When people ask Moon how she got started on the drums she always goes through the same process in her head of trying to find memories of an early Emily Moon tearing through a kitchen and banging on pots and pans. That’s not how it played out for her though. . . she can’t even remember picking up sticks.

Drums have always been a part of Moon from before she can remember. Growing up, being a famous drummer wasn’t an aspiration of hers. She played percussion in the school band and was never forced by her parents to practice–she just did because she enjoyed it. She joined her high school’s drumline becoming the only girl on snare, and went to drum camp and won best snare drummer. It was all very normal to Moon, like that’s just what people do.

Moon didn’t sit behind a drum kit until she was 15 years old but already had all of the chops, technique, and coordination from marching band–which she soon quit after feeling the energy of what a full kit had to offer and what jamming with friends felt like. From then on she was in bands. Sure she grew up listening to the classics–AC/DC, Zeppelin, Queen, etc.–but those drum heroes didn’t inspire her until later on in her drum career. Moon’s inspiration came from within. She states she’s always been a woman of few words but finally drums gave her something to say and she could say it LOUD. That is when drums became serious for her.

In 2016, Moon moved from her hometown of Houston, TX to Atlanta, GA with only what she could fit into her truck: drums and clothes. Once settled, she reluctantly put an ad up on Craigslist looking for other musicians to play with, and to her surprise, ended up finding and joining the mischievous Starbenders. The sound they make is an alchemic blend of androgynous rock and roll power with stuck-in-your-brain pop. Starbenders are the catalyst of Moon’s drum career. It’s with them that she truly felt her drumming style come to light…

Starbenders are currently on tour in Japan.