Half Moon Run : in Four Movements

Who would have thought that a Craigslist ad for an impromptu jam session would spawn a global musical phenomenon? That’s exactly what Montreal band Half Moon Run has achieved: 15 years of music and four albums later, the band, with its folk-rock influences and soaring harmonies, continues to surprise.

Many artists toil in the shadows for years, seeking to earn some recognition. For Half Moon Run, that recognition came with the release of their very first album, Dark Eyes, in 2012.

“That was the album that made them famous,” says freelance journalist Steve Bergeron, who followed the band’s evolution while writing about the cultural scene for La Tribune. “What’s special is that they achieved both critical and popular success. That’s quite rare for a debut album.”

Since then, the group—consisting of Devon Portielje, Conner Molander, and Dylan Phillips, joined for a few years by Isaac Symonds—has traveled the world and hit the charts in several countries.

1. Full Circle

For Steve Bergeron, there are two stand-out tracks on Dark Eyes, starting with its first single, “Full Circle.”

“It's a very striking song, for its particular rhythm, among other things,” says the journalist. “Things really took off for them with this song, they started touring internationally from the very start.”

2. Call Me in the Afternoon 

A second cut from Dark Eyes, “Call Me in the Afternoon,” embodies the young musicians’ concerns—they were in their twenties at the time.

“‘Call Me in the Afternoon’ is much like ‘Full Circle,’ in that it addresses existential questions about relationships,” Bergeron continues. “You feel like it’s a very young worldview. The song stands out for its percussive elements. It’s a very rhythmic song, whereas they later accustomed listeners to songs with slower tempos.”

3. Turn Your Love 

Written in California—where the band members went to recharge their batteries after the success of their first record—, the album Sun Leads Me On was released in 2015. “Turn Your Love” was the lead single.

“Even though album reviews were more mixed for this release, ‘Sun Leads Me On’ and ‘Turn Your Love’ confirmed that the band wouldn’t just be a flash in the pan, that the success of the first album wasn’t a fluke,” says Steve Bergeron.

“Musically, I think ‘Turn Your Love’ is a very strong song… it has a very complicated rhythm. It proves that the guys in Half Moon Run are true musicians.”

4. Favourite Boy

Taken from the album A Blemish in the Great Light (2019), “Favourite Boy” embodies the “song of maturity” for Steve Bergeron.

“Without completely losing what they were—the freshness, the innocence, the naiveté of their rather brilliant beginnings—, you can feel that they’ve added their acquired experience and musical maturity to the mix. To me, this album is their best. It’s where the band members are most in control of their means, where they explore different sounds.”

Back on stage with the OSM

Almost eight years after their first collaboration, which ICI Radio-Canada described as a “sumptuous meeting,” Half Moon Run is reuniting with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for three new shows, on May 13, 14, and 15, at the Maison symphonique.

This is a great opportunity for long-time fans of the band, as well as for those who have only recently discovered them, to hear some of their key songs presented with symphonic arrangements.

Join conductor Adam Johnson, and let the unique harmonies of Devon Portielje, Conner Molander, and Dylan Phillips carry you away in a concert that promises a perfect combination of orchestral finesse and pop creativity.