WALK THE MOON Lyrics and Profile

Formed in 2008 in Cincinnati by singer and keyboardist Nicholas Petricca, Walk the Moon is an American indie rock band comprising four male members: Petricca, Kevin Ray, Sean Waugaman and Eli Maiman.

The band – whose name was taken from the famous Police track, Walking on the Moon – has gone through several members, with the current line-up being cemented in 2010. Well-known in Ohio for club performances, the band hit the big time with performances on Letterman and Fallon, aswell as sell-out nights at festivals including Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.

Their debut album, which was self-titled, led to a hugely popular tour and, following this, the band came together to write a host of new material. “We went from three years of constant movement on the road to having six weeks where we could set everything else aside and focus strictly on writing,” Petricca said in the band’s official biography. “We’d never had an opportunity like this before,” wrote bassist Kevin Ray. “We were able to live and work in a really creative space - just the four of us.”

Following this intense writing session, the group moved to North Hollywood, where they worked with music producer Tim Pagnotta and began two months of solid recording. One of the singles they wrote was called Shut Up and Dance. Described as a pop-rock anthem that entices listeners to free themselves from the constraints of self-consciousness, the song has already become a favourite with fans. The album, called Talking Is Hard, contains a “bunch of really committed, confident shouts into the darkness,” Petricca went on to say.