In 2006, Trevor Terndrup mooned a taxi during a night out in downtown Nashville, Tennessee with his five best friends.
A couple weeks later, when the group of five students decided to form a band while at Belmont University, there was no better choice than Moon Taxi as the name.
Now, 16 years later, the band has grown tremendously and is inseparable.
Each of the artists - Trevor Terndrup, Tommy Putnam, Spencer Thomson, Tyler Ritter, and Wes Bailey - got into music at a young age. They all had parents and grandparents who were passionate about music and pushed them at a young age to play an instrument.
Moon Taxi started out as a local band and slowly grew their platform by touring around the country before social media skyrocketed.
"We had very grass roots and never did anything crazy marketing-wise to gain a larger audience for a long while," said Thomson.
During their first few years, the band would post on "Myspace" and cross their fingers for 100 or more plays a day - that is when they knew their songs were successful.
Moon Taxi defines their band as a brotherhood. They believe that their loyalty has set the scene for their success.
"The fact that we have been the same five guys since 2006 is almost unheard of in the music industry. It makes us stand out as a band," said Terndrup.
Moon Taxi's creativity flows almost naturally because of their long-standing friendships and comfortability around one another.
They begin songwriting by Wes playing around on the piano, then Spencer joins in with his guitar and lastly lyrics are added.
"Each song has a different process of forming. We do a lot of experimenting until something sounds right to all of us," said Thomson.
Their musical inspirations include Phillip Glass, Pheonix, and Metallica. However, they believe that good music permeates and purposely seek out different styles for inspiration.
"Although we could talk about artists we look up to or love all day, our greatest inspirations have to be one another. I am inspired by these men every day in the studio or on stage," said Thomson.
Moon Taxi hopes their fans know how personable of a band they are, as they have always intentionally sought out opportunities to connect with them.
"There was one fan who has come to our concerts since he was 10. Talking to his family is always a breath of fresh air, we even have their numbers. Now he is in college, and we love when he reaches out for us to perform at his fraternity functions," said Terndrup.
After playing around the United States, the band collectively says their favorite venue to perform at is the "Windjammer" in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
"Playing outdoors is just fun in general and the crowds at the Windjammer are always top notch," said Terndrup.
Moon Taxi is currently wrapping up the finishing touches on their newest album. The lead-off track will be released in April, and the entire album will arrive this May.
"The new songs are very fun to sing and listen to - I hope our fans enjoy them as much as we do," said Thomson.
Their official website is ridethemoontaxi.com. Here you can sign up for their newsletter, follow along with new tour dates, listen to their music and buy merchandise.
Sally Ozmore
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