The new album Big Blue Moon by alt/indie rock band The Moss. Big Blue Moon is an irresistible nine song indie rock collection celebrating freedom, self confidence and living life by one’s own rules. Tyke of the band shares, “This is our first complete project in years. I feel like a totally different person from the last time we released an album, it’s been so long. We have been writing and touring the whole time, and growing as people. We love how it came together and are proud to have found a more current version of our music in the studio this past year. It represents breaking free from social norms and living life the way you want it to be, and not on other people’s terms.”
The Moss have over 75 million streams and have received acclaim by the likes of Alt Press who named them a “Rising Artist To Watch”. Recent festivals include Bottlerock, Levitate, Ohani and Paradies with Briston Maroney. The band also announced a spring 2026 headline tour including a date at Kilby Block Party alongside Lorde, The XX, Modest Mouse and more.
Whether he’s living in his van in Santa Cruz, surfing in France, working on a horse ranch in Montana or paragliding in Utah, Tyke James is one nomadic individual, a rolling stone who does indeed gather The Moss, the band name under which he’s written and performed a unique brand of alternative rock, as a teen first in O’ahu, Hawaii, and currently in Salt Lake City.
“Moss grows on every continent,” explains the singer/songwriter/guitarist about the origin of the band’s name, though he has often described it as the result of an experience on acid. “It’s not to be confused by its cousin algae. It’s neither commonly noticed nor loved, but it’s everywhere, it’s ubiquitous. All the things you’ve heard about moss apply to us.”
The Moss broke through with the four-song Insomnia EP, leading the way with more than 25 million streams, the title track – which Tyke describes as “a bittersweet song about codependency, the point in a relationship where you feel incomplete without the other person” — has landed on Spotify’s U.S. Viral 50 chart with major support from Sirius XM’s Alt Nation. Other highlights of the past year include well-received sets at Las Vegas’ Life Is Beautiful and Idaho’s The Festival at Sandpoint.
Their latest album Big Blue Moon is an irresistible nine song indie rock collection celebrating freedom, self confidence and living life by one’s own rules. Tyke of the band shares, “This is our first complete project in years. I feel like a totally different person from the last time we released an album, it’s been so long. We have been writing and touring the whole time, and growing as people. We love how it came together and are proud to have found a more current version of our music in the studio this past year. It represents breaking free from social norms and living life the way you want it to be, and not on other people’s terms.”
With an eclectic sound that echoes both ‘60s surf-rock, the pure melodic joy of the Beatles, reggae’s danceable island rhythms and a hard-edged ‘90s emo aesthetic reminiscent of the Replacements, U2 and Vampire Weekend, The Moss take their cue from the outdoors, both Utah’s towering peaks and Hawaii’s tropical surf. Tyke grew up in Arizona, then worked on a horse ranch in Montana, where he learned to ski, before picking up surfing when he moved to O’ahu at 13. It was there the seeds of The Moss were born, including stints performing alongside fellow surf-rock legend Jack Johnson at a local fund-raiser when not entertaining diners at taco trucks in between surf sessions.
“The music is definitely inspired by the environment we’ve been in. The balance of nature is the most creative thing in the world,” explains Tyke about The Moss’ songs. “How everything works together in such an intricate and detailed manner. Getting to a place where you’re either meditating, surfing or hiking, it’s easy to tap into that energy. The things that don’t matter then disappear. That happens with music as well.”
With a robust 2026 national touring schedule still on tap, Tyke is anxious to get back on the road. “There’s something special that happens when you get an immediate reaction to a song,” he says. “Whether it’s during a live show or even just a songwriting session, if there’s a reaction from people in the room, you know you’re on the right track. It feels weirdly personal with our fans. I don’t know how we amassed such a following, but I’m very grateful we have.”
“Anything that you put your creative energy into, it can turn into an art form,” explains Tyke. “ And the better you get at it, the better you can express yourself through it. Sound is at the basis of all matter. That’s pretty epic.”
4/23 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia
4/24 – New York, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
4/25 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
4/27 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Cafe
4/29 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig
4/30 – Columbus, OH – Skully’s
5/1 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi
5/2 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
5/6 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
5/7 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theater
5/8 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
5/9 – Kansas City, MO – Madrid Theater
5/11 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
5/13 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theater
5/14 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theater
5/16 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Block Party
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