Melbourne trio Moon Elevator release their haunting second EP The Shadow That Follows You Home on Friday 25 July.
The four-track collection sees photographer and songwriter Gareth Sobey leading his bandmates deeper into the nocturnal world of psychedelic post-punk that first emerged on their debut release. Joined by drummer Nigel Moyes from Ferla and bassist Stephanie Davis, who also handles synthesisers, Moon Elevator have crafted an atmospheric journey through the complexities of modern relationships and urban alienation.
Formed in 2024, Moon Elevator have quickly established themselves within Melbourne’s underground scene with a rather cinematic approach to post-punk. The Shadow That Follows You Home builds on this foundation, offering a more mature and emotionally resonant exploration of the band’s sonic palette. The EP was recorded between Sobey’s home studio and Head Gap with producer Rohan Sforcina from Oh Mercy, making it one of the last recordings captured at the beloved Preston studio before the fire.
Moon Elevator
- What: The Shadow That Follows You Home EP launch
- When: Thursday 7 August
- Where: Shotkickers, Melbourne
- Support: Grazer and HYLA
- EP release: Friday 25 July
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Exploring the shadows of connection
The EP’s four tracks weave together themes of urban disconnection, romantic yearning, and the search for authentic human contact in an increasingly alienated world. Opening track In This City sets the tone with its meditation on metropolitan loneliness, where Sobey’s vocals float over a propulsive motorik rhythm (that classic Krautrock 4/4). The song’s central refrain about connection being hard to find in the city becomes a recurring motif throughout the collection.
This sense of isolation permeates the entire EP, but Moon Elevator approach it with nuance rather than despair. On Silver Screen, the band explores transformation and possibility – it’s pretty dense subject matter, but whoa, Sobey sure can write a lyric…
Every doubt is just another chance
To imagine more than you know
And what do I know?
Well I saw the clouds turn into a silver screen The past, present, future all folded into one
Moon Elevator don’t try to offer easy answers, creating space for reflection. It all gives weight to emotions that probably seem a little more ethereal on paper than they actually come across in the songs themselves.
The visual presentation also demands recognition. The Lynchian music video for Haunted Telephone, directed by Sobey with partner and artist Melinda King, extends the EP’s themes into visual form. King also contributed the album artwork, creating this gorgeous, cohesive aesthetic that reinforces the band’s careful attention to how their music exists in the wider world.
“When I formed the group, the plan was to indulge my love for the stranger, more introspective corners of post-punk from artists such as Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cure and Rowland S Howard,” Sobey adds.
“Once the three of us got together in a room, however, the project quickly tilted into more psychedelic, cinematic territory – which is probably unsurprising, given all the time I’ve spent listening to groups like HTRK, Mazzy Star and Slowdive.
“From a songwriting perspective, I’ve always connected deeply with songwriters such as Thom Yorke and Nick Cave who write songs that can be oblique and impressionistic but still full of yearning and direct emotion.”
The upcoming launch show at Shotkickers – a fantastic venue for them – promises to showcase these songs in their intended environment. The pairing with shoegazers Grazer and psychedelic dreamers HYLA suggests an evening that will explore different facets of Melbourne’s current underground scene, with Moon Elevator perhaps representing the more narrative-driven end of the spectrum.
The EP stands as both an accomplished artistic statement and a promise of what’s to come from this promising trio. In a music landscape often dominated by immediate gratification, Moon Elevator offer something more substantial: songs that reveal their depths over time and create genuine emotional connection with their audience.
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