Coral Moons open Green River with a certified BBQ banger and a side of gwummus
The birds were singing backup.
It’s the kind of detail you’d think was poetic license if you hadn’t been there. But as Coral Moons opened this year’s Green River Festival with a breezy, soul-tinged set, actual birds chirped in harmony above the Back Porch Stage. Well maybe not harmony, but it sounded pretty cool. “I could hear them in my mic while I was singing,” frontwoman Carly Kraft told me later, still smiling. “It felt like we were in this together.”
After the set, I met up with the band which includes Carly, guitarist Justin Bartlett, bassist Miguel Cepeda, and drummer Kevin Ewer — for a quick ice cream run and an exclusive portrait session. When I suggested it earlier in the week, they’d seemed excited — maybe more about the ice cream than the photo concept, but hey, a win is a win. Between bites, we sat down for a freewheeling conversation about songs, storms, soundchecks, and a strange little dip called “gwummus.”
Coral Moons were originally scheduled to perform on the Dean’s Beans Stage, but got moved to the more prominent Back Porch Stage right before the fest. A lot of festivals, frankly, when you’re the first artist you’re playing to four people and someone’s dog. That wasn’t the case here. Coral Moons hooked people in as they entered the fest and kept them around until the last note.
Their set leaned into tracks from Summer of U, the band’s 2024 album, all sunshine-soaked grooves and earnest emotion before closing with something new: a still-unreleased single called “Made Up My Mind.” It’s out July 2, and the band has been calling it a “certified BBQ banger.” That’s not editorial flair. That’s their actual phrase. And hearing it life, I can confirm. It is a certified BBQ banger.
“Honestly we’re a little nervous because we feel like it’s pretty different from our previous releases,” Justin told me. “And also the content is just like kind of absurd. And especially the bridge — we’re like, this is either going to be hilarious or it’s not going to land at all”
Miguel added, “But I think like… I don’t know, this whole week we’ve just been talking about how it feels to play it live and it just feels authentic.”
And while the new single is a relatively big departure in their sound, they didn’t set out to make something genre-specific. “Everything that happens in the studio is just very organic and real,” Carly said. “I think the original rhythm of that song almost felt more like a full-time soulful song. There’s a lot of seven chords in there. And then the second we all got in a room together, we were doing full downstrokes. It was so much heavier. And we were like, that’s the answer. I don’t know what made it so right, but we were all immediately on board.”
The song marks a turning point in tone. It’s slightly punk, slightly funny, and totally theirs. “It’s a very nerdy, funny song,” Carly said. “But it’s very representative of us.”
When I asked what they’d hypothetically bring to a barbecue playing that song, their answers were understandably fun. Carly mentioned she’s bringing seven pounds of pickles, Justin said he would bring exactly two turkey legs, and Kevin just said gwummus. He was quick to share. “You take hummus and guacamole and mix it together. It is the ultimate dip.” I’m not sure if he coined the term or the idea, but it’s the first I’ve heard of it. Miguel had the only practical answer of the bunch, which was to bring a very good sound system to play all the music at the BBQ. With pickles, turkey legs, and gwummus, the sound system is probably a good call.
Even the festival crowd wasn’t always sure what to make of them. “One time, Miguel turned it into Mt. Joy,” Carly said during a story about festival favorites. “It was this person’s first time at a music festival and Miguel’s just goes ‘oh, I’m Mount Joy’. And they were like, oh, okay and started scrambling to get all cards ready. And he was like, I’m going to jump in.”
Carly Kraft of Coral Moons
The whole band laughed at that one. “They didn’t know who they were, and they were like, okay, how many cards do you need?”
The band’s road ahead includes a return to The Sinclair in Cambridge, and a date at Milwaukee’s Summerfest, one of the biggest music festivals in the country. “I’m most excited about opening up for Third Eye Blind at 10,000,” Miguel said.
“You’re opening for Third Eye Blind?” I asked.
“No,” Kevin replied. “We’re about 10 acts before.”
I think it still counts. Take the wins where you can.
Even with those bigger stages on the horizon, the outdoor intimacy of Green River still hit differently. “There’s just something really special about being able to play outside and just like see the sun,” Carly said. “And just like something about the energy of the live show is so great.”
Nature, it turns out, fits the band. “We’re big fans of nature,” someone added. “So we have something special about being in the elements.”
Whether it’s a punky new single, a sparrow-filled set, or a half-melted ice cream eaten while posing for photos, Coral Moons seem to thrive wherever they land.
Check out Coral Moons newest single, “Made Up My Mind” out July 2nd (and stay tuned for a truly nerdy and fun music video) and check out their upcoming dates to see if they’re coming near you. They’re worth the trip, and then some.
This article was published by The Concert Chronicles and you can find the original article here.
