Early years The band first started busking in 2010, playing in front of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. The band started out playing mostly jazz, but then moved to dance music after a better audience reception. Later, they decided to busk in the
New York City Subway. In the process they were banned from the
Bedford Avenue station by the NYPD, who tried to prevent people from dancing on the platform edge. In 2011, they appeared as the house band on the Australian TV series ''
Hamish and Andy's Gap Year'' where they were re-christened "The Busketeers". Their album artwork is designed by Ari Michael Warner.
2013–2015 After gaining a reputation from busking, Moon Hooch started to release albums, beginning with their self-titled debut on June 25, 2013. It was recorded in a 24-hour period at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, and most of the copies were sold while the band was still busking. Their second album,
This is Cave Music, was released on September 16, 2014, and was the first to use synthesizers, post-production work, and vocals. It received positive reviews, and many reviewers commented on the band's unique style. Their next album,
Red Sky, would continue to use the same elements pioneered in
This is Cave Music. Moon Hooch has been influential in the “brass house” genre, as well as pushing the boundaries of jazz. In July 2014, they performed a
Tiny Desk Concert at
NPR in Washington, D.C.
2016–2024 The band released their first EP,
The Joshua Tree, in early 2017. Their second EP,
Light It Up, was released on April 6, 2018, via Hornblow Recordings. The short three track EP was announced alongside the video for the first single of the album, "Acid Mountain." On November 5, 2019, Moon Hooch released the single
Candlelight, followed by an announcement of the release of their newest album
Life On Other Planets. The album was released in January 2020, and was followed by a large North American tour and a smaller European tour. In February 2022 they released a continuous play album
2021: A Hooch Odyssey, which featured remixes of their favorite songs. On September 9, 2021, the band released a new album titled
Super Cone Bros referencing the character
Mario.
April 2024–present On Wednesday, April 10th, 2024 via his
Facebook, Jules Jenssen posted from
Asbury Park, NJ to announce that he would be playing drums with the band at Wonder Bar that night and "for the foreseeable future." Jules had previously assisted Michael with configuring his
live looping setup (including auto-looping) and collaborates in similar capacities, and as a live playback engineer, with artists including
Machine Gun Kelly,
Lil Wayne,
The Kid Laroi,
Cordae,
Benee and Honeycomb (
Beat boxer and musician). On Monday, April 21st, 2025, Moon Hooch announced through their social media that they would begin an indefinite hiatus starting in 2026. In their announcement they also stated that each of the three members would be taking time to focus on their solo careers. They will continue to play shows through to the end of 2025. ==Philosophy==