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Moon Fever: The BIO
When Mitch Micoley left Los Angeles, he knew he had arrived at the right place. “I came to Seattle in the middle of summer,” the guitarist recalls. “Everyone was wearing black, covered in tattoos, blasting rock music out of their cars. I just thought, this is home.”
Mitch left behind what remained of Moon Fever’s 2020 incarnation and started fresh in 2022. What followed was a revival. Moon Fever’s bluesy, garage-rock foundation evolved into something louder, sharper, and unapologetically modern, delivered with confident power.
“I wanted something that hit harder — a band that sounded like the shows I wanted to see.”
That decision led to the definitive Moon Fever, a Seattle powerhouse with the gloomy weight and emotional punch of the Northwest and the focused passion of Active Rock.
Mitch rebuilt from the ground up, enlisting bassist Dave Orton, drummer Troy Wageman, and vocalist Tristan Bracht. “We had a few guys come in, and everyone was good, but when Tristan walked in, we knew in ten seconds,” Mitch says. “He was the guy.”
Screaming guitars and vocals with a dynamic punch and the melodic heft of ‘90s alt-rock combine in Moon Fever, a high-energy rock band powered by raw nerve and charisma.
Moon Fever live is a transcendent experience, whether at massive festivals like Sonic Temple, supporting Godsmack in an arena, or touring with Buckcherry and Des Rocs.
“Live Fast Die Young,” “Nothing Left to Lose,” “Getting Loud,” and the title track amassed millions of streams for their eventual full-length album, 2025’s Forever Sleep, produced by Jim Kaufman (Helmet, Everclear, Emery), and driven by big riffs and even bigger hooks.
“The majority of the material was written on the fly,” Mitch explains. “Sometimes it starts with a riff, or a lyric idea from Tristan, or something I’ve been playing around with. We go into the studio not knowing what’s going to happen — and that’s the fun part.”
This instinctual, ego-free process included sessions with a diverse swatch of proven cowriters. Curtis Peoples (Pierce the Veil), Mike Pepe (Taking Back Sunday), Mitchell Marlow (In This Moment), and Brian Howes (Simple Plan) helped push into bold new territory, without sacrificing the identity or the integrity of the men of Moon Fever. “They gave us perspective. Someone throws in a new idea, and everything opens up,” Mitch says.
The result is a still-evolving sound that keeps Moon Fever rooted in pure rock spirit while widening the edges with textures, tension, and a pulsing sense of danger. Mitch cites Nine Inch Nails and Ministry as unexpected influences on their new material. “Some of the songs have that darker, industrial vibe,” he says. “It’s still us, but it’s more dynamic. It feels alive.”
The September 2025 release of “Decayed” marked the start of Moon Fever’s next chapter — and fans immediately took notice. “The feedback was crazy,” Mitch says. “People were like, ‘It’s a different sound, but it fits you guys perfectly.’ It feels like a natural evolution.”
That forward motion defines everything Moon Fever is doing now. The plan, as Mitch outlines, is simple but ambitious: a series of EPs leading to a second full-length LP, each one revealing another side of the band. The process of narrowing down songs has been equally organic. “You know when you play it in the room,” Mitch says. “You can feel it in the first ten seconds. If it lights you up, it’ll light the crowd up. That’s how we decide what stays.”
For all the studio work and songwriting breakthroughs, Moon Fever remains a live band at its core — and nothing compares to that feeling onstage. “We played a show in Italy that I’ll never forget,” Mitch says. “The response was so inspiring. It reminded us why we do this.”
Moon Fever’s story isn’t about chasing the past — it’s about carrying rock’s defiant heartbeat into the present tense. It’s loud, it’s emotional, and it’s alive. As Mitch puts it, “We just want to make something that feels dangerous again. Something real.”