By Ally Uhlendorf and Isabella Darcy
Arts & Entertainment Editors
As the lights began to dim in the Kendall Hall TV studio, the audience went quiet in preparation for the live performances to commence at WTSR 91.3 FM’s semi-annual event, Underground, on Feb. 24 and 25. At Underground, the radio station, along with Lions TV, brings in local artists and bands from the Mercer and Bucks County area to record live studio sessions and performances.
Mainly focusing on alternative and indie music, WTSR provides over 20 genres of music, hourly news updates and college sports and podcasts 24/7 from the studios located in Kendall Hall. This semester, the station brought in 10 different bands from the surrounding area, all with a unique and alternative sound. One of the bands that performed on the Saturday show, Moonroof, participated in an interview with WTSR and The Signal to discuss their passion for performing.
“Putting together a live set of songs and sharing it with people and connecting with people in that way is something you can’t get from anything else,” guitarist Eric Juelke said.
The Philadelphia-based band consists of lead singer Dave Kim, 29, drummer Dan Rendine, 29, guitarist Johnny Fordyce, 25, and bassist Kevin Randolph, 30. Juelke, 23, who is not an official member of the band, joined Moonroof at the College for its WTSR Underground set.
Kim, Randolph and Rendine met while they were students attending Bloomsburg University. The three got their start playing at open mics and festivals at the university. After receiving positive feedback from audiences, they decided to pursue music together as the band Moonroof, which made its official debut in 2018.
The musicians moved south from Bloomburg, Pennsylvania, to the Philadelphia area and met Fordyce who joined the band.
Moonroof has released two albums and one EP since its debut. The EP, titled “TOMOS,” came out in November 2023 and showcased the band's signature indie pop sound. During its WTSR Underground set, Moonroof played groovy “Maybe Crazy,” off of “TOMOS,” along with pining “Honey Honey” and unreleased, vivacious “Bottle It Up.”
The musicians said that they take inspiration from indie pop and indie rock artists such as The Killers and The 1975.
After catching sight of Moonroof’s indie work, independent record label Free Dive Records signed the band in October 2020. Through the label, the band met producer Victor Sabatino who aids the band in its creative song making process. For Moonroof, making music is a collaborative process powered by individually inspired ideas.
“Trying to make music like an actual band does, we sit in the room and we just try to go out and just make the best song possible,” Kim said.
Moonroof intentionally makes music with spirit and catchy melodies to make for high energy shows. The band puts its heart into its live performances, and its ability to captivate an audience was evident at WTSR Underground.
“You just put your soul out there and your passion out there,” Kim said.
As every band does, Moonroof has faced multiple challenges as their fame has kickstarted. Through social media, the group is trying to expand their fanbase and get recognized on a larger scale. However, because of the abundance of local, smaller artists also utilizing social media to gain recognition, the group has faced hardships in this process.
“There’s just so many artists, there’s so much music being uploaded every single day — it’s hard to stand out,” Rendine said.
Despite these challenges, the group prevails and sticks together. They have a close-knit bond, and spend most of their time together.
“We’ve been very lucky and fortunate as a band, the chemistry of the band is growing as well,” Kim said.
As the band continues to grow, they have an abundance of aspirations and plans for the future. This summer, they will be debuting their next album and touring cities in the midwest and south. They also have three upcoming singles that will be featured on the album: “Bottle It Up,” “2 a.m.” and an unnamed third song.
On their upcoming tour, the band will be hosting shows at multiple major cities, such as Pittsburgh, Denver and Chicago. In addition, they are planning to perform an album release show in the summer to celebrate their latest project. This Friday, March 1, they will be opening for Wheatus at The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware
“We’re just super pumped — let’s just say good things will come,” Kim said.
