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Talking Tracks: Spare Parts by Moose Almighty

The 7-track LP written and recorded in the band's basement during quarantine is full of amalgamated lyrics, funky bass riffs, and the stank of funk.

Dan Ray May 5, 2021
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Talking Tracks: Spare Parts by Moose Almighty May 5, 2021

Raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, Dan discovered an early passion for singing, songwriting, and the arts as a whole. She got her BA in English and music at the University of Michigan, where she reported for the school’s paper, The Michigan Daily. She worked as a Senior News Reporter on the government beat, transitioned to arts writing, and eventually became the managing editor of the social media department. She moved to Seattle in 2017. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and discouraged about the lack of press surrounding Seattle’s music scene, Dan made the decision to turn Dan’s Tunes, a fully fledged music journalism website focused on showcasing the Seattle area’s musicians, into its own startup. There’s so much music happening in the city that spawned Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix — among others — and Dan’s Tunes is determined to find and expose those outstanding acts. The goal is to have satellites in every major US city, uplifting diverse and compelling voices and helping music communities thrive. In 2020, Dan was featured in the Seattle Times’s year-end music critic poll. Other than her musical endeavors (singing, playing ukulele, and auditioning for American Idol four times before the age of 24) Ray is passionate about food and education around the American food system, and she’s also a large proponent of eliminating the stigma around mental health. Ray loves cats, especially her own, who is named Macaulay Culkin (but she’s a lady).

Photo by Peter Cozens

Twice a month on Talking Tracks, we interview local artists about their latest drops — song by song. It’s a little bit like a curated Spotify playlist, except way more in depth, and it’s all the people who live right in our city. In each episode, you’ll get to listen to the full album or EP right alongside the artist’s inspiration behind the tracks. Now, we’re teamed up with LiveMo and Amit Sounds to bring you special, live set editions of the podcast.

Seattle jam band Moose Almighty released their third album, Spare Parts, on March 26, 2021. In this live episode of Talking Tracks, Dan and Moose Almighty break down the meaning behind and the making of each song on the project — a 7-track LP written and recorded in the band’s basement during quarantine full of amalgamated lyrics, funky bass riffs, and the stank of funk. This episode was recorded at the Fremont Abbey.

Listen and subscribe to the full interview below, and then click through our photo story for all the best moments. Download the LiveMo app on Apple and Android to stay updated on future live episodes.

Track listing:
1. Nine O’Clock Shadow – 14:25.
2. Katie Bar the Door – 29:00.
3. No Brains, No Headaches – 42:20.
4. Next Fall – 1:02:00.
5. Mountain – 1:16:35.
6. Hot Wax – 1:33:10.
7. Florida – 1:55:30.

This episode of Talking Tracks was recorded at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center, a space managed by nonprofit arts events organizer Abbey Arts. Abbey Arts also manages the Ballard Homestead and partners with St. Mark’s Cathedral, Uheights, and more to create accessible arts events.
Amit Amram — a local producer who has worked with Natalie Paige, Jeannie Rak, and Gallaway — runs sound for the podcast.
Moose Almighty is a Seattle-based jam band. From left: guitarist and vocalist Chris Young, bassist and vocalist Aaron Mitchell, vocalist and keyboardist Dan Underkofler, and drummer and audio engineer Kevin Shoop.
Founder and CEO of Dan's Tunes, Dan Ray, introduces the game for this episode. Since Moose Almighty is a jam band, Ray asks the band what kind of jam best represents each song.
Underkofler plays four keyboards: a Roland DS88 Judo, a microKORG, a Roland V-Combo VR-09, and a Korg Minilogue.
Track two, "Katie Bar the Door," is the first single from the album. "Katy bar the door" is a southern idiom used to mean "watch out."
The band had planned a bowling-themed photo shoot for the album art for Spare Parts but was forced to cancel due to COVID-19. Instead, Mitchell illustrated a cover featuring several people and a moose at a bowling alley.
Shoop produced and mixed Spare Parts, as well as Moose Almighty's first two albums. Spare Parts was recorded live in the band's basement studio and features only seconds of overdubs.
Young is the second guitarist for Moose Almighty. The former guitarist, who is also named Chris, left the band in 2019 after moving to Portland.
On keys for six of the songs on Spare Parts, Underkofler plays guitar on "No Brains, No Headaches." The title comes from something his dad used to say in regards to playing hockey. The sentiment revolves around being able to take a physical hit in the absence of mental prowess.
Young answers most of the jam questions. For "No Brains, No Headaches," he choose bacon jam for its savory qualities.
Shoop learned to play drums by playing "Rock Band." Although he's been playing for years, he said he still isn't adept at using his left foot, as the video game only has one pedal.
Ray emphasizes how important for artists to continue submitting their work to music publications. She didn't provide coverage for Moose Almighty's first two albums, but she said she wanted to cover Spare Parts because she recognized the band's growth between projects.
Abbey Arts hosts several online events, such as The Round: a monthly gathering of live musicians, slam poets, and live painters.
Track four, "Next Fall," is about Young's experience doing acid at a Phish show. The title comes from the saying, "Have a nice trip. See you next fall." He's been to over 60 Phish shows.
While Young is the biggest fan of Phish, the entire band studies them. All four band members said they look to Phish to learn how to take cues from each other during jams.
Underkofler, Mitchell, and Young split songwriting duties. A true jam band, Moose Almighty doesn't have a lead singer, as each band member sings the songs they write.
Track five, "Mountain," was written by Mitchell. He began writing the track when he lived in Maine circa 2011. He chose blueberry jam for this song, as he said it has a blue aura.
The band describes their writing process as "yes and." Someone will bring an idea of a song to practice, and each band member will add onto it. They record all of their practices for content ideas.
A group of transplants, Mitchell is from Maine, Underkofler is from Connecticut, Shoop is from Virginia, and Young is from Boston. Young joked that Donnie Wahlburg is one of his favorite actors (because he's from Boston).
Moose Almighty said their songs are never truly finished. When they play live, they're constantly evolving the recorded takes.

Photos by Peter Cozens.

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Raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, Dan discovered an early passion for singing, songwriting, and the arts as a whole. She got her BA in English and music at the University of Michigan, where she reported for the school’s paper, The Michigan Daily. She worked as a Senior News Reporter on the government beat, transitioned to arts writing, and eventually became the managing editor of the social media department. She moved to Seattle in 2017. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and discouraged about the lack of press surrounding Seattle’s music scene, Dan made the decision to turn Dan’s Tunes, a fully fledged music journalism website focused on showcasing the Seattle area’s musicians, into its own startup. There’s so much music happening in the city that spawned Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix — among others — and Dan’s Tunes is determined to find and expose those outstanding acts. The goal is to have satellites in every major US city, uplifting diverse and compelling voices and helping music communities thrive. In 2020, Dan was featured in the Seattle Times’s year-end music critic poll. Other than her musical endeavors (singing, playing ukulele, and auditioning for American Idol four times before the age of 24) Ray is passionate about food and education around the American food system, and she’s also a large proponent of eliminating the stigma around mental health. Ray loves cats, especially her own, who is named Macaulay Culkin (but she’s a lady).