Date of signature: November 2023
Label: Severance Records, Big Loud Rock
Band members: James Tuffs, vocals; Ryan Fox, drums; Ryan Anderson, guitar; Ty Anderson, bass
Music type: Western Space Grunge
Management: Chris Schoemann, Lions Claw Entertainment
Booking: Mike Krug, WME
Legal: Kent Marcus
Advertising: Ashley White, Ashley White Public Relations
Website: dexterandthemoonrocks.com
A&R: Steve Robertson
Dexter and the Moonrocks began as a country project and quickly gained popularity after they began incorporating grunge and rock elements into their sound. After just a year and a half of touring, their shows were selling out with 1,000 people in attendance. After two years, they had amassed 670,000 followers on TikTok and over 50 million streams.
Given these numbers, it was inevitable that labels would express interest. “We didn’t want to go the independent band route,” reveals drummer Ryan Fox, who goes by Fox because there is another Ryan in the band. In July and August last year, they considered three candidates.
Before the artists could make a decision, they were told to wait – something was about to happen. Finally, their radio announcer announced the news: Steve “Steveo” Robertson and Mike Easterlin were starting a new label, Severance Records, and they wanted the spacey alt-rockers to be the first new signings for the Big Loud Records label.
The prospect was immediately appealing, especially because they feared getting lost in a roster of bigger acts. At the same time, the idea of being part of Big Loud was a tantalizing thought. They hit it off with the industry veterans, whose star-studded resumes include stints at Atlantic Records and Elektra Entertainment. “They just got it,” Fox claims. “They were happy to let us be ourselves.”
The guys consulted amongst themselves and quickly decided to get started. It was another example of the musicians being in sync as a band. They sealed the deal at a show in Austin, Texas. Since Texas is the state where they started, that moment brought everything full circle.
“(We’re) three guys who grew up in a town of 700 people,” marvels the 23-year-old college dropout, pointing out that the group’s humble beginnings involved recording in a closet. “We’re so lucky that Mike and Steveo found us.”
