: There Is No Arrival Volumes 1 and 2. This collection of songs, written over the last two years, explores the concept of living in the present moment—because that’s all we truly have.”
SWT caught up with the band recently to learn more about the video and their music.
What was your experience like filming? Why did you pick the filmmaker, location, etc.?
Kate: This was a really different video-making experience for us in that, rather than having all of us in a room playing together, or a narrative with some kind of storyline, we each took about 15 of the signs and asked a bunch of friends and family to hold them in various locations. We kept all of the participants anonymous to protect their privacy, but also as a way to make it more relatable. We chose all kinds of spots to film in our neighborhoods, out in nature, or in more public spaces to represent the different areas we all come from.
How does “King Baby” connect to the EPs?
Kate: At the start of this year, we had around 10 songs we wanted to record, and we decided to record/release them in the order they were written. Earlier this year, we released There Is No Arrival Vol. 1, which has the first 5 on it, and the 5 on this one are the second batch. “King Baby” is the 6th song we wrote, but it also felt fitting to list first as it’s got a punch to it. It’s a nice way to kick off the EP. The song feels more relevant every day, and we’ve found that when we play it out, it seems to resonate with people. Overall, this EP has a little more grit to it than the first in all ways: sonically, lyrically, etc., so it made sense to start with that track.
How would you describe the band’s sound and what makes it stand out?
Shawn: I think our sound is a mixture of our influences but certainly leans towards indie/alternative. All four of us listen to different things, and we bring those influences consciously or unconsciously to our weekly rehearsals.
For example, John likes ‘80s hair metal while Kate likes singer/songwriters and punk. I fall in the indie/alternative category, and Kyle is into rock and blues. Our record collections shouldn’t get alon,g but those influences all come together when we start working on music for Above the Moon.
What brought the band together? What’s the story behind the band’s name?
Kate: We formed in late 2015 when me (vocals, guitar) and Shawn (originally bass, now lead guitar) answered each other’s ads on Craigslist. They were actually living just a mile apart from each other in Madison, NJ, which was kind of wild. Shawn and John (drums) knew each other from previously working together, so Shawn pulled him in. After about a year, Shawn switched to lead guitar, and Kate’s childhood friend Chris played bass for us until 2021. When he decided to move on to pursue other hobbies, we pulled in my younger brother, Kyle, who’s been a great fit. We’ve been playing and writing and recording for 10 years now, which is crazy to think about.
We didn’t have a name until we finished recording our first EP. At the time, we were working on Moon, which is on our 2nd EP, but we all liked it a lot and were tossing around different phrases that contained the word ‘Moon’. Somehow, we landed on Above the Moon.
What’s the story behind the EP name?
Shawn: The title of the EP, There is No Arrival, came to me from something my therapist said a while ago that I found in a notebook when we started working on these songs. It’s in reference to always wanting more – whether that’s getting a promotion at work or striving to hit a goal as a band, like playing a certain club or getting more streams. Even when you get there, you are always looking at the next thing on the horizon, so you never actually arrive or feel fulfilled. It’s a reminder to live in the moment and enjoy it, as cliché as that might sound.
You can connect with and listen to Above the Moon at the following links:
Their website: Abovethemoonmusic.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/abovethemoonband
Instagram: Instagram.com/abovethemoonmusic
YouTube: Youtube.com/@abovethemoonmusic
Bandcamp: Abovethemoon.bandcamp.com
Spotify: Above the Moon on Spotify
Joshua is co-founder of Scummy Water Tower. He’s freelanced for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including: Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Guitar World, MTV News, Grammy.com, Chicago Magazine, Milwaukee Magazine, MKE Lifestyle, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, A.V. Club, SPIN, Alternative Press, Under the Radar, Paste, PopMatters, American Songwriter, and Relix. You can email him at josh@scummywatertower.com.
