New Jersey band Mirrors On The Moon's dual single, “Wild Love / California,” is officially out now. The songs were written and produced by frontman Donny Dykowsky and mastered by Grammy-nominated Joe Lambert (Mt. Joy, Sharon Van Etton, Black Crowes). Glide Magazine premiered the video for "Wild Love." They cheered, "With a distinctively vintage feel to the music video, the song is a sharp and grooving work of laid back rock and roll. Big Tom Petty-style choruses and a nice dose of organ give this song the feeling of soulful Americana-rock. We also get a healthy amount of feedback-laced, psyched out guitar soloing that gives the tune a trippy, acid-washed feel. If you’re looking for an easygoing summer road trip tune, this is it."
The dual single starts with “Wild Love,” a sing-a-long track that lands somewhere between Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead with its Bonham-esque shuffle and Jerry Garcia-inspired guitar riff.
The lyrics place the listener in the driver seat on a road trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway headlong on a great-American adventure. The accompanying lyric video tells the story of two young women on a cross-country road trip at golden hour. With sweeping mountains, highway shots and film grain nostalgia, the song grooves along with emotional depth, personal lyrics, and guitar work that hints at Muscle Shoals-era Stones.
“This song is actually the story of a Summer road trip down South,” says Dykowsky. “Riding horses with my family in Asheville and camping in the Smoky Mountains on our way to Nashville. Once I got home, the song pretty much wrote itself.”
“Wild Love'' was recorded and mixed at Dykowsky’s production studio, The Ski Team, where he produces music and sound for brands and film. “I typically create a demo as a map, then bring in the rhythm section to track drums and bass live, followed by keys. I wanted these tracks to breathe and have a live feel, so the intent of the performance is everything. Early takes often have the most charm, so vocals are usually the scratch or second pass - and I’m a sucker for 3-part-harmonies, so I stack those wherever I can.”
“California” begins as an acoustic blues song with nods to Colter Wall and Zeppelin III. It’s cinematic, haunting and touches on the feelings of love and regret. Initially, the production seems simple, but as the second verse creeps in things get lush and trippy. If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of a steel slide against the fretboard of a dreadnought, which is a nice Easter Egg. Things get big when the band kicks in, and there’s a bunch of ear candy to chew on throughout.
“What’s crazy is that I just wrote this song last month and here we are releasing it," says Dykowsky. "I feel that sense of urgency is a good habit to get into.”
“Wild Love / California” is the follow-up to MOTM’s 2023 debut EP, Whisky & Wine, which garnered over 40k Spotify monthly listeners and over 500k streams and counting. Mirrors On The Moon features Donny Dykowsky on vocals/guitars, Freddy Pastore on bass (Chesterwhite), John Hummel on drums (Lady Gaga, Get The Led Out), Dave Archer on keys (UNI and the Urchins), and Emily McMahon (Colorjoy) on backing vocals for their live shows.
Mirrors on the Moon will perform live on Sunday, September 22nd at 118 North in Wayne, PA with Rob Leines and Ellis Bullard. The band will continue to play select dates throughout 2024.
