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After releasing their first single in April of 2019, Mississippi Moonlight has only one direction to go, and that’s up.
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Sam Newman and Dillon Douglas began the band in 2017. Zac Blackwell, Nick Manton, and Clint Johnson later joined the band as the bassist, drummer, and lead guitarist, respectively. There is no shortage of talent in the band as both Newman and Douglas were prior members of Somethin’ Sweet before beginning Mississippi Moonlight. Manton previously had been a drummer with the Adam Doleac Band.
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Mississippi Moonlight plays a versatile range of music from the latest pop hits to country singles to their own original music. The band plays across genres and decades to entertain crowds of all ages and backgrounds. Not only do they perform popular songs with their own unique personal touch, but they also bring to the stage a high level of musicianship and showmanship. The band’s southern roots evokes a sound that’s both soulful and expressive.
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In the past, Mississippi Moonlight has shared the stage with artists including Adam Doleac, Drake Bell and Joe Diffy as well as a number of talented local musicians.
Over the years, they’ve said, “One day we’re going to sit down, write a song together and get in to the studio to record it.” Well, that “one day” came about a year ago when Newman and Douglas sat down together and wrote “Dresser Drawer.” This country ballad about a girl moving on after a breakup was the product of Douglas’s genius of crafting melodies and guitar riffs coupled with Newman’s way with words. Within an hour, the song was complete.
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They recorded a video of their new tune and put it on Facebook — reaching almost 7,000 views in a week. Following the song’s success, Newman and Douglas hit the studio with the rest of the band members. After submerging themselves in the complex process of recording and producing music, the band birthed an outstanding recording and fulfilled a dream that two guys from Sumrall have had for over a decade.
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A review of the band’s original single posted on SleepingBagStudios.ca read: “This is authentic…a genuine representation of the style that so many others spend so many years trying to emulate – inside of the five pieces in Mississippi Moonlight, they’ve already got everything they could need in the heart of this band. And if they were somehow wondering if their own originals could compare or compete with what else is out there right now – it’s more than clear from the sound of ‘Dresser Drawer’ that they certainly can.”
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