American Songwriter Royal Holland Reworking Ziggy Stardust – Releasing “Vol. 3 Program” – “Unfolded” EP Trilogy – Touring In Support January 2016

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Songwriter Matt Mooney aka Royal Holland continues his reconstruction of a Ziggy Stardust-esque persona on the road this winter in support of the 3rd and final installment (Vol. 3 Program) on an EP series titled “Unfolded” releasing January 15, 2016.

The trilogy features Vol. 3 along with Vol. 1 The Maze and Vol. 2 Flamingo.  Volumes 1 and 2 are for sale and streaming online.  Unfolded concludes a tragic story of young love lost through death and the sky kingdom. In the songs, he tries keep her memory alive and also deals with his surmounting grief. Chronologically the EPs fit together. The Mazeasks questions of existence and meaning.  Flamingo attempts to answer them.  Vol. 3 Program releases this January and two LPs are in the works after that.  Each continue to tell the story of Royal Holland.

“The Program is bound to the body in which it sits –  meaning, we’re stuck in these bodies and these conditions because our selves are stuck in them, but that restriction can be very freeing if we realize it and capitalize on the true nature of our selves,” Royal concludes.

“I’ve been in many bands over the years like local favorite Koala Fires, but this is the first time I’ve ever branched out as a solo act.  It began by simply busking with my guitar and writing a lot of songs. I developed some backing tracks that had some dance beat elements to them and was starting to flesh out the tunes in my head. This was the basis for Vol. 1 The Maze,” Matt shares.

He then took his demos to Grammy-award winning producer Brian Olive (The Greenhornes, Dr. John) to collaborate on the production of those five songs that define the developing Royal Holland sound.

“We utilized a lot of the beats and sounds which give the first EP that electronica sound. This was also the first time I had gone into the studio and recorded all the parts myself. I was used to doing that for demos, but had never accomplished it for a recording,” he continues.

As a result, Royal Holland now plays live with a backing group of very talented musicians and singer/songwriters in their own right from the region.  The need for a band informed more of the recording of Vol. 2 – Flamingo.

Touring this winter on shared stages and live sets with Margaret Darling as backing support will bring to life the broad brush strokes of the developing Royal Holland sound. It’s a sound drawing comparisons to Father John Misty and Kurt Vile but in this instance none of the three could ever replace or replicate the other.

Unfolded Tour Dates
01/15 – Cincinnati, OH – Northside – Unfolded Release Show
01/18 – Livingston, MT – Murray Bar
01/20 – Helena, MT – Lewis and Clark Brewery
01/21 – Seattle, WA – The Sunset
01/22 – Moscow, ID – One World Cafe
01/23- Eugene, OR – Wandering Goat
01/24 – Portland, OR – Tardis Room – w/Margaret Darling
01/26 – San Francisco, CA – Hotel Utah
01/27 – Santa Cruz – Blue Lagoon
01/28 – Joshua Tree, CA – Joshua Tree Saloon w/Margaret Darling
01/29 – Joshua Tree, CA – Joshua Tree Saloon – Solo Acoustic
01/31 – Ft. Collins, CO – Surfside
02/01 – Kansas City, MO – Mills Record Co.
02/0 1 – Kansas City, MO – Minibar
02/02 – St. Louis, MO – FOAM