The Act: MOON PANDA

The Covid Version: ‘CALL IT FATE, CALL IT KARMA’ (by The Strokes)

The Format: DIGITAL SINGLE

The Release Date: SEPTEMBER 11TH 2020

The Digital Link: orcd.co.monpanda_fatekarma

The Corona Truth: back in the curious spring of 2020, when the growing global pandemic ensured that the playing of gigs suddenly became as practical as the flying of pigs, fierce panda asked its momentarily baffled acts to choose a favourite tune by a.n.other band to rock down with in lockdown. These covers would form the Covid Version Sessions, informal home recordings designed to capture the strange mood of the moment.

Casual or not, the quality of the sessions was so impressive that these Covid Versions are now seeing the digital release light of day throughout the autumn, starting with woozy dreamboats MOON PANDA on September 11th, who’ve taken The Strokes’ ‘Call It Fate, Call It Karma’ (from their 2013 ‘Comedown Machine’ album) and given it a great big cosmic cuddle. As Moon Panda singer Maddy explains, their covering certainly befits the project’s essence of spontaneity:

“We were all just sitting in the barn jamming and then I started singing that song because I’ve always loved it and then everyone else just started playing along. After the first time we played it through we all thought, ‘That went well! Let’s do it again and record it.’ It was really spur of the moment and I think we only played it through twice. It was one of those times where it just felt right and happened without a lot of thought or planning.”

The Other Truth: coming from the mythical, mystical lands of California and Denmark, Moon Panda is a worldly wise duo fully prepped to gently launch you into the electric currents that govern deep space. When Moon Panda isn't lulling you into a dream with their hypnotic, mellow grooves they're whipping up trippy, psychedelic music videos that coax you into their world and ask you to stay awhile. The one for first panda single ‘Rick F***in Dalton’ featured the kind of bulbous papier mache noggins last seen on Frank Sidebottom, as you can see and hear here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6J6bNeYUFQ

Such is imaginative life with the ever-orbiting Moon Panda. Fronted up by songwriter/singer/bassist Maddy Myers (she be the young American) and guitarist Gustav Moltke (he be the great Dane) they released their new ‘Make Well’ EP on the panda on July 3rd. Bloody lovely it is, too: yearning and melancholic and layered with echoes (echoes echoes) and slinkier than a ferret in a feather boa. 6Music’s Lauren Laverne agreed, claiming second track ‘Slow Drive’ as her favourite single of the year.

Third radio track ‘Sirens’ added to the beguiling story with its dreampop aura underpinned by beefy ELO drummings, because Moon Panda exist in a glorious world full of swooning vocals and swooping twangs with a touch of Mazzy Star gone star-gazing, or perhaps the nonchalant thrill of a thoroughly chilled Raveonettes. These are people who enjoy documentaries about space, all the animals, their band dog B-MO, being by the sea, giant trees, and great television.

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