Haunted Summer

interview by JORGE PEREZCHICA

Haunted Summer consists of husband-and-wife Bridgette Moody and John Seasons from Los Angeles, CA. Their music collaboration has been described as psychedelic dream pop, rich with orchestral strings and sultry electronic textures. The songs from their debut album Spirit Guides, “are almost as personal as diary entries,” said John. The first time I saw Haunted Summer perform live was in 2016, at Sharon Ryder’s Dream House, Joshua Tree, CA. Their live set was inspiring and filled with energy, as psychedelic sounds transported listeners under the desert stars. In the spirit of the Halloween weekend — Haunted Summer returns to the desert with multiple shows at Ace Hotel & Swim Club and Art Pop gallery grand finale in Palm Springs, CA. Saturday, October 28, 2017.
Coachella Magazine caught a moment with Haunted Summer to talk about their music and inspiration.

What’s the story of how Haunted Summer met and formed as a band?
JOHN SEASONS: Bridgette and I both knew each other from playing in the LA music scene for over a decade in other projects. We started writing music together after our friendship grew into romance during a difficult Summer we both were having, you could say we found each other among chaos. Those demos took off more than either of us expected and the rest is history.

What has been your experience like navigating through the LA music landscape?
BRIDGETTE MOODY: We’ve always maintained a hearty interest in the local scene, and support many blossoming acts, but for us it has always made more sense to play beyond our hometown. That’s why we treat LA so delicately.

You have a new album titled “Spirt Guides” released in September 2017. What was the inspiration/fuel behind the songs?
JOHN: The inspiration for the album and the songs came from real life experiences and our spirit guides that help us navigate life.The songs are almost as personal as diary entries.

 I’ve read that some of the music was recorded in Joshua Tree — can you tell us about that experience
BRIDGETTE: We got a chance to record with Dave Catching at Rancho de la Luna, and we can honestly say those were some of the best days of our life. The desert atmosphere has always inspired us, and it just lent itself perfectly to the recording process. Rancho is such a special place and we are truly in awe of what we were able to do there.

How has your music evolved since that band formed 5 years ago?
JOHN: The music has evolved so much from when the band first started. I feel like this new album was a big push for us to step outside the previous boundaries and throw the rules out the window. We have added many new elements and have definitely taken risks to get get our current sound to where it is which has been described as psychedelic dream pop.

What has been the response to “Spirt Guides” so far and what are your tours plans?
BRIDGETTE: So far, so good. We’re playing a few shows around home base through the holidays, then planning on hitting the road heavily in early 2018.

The first time I heard Haunted Summer play live was at Sharon Ryder’s Dream House, Joshua Tree, 2016.
This Saturday, October 28th you play at her Art Pop gallery— How did you guys meet up?
JOHN: We meet Sharon at Dreamhouse for this show and immediately hit it off as friends. She is a genuine great artist and person who really cares about the planet and fellow artists. We have been following each-others work and when she asked to close up Art Pop we couldn’t say no!

What are the challenges and rewards of being a band in today’s music industry?
BRIDGETTE: The challenge of art will always remain how to survive off of it. We live in an age where instant gratification has overshadowed the time and effort it takes to create art, and it is an uphill battle of matching the market where we can. But just as the art is the challenge, it is also the reward. The fact that we are able to travel and play music all around the world is an honor, and we never take that for granted.

When you’re not touring or creating, what do you do for fun together?
JOHN: We love watching movies and great tv sitcoms, we also enjoy spending time with family and our dog mac. Some favorite recent shows we have gotten inspired by include The OA, The Leftovers, Stranger Things and Black Mirror.

Is there anything special you have planned for the Halloween holiday?
BRIDGETTE: Playing here at Ace Hotel in Palms Springs and ART POP! A music packed weekend and costume contests- sounds about right to us!

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