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When they first formed, the boys in Dexter and The Moonrocks simply wanted to make

a living through music. It started with a short list of goals: pay the bills by writing songs

and book a couple tours. Now, a few years into the band’s existence, they are playing

major festival stages, releasing chart topping hits, and each new song is received by

fans with feverish anticipation. The vision may have been a little smaller when they were

playing to empty dive bars in Abilene, but they have wildly surpassed those early

dreams, and then some. These four friends from small-town Texas meshed the country

and western of their childhoods with the grunge they fell in love with as teenagers and

landed on top of the charts. That intoxicating combination has led to the quartet

expanding their early humble vision to accommodate where the music has led them:

they want to be the best damn rock band in the world.

 

The group–which consists of James Tuffs (lead vocals and guitar), Ryan Anderson

(guitar), Ty Anderson (bass), and Fox (drums)–first broke through in 2021 with “Couch,”

which captivated audiences thanks to its enchanting melancholy. On the live version of

“Couch,” they showcased their rock bona fides, spicing it up with a fast, electrifying

backend.

 

They continued to refine their grunge and alt-country infused rock sound, releasing one-

off singles and a live EP before unearthing their breakthrough project, 2024’s “Western

Space Grunge.” That EP is bolstered by “Sad in Carolina,” their first radio single and

one that happened to hold No.1 on the alternative rock charts for seven weeks. The EP

title became a way for fans to describe the band’s sound: a versatile, genre-busting

style they were quickly becoming known for across the US. “It’s a really cool way for us

to not box ourselves into a certain sound,” Tuffs explains. “It homes in on what we love

while leaving room to explore new ideas.” The group’s live chops were further on

display with their cover of Tyler Childers’ “Messed Up Kid,” a cut they offered as a gift to

fans as a thank you ahead of new music in 2025. It, too, gained its own viral success

and further elucidated the concept of “western space grunge.”

All this has led to their most focused and powerful statement to date, the “Happy to Be

Here” EP, which signals their second release under Severance Records—a new label in

partnership with Big Loud Rock. It’s their most confident and mature collection to date.

The six-track collection is led by “Ritalin,” a slow-burning, stadium-ready anthem that is

quickly becoming one of the most popular songs within the band’s discography.

“I think a lot of people are connecting with the song that may not have a direct

relationship with drug abuse or issues with prescription medication,” Fox explains. The

layered guitar melody and Tuffs’ powerful, contemplative performance gives the song a

cathartic energy that fans have latched on to. “This is the part where I freak out/ Don’t

know what to do/ Said you wanted just a rebound/ All I ever do is shoot,” Tuffs sings

over explosive drums and a head-nodding bassline. He turns a specific observation into

something every listener can identify with through the power of captivating melody.

In honor of the release of “Happy To Be Here,” Dexter and The Moonrocks pressed

their first ever vinyl, “The Double EP.” Side A features all tracks from “Happy to Be

Here” and Side B showcases all songs from “Western Space Grunge.” The limited

edition vinyl pre-orders went live on March 27 to fans and the initial stock sold out in 15

minutes.

It’s this blend of specificity and relatability that has helped Dexter and The Moonrocks

move from their small-town beginnings to where they are now, on the precipice of

changing the face of rock music, both in Texas and nationwide. “We’ve been making

good music for a while now, but on “Happy to Be Here”, you can hear how confident we

sound,” Fox explains. Despite their desire to stretch their scope across the nation and

across the globe, the band still attributes their Texas roots for the secret sauce that

makes them one of a kind. “It’s Texas and then it’s 49 other states,” Fox says with a

laugh. “My ego is like, we’re from the greatest state of all time, so we need to make

music worthy of that.”

For Tuffs, the band’s success has made once seemingly impossible dreams their new

reality. “The initial goal was to be where we’re at now, paying the bills doing something

that we love. I could happily be here for the rest of my life,” he explains. “Now, though,

we’re going to be the best band we can possibly be.”