Shady Angels lead singer Brayden Moore returns home with new name and solo project, ‘Radio Flyer’

When two members of local band Shady Angels graduated from high school and lead singer Brayden Moore made the move to Bellingham to attend Western Washington University, the end of one of the most consistent young bands in the Spokane scene became inevitable. But Moore’s new environment and change of operations would foster a musical area of exploration and retrospect that has culminated in a debut solo project.

Although the shift from writing outright rock to Americana and folk may seem intense, it appeared almost naturally for Moore. Without other members of his band to work with and stuck playing an acoustic guitar instead of a roaring electric inside his dorm, this stripped-down approach became Moore’s sound.

“It’s got a way different flow to it since it’s just me and the guitar, which kind of makes it a little more grounded and gives more experimentation,” Moore said. “Being more stripped-down just really helped me deliver a different kind of sound, which happened to be Americana or country or folk or whatever.”

This shift in style distinctly changed Moore’s approach to songwriting. While writing for Shady Angels, particularly their record “Try My Door,” he was intentionally vague and let the listener discern their own interpretation. While tackling this new sound, he found himself to be much more precise and defined.

“I really had something more to say,” Moore said.

Being across the state in Bellingham deeply affected Moore’s writing and sonic direction. He mostly wrote about Spokane, the place he’s called home for the majority of his life, including the changes in perspective while living in a faster-paced environment with a vastly different sense of culture than the Lilac City.

Released on Dec. 12, “Radio Flyer” is named after the downtown red wagon Moore grew up accustomed to; a landmark that now evokes the same sense of nostalgia and longing the album does. The nine-track project mostly consists of stories about friends, past relationships, some personal experiences, and even hypothetical narratives – such as that of “Washington Home,” which Moore describes as a “dark fantasy” song about “running off the rails.”

“It dives into some more gritty storytelling about past relationships and ‘something that could’ve been,’ ” Moore said. “It’s kind of a sad album actually thinking about it, but I had fun writing it!”

Moore released the record (and his music for the foreseeable future) under the stage name “Jesse Hawkins” for a handful of reasons. For one, he simply “always thought that cool people had stage names,” but it is also in order to help him step away from Shady Angels.

“I didn’t always want to be ‘Brayden Moore from Shady Angels,’ as much as I loved that, I wanted to really separate myself,” Moore said.

Back in town for winter break, Moore will be holding a release show Friday at the Big Dipper – a venue he knows well. Shady Angels was once a staple of the venue that he hasn’t played in over a year, making the concert a true homecoming of sorts – especially considering he will be joined by the band’s lead guitarist Owen Sonntag.

“It’ll give me a weird sense of deja vu being at the Dipper,” Moore said. “It kind of feels like those days are really gone for good; it’s a weird sensation that I’m kind of gearing up for.”

Introducing Spokane to “Radio Flyer” and Jesse Hawkins make the performance all the more meaningful.

“I’m really excited to showcase what I’ve got for everybody and to see the versatility that I’ve kind of given this new album,” Moore said. “I think it’s going to open people up to a new sound from me.”