Moon Boots New Album ‘Ride Away’ is a Gateway Drug for Those Getting into House Music
NEW YORK–BASED DJ AND PRODUCER — Moon Boots, also known as Peter Dougherty, is ready to hit the ground running with his third studio album, Ride Away. Out March 17 via Anjunadeep, the album features sounds of house music, soul, and disco.
Ride Away was crafted over the course of two years, with 10 songs highlighting Dougherty’s talents as an artist. Eight of the tracks feature other artists, including Cherry Glazerr, Dope Earth Alien, and Nic Hanson. Dougherty hopes this album reaches both new and old fans.
“Maybe people don't even listen to that much house music, but this is sort of like a gateway drug for them,” Dougherty said. “That's one type of person — someone who's maybe been a fan of electronic music for years and is a bit jaded. Maybe this, the album, is a breath of fresh air.”
Continue reading below to hear about the electric Moon Boots and all that’s to come with Ride Away and catch him on tour this May to see him perform his forthcoming album live for the first time.
LUNA: Why did you decide to plan to release the album on March 17? Does the date hold any importance to you?
DOUGHERTY: We wanted to give enough time from when we started to when the album is ready to go. As always, a lot of factors go into it. One of them is how long it takes to put [it] on [vinyl], which takes a long time, especially these days. Another is, it's not totally up to me. It's up to the label. But I am really happy it’s March 17 because not only is it St. Patrick’s Day, it's my wife's birthday. It's the beginning of spring!
LUNA: It’s an awesome day — I really like it! How do you think your sound has changed and developed since your first release in 2017?
DOUGHERTY: I’ve got a new single coming out this week. That's a very new sound. It's way faster than anything I’ve put out before. I feel like my sounds have gotten more versatile. I've got some tracks that are more clubby and more things that could tend to be R&B — I'm never content just doing one sound. In the course of each album, I push myself further to see what I get to do in terms of, you know, doing everything.
LUNA: I was wondering, how has becoming a dad affected your music? Has having Vivian, [your daughter,] changed your perspective on life? Has she affected your music and intertwined with everything?
DOUGHERTY: I mean, yeah, it definitely has. It's been interesting, just getting out and DJing the past few months — that took some getting used to as a dad; that's definitely pretty weird at first being in a club environment. Towards Christmas I was like, “Okay, all right, I could do this again, I could do this again, this isn't totally weird.” I mean, it's … the bond that you have instantly with your child. It's a very powerful and primal thing, and you want to do everything you can in your power to help them … and love them. I started working on some new things, but I haven't really had time yet. I think … it'll be interesting to see — it's still kind of a work in progress to see how being a dad affects the music that I'm writing.
I feel like one way that [it] will have an impact is I will be less of a perfectionist, which I definitely can be and have been. Just because I realize, like, “Okay, I could spend a week on getting this one thing to sound perfect” or “I could spend more time with my daughter and maybe it already sounds good.” Not to sacrifice quality or anything, but just to … trust my instincts more — that kind of thing.
LUNA: Do you have a favorite song on the upcoming album?
DOUGHERTY: Obviously I love all the songs that have been released as singles, but there's a couple that aren't singles but they really deserve special attention. One is “Refuge” with Steven Klavier — it's almost like a ballad, kind of like Jai Paul. But very soulful and has a kind of a rock feel to it. It just feels really warm and beautiful. I'm really proud of that song — it really shows my friend Stephen’s personality.
The other song is called “On & On” with the singer Dope Earth Alien — she's phenomenal. It's got a very R&B vibe. Even some of the backing vocals are reminiscent of the very first tracks and edits I did, and it feels like a first full-circle moment for me, but with a very crisp [sound]... I love that song, too.
LUNA: You mentioned you have some collabs on the album. What is it like working with such a variety of artists, and how does that collaboration process work?
DOUGHERTY: I mean, I think it's nice to work with a variety of people because you get different perspectives. There's just more variety in the music, and its more distinct voices are really what it's all about… I think the most important thing for me is [that] they have a unique voice, songwriting, and they have a perspective. I'm proud of the songs on this album. I don't think we're leaning on cliches and catchphrases and stuff that's kind of chasing whatever other people are doing. I think that everyone's got a unique voice, but it adds to a whole that's bigger than the sum of its parts.
LUNA: What specific kinds of feelings are attached to this album? What feelings did you have when you were making it?
DOUGHERTY: I think there’s a lot of hope in it… This started in … early 2021, [when there was] still a lot of uncertainty. I was looking for optimism. And that's generally what I look for when I’m making music. If I'm feeling somewhat hopeless and stuck, working on new music really makes everything better… when I can kind of create a feeling with music. That's what it's all about for me. And that's what this album does as well. So I think there's some hope and some escape, and a lot of love.
LUNA: Who are you looking to reach with your new album?
DOUGHERTY: I think there's a danger in just trying to reach people who are connoisseurs of electronic music. I want to welcome people where they are, and people who maybe already know a lot about electronic music or maybe [who] are more into the musicality and songwriting.
I try and bring a lot of that to the table, harmonically and sonically. Maybe people don't even listen to that much house music, but this is sort of like a gateway drug for them. That's one type of person — someone who's maybe been a fan of electronic music for years and is a bit jaded. Maybe this album is a breath of fresh air.
That’s the hope, you know, and … I don't discriminate [between] young and old. Or any other possible way. So yeah, I hope this is something that finds a lot of people.
LUNA: What is your favorite part about touring?
DOUGHERTY: I think [touring] surprises people because they maybe think of me as just a DJ or something like that. To show that I have this whole other side as a musician, keyboardist, etc., that's kind of a thrill to be able to do that and play and entertain people with just my music. As much as I love DJing where I’ll play maybe a quarter to a third of my tracks, when you're doing a live show, that's all your music, and so there's no, “Oh, yeah, let me throw in this other track.” I know they're gonna love it. You got to show people your stuff and what you got. So it's a challenge, but it's also connecting with the audience.
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