Meet Above the Moon: The MIC Mag's February 2025 Musician(s) of the Month!
- Stefani M.C. Janelli
- Feb 5
- 3 min read
Meet Above the Moon:
For nearly a decade, Above the Moon has been delivering no-frills, heartfelt rock straight from suburban New Jersey. Blending elements of singer-songwriter storytelling, shoegaze textures, and infectious pop melodies, the band has crafted a sound that’s entirely their own. With five EPs, an acoustic collection, and a full-length album under their belt—many recorded with acclaimed producers—their DIY spirit shines through in their homegrown work at Bottle Hill Recording in Madison, NJ. As they enter their tenth year, Above the Moon continues to push forward with There Is No Arrival Volumes 1 and 2, a pair of EPs exploring the beauty of living in the moment.
This February, The MIC Mag is celebrating Above the Moon as our Musician(s) of the Month!
Genre: Pop Rock / Bubble Grunge
Members: Kate Griffin, Vocals, Guitar
Shawn Murphy, Guitar
John Gramuglia, Drums
Kyle Griffin, Bass
Fun Facts: "We met on Craig's list! Kate and Shawn found each other's ads on the site 10 years ago, and discovered they were living just a mile away from each other. John and Shawn were friends from a previous job, so when we needed a drummer, Shawn knew who to call. Shawn started on bass, but after a lineup change switched to guitar. Kyle, our bassist and newest band member, is Kate's younger brother. Shawn's career in graphic design and John's in public relations have been enormously helpful in terms of our online content, designing merch, and marketing, and both Kate and Kyle are teachers, which make for the most structured practice agendas you've ever seen."
What makes Above the Moon stand out?
"We each bring our unique musical tastes together to create an original sound. Shawn is heavily influenced by 90's rock (Foo Fighters, Weezer, Pearl Jam). John is both a death and hair metal guy (The Scorpions, Poison, Lamb of God). Kyle has a deep appreciation for 50's and 60's rock as well as the blues. Kate enjoys everything from emo punk (The Smoking Popes, Bayside) to singer-songwriters (Ben Folds, KT Tunstall). None of these things should go together, but somehow they do."
What is Above the Moon most known for?
"The most common compliments we receive after a live set is how tight we are. We rehearse once a week, but we each take our role in the band seriously and work as a team to make sure we all sound our best."
What has Above the Moon been working on?
"The Only One"
""The Only One" is the first single off the first of two EP's we'll be releasing this year. There Is No Arrival Vol. 1 and 2 are a collection of songs written over the last two years that explore the idea of living in the here and now because that’s all we really have."
"Being a musician is all-consuming. When you're not making music, you're thinking about making music or analyzing someone else's music. Even when you're completely exhausted and totally sick of making music, you want to write a song about it." - Above the Moon
Do you have any advice for other aspiring independent musicians?:
"It's very easy to get caught up in the competition of the music world, of who has more song plays, who has more monthly listeners, who brought the bigger crowd, who has the better time slot, etc. You have to regularly remind yourself why you're doing what you're doing, and hopefully, it's because you love it and have something to say. If you focus on that, you are rarely disappointed, and you'll be doing it for longer." - Above the Moon
Listen to Above the Moon and their latest single "The Only One" here
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