MoonShroom
Bio
MoonShroom is a vibrant, up and coming Americana act, known for blending their bluegrass roots with futuristic cosmic grooves and rock n roll energy. Formed by songwriters Lily B Moonflower & Jake Keegan, MoonShroom’s sound is both nostalgic and fresh, appealing to a diverse audience. Combining genuine lyrics, tight vocal harmonies, and intricate instrumental conversation, MoonShroom delivers a one of a kind musical experience.
The group, hailing from Kansas City, performs captivating sets on stages far & wide. Featuring Lily B Moonflower on guitar & vocals, Jake Keegan on dobro & vocals, Zach Bozeman on upright bass, & Colby Allen Walter on mandolin, electric guitar & vocals. Together they create a unique sonic tapestry, building a bridge the audience can cross to feel a oneness with the musical energy radiating from the stage!
Establishing themselves as a national touring act performing with the likes of Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, Split Lip Rayfield, and Kyle Tuttle Band, MoonShroom is now blasting off with their debut album, Take a Trip, a 10-song adventure that balances Moonflower’s powerhouse vocals and songcraft with Keegan’s introspective songwriting style and masterful dobro playing.
“I think it’s such a good representation of us as a couple and the band,” Moonflower observes of the album that was recorded live at Element Recording in Kansas City. Their musical journeys have both been built up from grassroots beginnings, steeped in community musical gatherings, barroom stages, and jamming late nights at festivals under the stars. Collectively, they use words like “connecting,” “joyous,” “celebratory,” and “liberated artistic expression” to describe both the album and spirit of MoonShroom, which reflects their musical upbringing.
Both Keegan and Moonflower have felt a strong connection to music since childhood. Keegan harbors fond memories of his parents cranking up classic rock in the car, creating a feel-good environment that spoke to his spirit. “I always remember that enthusiasm of, ‘Music’s a fun part of life that lifts us up and should be celebrated.’” Also born with music in her blood, one of Moonflower’s earliest memories is that of her father playing in the church band, the young Moonflower resting on her mother’s shoulder as the sound of the music translated differently from one ear to the other. “I remember thinking, ‘This is something that’s woven into our society that I feel very deeply connected with,’” she professes. “I've always had an affinity for music from a very young age.”
Both Keegan and Moonflower picked up guitar as teenagers, a passion they paired with songwriting. “I'm so in love with songwriting,” Moonflower confesses. “Nothing makes me happier than having a new song.” Coincidentally, Keegan and Moonflower grew up merely miles apart, but their paths didn’t cross until years later. Before uniting as MoonShroom, both musicians built individual careers in the regional music scene as the Lily B Moonflower Band & the Jake Keegan Band / Grassfed. But their lives changed course one night with a performance at Kansas City’s famous music showcase, Rural Grit. “I remember I saw Lily onstage. She was playing this beautiful Gibson guitar and her singing was out of this world,” Keegan recalls of the special moment. He admits that they “admired each other from afar” until Moonflower asked if he wanted to play Dobro on the album she was recording, Keegan jumping at the opportunity. The studio recording session then turned into Keegan playing in her band at live shows, and their music relationship naturally blossomed into a romantic one. While they continued to perform as Jake Keegan Band and Lily B Moonflower Band, the pair also started to make music together in what would become MoonShroom. They shared a cosmic moment one night while on tour across the Pacific Northwest and were camping at Mount Shasta, the silhouette of the mountain cast in the pale light of the full moon above. When Moonflower made a joke about how the moon looked like a mushroom, it quickly sparked the inspiration for the name of the duo. While the two have since left their previous bands, they’ve incorporated several of their former bandmates into MoonShroom: electric guitar and mandolin player, Colby Allen Walter and bass player, Zach Bozeman.
As they continue to form their own identity as MoonShroom, Keegan and Moonflower are taking the strengths from each of their previous projects and channeling them into a cohesive identity. Describing it as a “wide-reaching album,” Keegan says Take a Trip offers a blend of rock, bluegrass and indie folk. The album opens with “Sunflower State of Mind,” “a jam-grass homage” to their home state of Kansas, while “More With the Miles” is an indie folk song about missing your loved one while on the road. The title track serves as an anthem that honors the start of the MoonShroom journey, touching on “wholesome” themes of traveling and camping with your dog. “Somewhere on a Mountain,” is a metaphorical song about, “The struggles and strife of life to achieve your goals,” Keegan says. “There are some tougher subject matters hidden within the songs. But they're more songs of empowerment.” The album wraps up in a lively party, exploding like musical confetti. Before you know it, you wonder when you blasted off into space.
For both singers, Take a Trip marks a milestone in their musical journey, Keegan comparing the album to a visual of two galaxies colliding. But at the root of it all is the connection they hope to make with fans. “I feel like at its very core, music has to be something that excites you and that you're passionate and inspired by,” Keegan proclaims. “What I'm chasing is what makes us feel alive and inspired.” “When I write a song, I write from a place of what is going to connect with the people listening. I feel like that's what we need right now more than anything is to feel a connection”. “The nature of humans is to want to be connected,” adds Moonflower. “I hope it has the most positive impact on the world possible.”
Take a Trip will be out on June 27, 2025 with a busy tour schedule of festivals and performances across the country in support.. Hop on the cosmic train, and come join the Party on the Moon!
