
Walk The Moon
Photo: Courtesy of RCA Records
Dancing With Walk The Moon
Indie pop/rock band Walk The Moon visited The Recording Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to participate in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview. Walk The Moon discussed when they knew "Shut Up And Dance" would be a hit, how overcoming adversity inspired their album, Talking Is Hard, and the message they want to convey on the album, among other topics.
"You never know if a song will be popular," said frontman Nicholas Petricca. "But I think when we first wrote 'Shut Up And Dance' there was something in us that knew immediately. ... And when we really felt it in our bones was the first time we played [the song] live. We were at this college in St. Louis and by the second chorus the kids were already singing along."
Cincinnati-based Walk The Moon comprise Petricca, guitarist Eli Maiman, bassist Kevin Ray, and drummer Sean Waugaman. The quartet debuted in 2010 with the independently released album, I Want!, I Want! They followed with 2012's Walk The Moon. Produced by GRAMMY winner Ben Allen (Gnarls Barkley), the album broke the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 and included the Billboard rock hits "Anna Sun" and "Tightrope."
In 2014 Walk The Moon released Talking Is Hard, which features 12 tracks, including "Shut Up And Dance," which landed at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Different Colors." The album peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200.
Walk The Moon are currently on an international tour, with dates scheduled through January 2016.