Moon Worm was born out of necessity. Jack Schaefer grew up on a farm in rural North Dakota, loving indie rock but having no one to share his passions with. As a result, being “able to do it myself was kind of a necessity,” Schaefer admits, so he writes, records, and mixes all of Moon Worm’s music himself. The project is, in that way, clearly rooted in one man’s singular vision. Now based in Minneapolis, his latest work is the “Midnight Audio” EP – with the self-titled lead song as the focus track, available now across all the usual reputable streaming platforms.
The “Midnight Audio” EP demonstrates a burst of artistic growth as well as a more personal pursuit for deeper thematical meaning, as Schaefer says: “Themes surrounding love, uncertainty, and regret clash with a side of me that knows it’s best to just let things fall into place on their own. I am proud of these songs and hope that others can relate and hold onto the feeling I cast into the world.” To illustrate: the track “Dopamine” is a fatalistic life lesson; in life the things that are most difficult are the most rewarding and maybe even in ways you don’t realize at the time. “These Games” details the uncertainties of a new love affair, whilst “Meet Me There” is a happier tune about the journey involved in a meeting of people and minds and the strange and sometimes unknown directions this may take you.
Title track “Midnight Audio” is an intensely introspective and ethereal electronic dreamscape where he evaluates the past, present and future and the very limits of our humanity. Schaefer insists it is a “...song about regret and wondering if the choices I made in my life are the right ones. A slow realization that we’re only on this earth for a short amount of time and if you let these feelings control you then you can never truly appreciate those around you and the experiences you’ve had.” Given our collective shared human experiences these last few years, this sentiment resonates powerfully.
Moon Worm is an interesting and unusual name for a music artist - how did you think of it and what does it mean? It’s based off the first full moon of March known as the “Worm Moon” which symbolizes spring & new life. I flipped it and the name just instantly stuck with me! At first it seemed more like a joke, but I think my music has grown into it and I’ve gotten several props on its originality which is awesome to hear.
What inspires your creativity? I self-record and produce all my music which gives me total creative freedom. This can be scary at times since it’s just you alone in the studio making decisions but at the same time it lets me be the most honest version of myself possible. Often, I have this feeling or idea that carries me right to the end of a song and I love that my creative process allows that to happen.
"Midnight Audio' EP and focus track are out now - can you tell us more about this release? Midnight Audio is a collection of songs I wrote when I was in a sort of transitional phase of my life. After graduating college and moving into the adult world I felt myself being pulled in many directions. The feeling of not wanting to release your youthful dreams and aspirations while also being stricken with realistic expectations of what that looks like leads to the existential feeling in several of the songs. I think it speaks to the state of mind many of us find ourselves in with modern life.
Any future tour plans? The Moon Worm live set is something I’m excited to release into the world! I have a visual performance to accompany when that time comes but no tour dates announced yet.
Where can we find you online? Best place to see everything online and stream my music is my landing page, Instagramis where you can stay up to date with the latest news and my YouTube channel is where I will be posting new music videos and other fun video content!
