For the past several years, Mike and the Moonpies have been making a name for themselves as Austin Texas’ premier honkytonk band. With the growing regional popularity of their 2012 release “The Hard Way,” radio single of the same name and a rigorous regional touring schedule, they’ve recently taken the entire Texas music scene by storm. The Moonpies have delivered some of the most unforgettable performances in recent years in venues like Gruene Hall and Luckenbach. They have also gained a cult-like following in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and all throughout the Midwest.
Mike and the Moonpies maintained a rotating cast of musicians from ’08-’10 before solidifying the current lineup of Kyle Ponder, Preston Rhone, Zach Moulton and Catlin Rutherford. In 2011, with the addition of John Carbone on piano, the Moonpies moved to a new honkytonk in east Austin, The White Horse. That was where they carved out their niche. While playing a blend of original material from their debut album ‘The Real Country,’ and covering songs by their Austin predecessors like Doug Sahm and Jerry Jeff Walker, The Moonpies built what would become one of the most infamous residencies in recent Austin music history. That same year, the band was also made waves to a nation-wide audience thanks to an offer to participate in the touring concert, Barnstormer IV.
In 2012, the band self-released ‘The Hard Way.’ A ten song original album that showcased the tightness and maturity the band had developed over the past year. The following year would prove to be an eventful one for the band. The Moonpies started to open for larger acts in the Texas music scene and were gaining praise from bands like Eleven Hundred Springs and Hayes Carll.
While on a run with Austin icon Ramsay Midwood through Tennessee, the Moonpies reached out to a Nashville and Austin based booking agency, Red 11 Music. After seeing the band live, Red 11 decided to help The Moonpies spread their music to a wider audience. Since then, Mike and the Moonpies have maintained a rigorous touring schedule supporting acts like Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Turnpike Troubadours and the legendary Johnny Lee. They have also had the opportunity to headline at iconic venues such as like Luckenbach TX, The Broken Spoke, John T. Floore Country Store and Oklahoma City’s famous Wormy Dog Saloon. For the past year, they have been making a film documenting their life as a regional touring band and writing and recording a full length album. Both the film and album will be released in 2014. With tales of their on-stage antics, genuine songwriting and dedication to playing real country music are spreading like wildfire; The Moonpies are on the path to becoming a household name in Texas music.