Driven by invigorating rock dynamics and the dazzling vocals of singer, gui… Read Full Bio ↴Driven by invigorating rock dynamics and the dazzling vocals of singer, guitarist, and chief songwriter Jeremy Griffith, Moments in Grace is richly melodic yet fraught with a potent, progressive edge. The debut Album showcases the bands talents with songs such as the stirring first single, "Stratus," and the energetic "My Dying Day" explore haunted emotional terrain - loneliness, struggle, regret - yet ultimately achieve great beauty and genuine catharsis. Produced by Brian McTernan - known for his work with the likes of Thrice, Cave In, the Movielife, and Hot Water Music - "MOONLIGHT SURVIVED" is a genuinely moving, often inspiring premiere that stands as a powerful introduction to a remarkable new band.

Griffith and bassist Jake Brown first met in the late 1990s, when the two musicians played in a couple of North Florida punk combos. Griffith eventually moved north to Boston, but they maintained their friendship via e-mail and late night phone calls. In 2001, Brown issued a disc of Griffith's demos, called The Purple Magnolia, through his "really, really, really indie" label, Computer Club Records. When Griffith returned to Florida the following year, it seemed obvious that the two friends should team up in a band. They enlisted guitarist/keyboardist Justin Etheridge and drummer Brandon Cook to fill out the line-up. Taking their moniker from a lyric by Fugazi precursor Rites of Spring, Moments In Grace was born. They quickly began playing live gigs, but most of their time was spent holed up at Griffith's rented rehearsal space - dubbed "the Factory" - writing songs and refining their sonic approach.

In June 02, Moments In Grace supported Liars Academy at a show near Birmingham, Alabama, and the two like-minded outfits became fast friends. Later that year, Liars Academy was recording tracks with renowned indie producer/engineer McTernan at his Salad Days Studio in scenic Beltsville, Maryland. During a break between sessions, McTernan overheard the band's guitarist listening to Moments in Grace's early demo CD.

"I was like, Holy shit, who is that?'" McTernan recalls. "Jeremy's voice was unbelievable. I just couldn't stop listening to it."

Impressed and moved by what he'd heard, McTernan reached out to the young band, with an eye towards signing them to his new Salad Days imprint. He flew down to St. Augustine, Florida to see them play live, and while he was intrigued with their provocative sound, it was clear Moments in Grace was still in its embryonic stage. It wasn't until drummer Tim Kirkpatrick (formerly of prominent hardcore outfit As Friends Rust) was drafted into the fold that the band began to truly gel into something special.

The four musicians knew they had found their fire after penning the yearning, anthemic "Stratus." "It really set the tone for what we wanted to do with the band," says Griffith. "Recording it was awesome as well. We rented a Hammond B3 organ, which is really cool to get to play. We also brought in a string section, which took the song to a whole other place."

On April 18th 2006, the band posted a blog on their Myspace page saying that they "had decided, after extensive touring and promotion for our album "Moonlight Survived", to take a rest from the band. Did we break up? Not officially, there's always a chance that Jeremy, Tim and I will write music together again (touring? no.). However, we're all very much wrapped up in our own separate lives at this point."

As of 2009: Tim is currently living in Hollywood, CA and recently played drums for an As Friends Rust reunion tour in Europe. Jeremy lives in Atlanta, GA and records all sorts of great bands. Jake lives in St. Augustine, FL and is currently playing bass for Frodus, and singing/playing guitar in The Eastern Wave.

Distant and Longing Light
Moments In Grace Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You're on my mind,
You're all that I think of now,
These days these nights,
And in my eyes the world has lost its color,
These days are like,
Another early morning,
Sleepless distant and longing,
Light leave quietly.

You have touched me now,
You haunt me over and over,
I've closed my eyes,
You tell me when it's over,
These days my life,
Moonlight survived,
But I couldn't find the cover,
From these cold nights,
Another early morning,
Sleepless and longing life,
Leave quietly,
Promise me,
That these days,
Will end.

The fated truth,
That this loneliness is all that surrounds us,

The lives we choose,
And the emptiness that always surrounds us.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Moments In Grace's song Distant And Longing Light depict a sense of longing and loneliness that the singer is feeling, likely due to the absence of someone they deeply care about. The first verse sets the tone, with the singer stating that the person they're missing is constantly on their mind, and that the world seems colorless without them. These days are described as "another early morning" - perhaps a reference to the feeling of waking up on a different day with nothing changed. The phrase "sleepless, distant and longing" shows that the singer is unable to shake off the feeling of missing the person, and is yearning to be with them. The line "light leave quietly" could be interpreted in multiple ways - perhaps it refers to the singer wanting the light in their life to fade away, as they're unable to cope with the pain of missing the person, or it could be seen as a metaphor for the person they're missing leaving them in the dark.

The chorus furthers the sense of yearning and pain, with the singer stating that the person they miss has touched them so deeply that they haunt them over and over. The line "you tell me when it's over" could be interpreted as the person indirectly communicating to the singer that their time apart will soon end. Despite this, the singer states that they couldn't find the cover from these cold nights, indicating that the loneliness is still present. The last line of the chorus, "Promise me that these days will end" further emphasizes the sense of hopelessness that the singer feels.

The final verse describes the harsh reality of living with loneliness - the "fated truth" that it always surrounds us. Even if we choose certain paths in life, "emptiness" seems to persist. Overall, Distant and Longing Light is a poignant and honest depiction of the impact that missing someone can have on an individual.

Line by Line Meaning

You're on my mind,
I can't stop thinking about you,

You're all that I think of now,
You're constantly on my mind,

These days these nights,
Every moment of every day,

And in my eyes the world has lost its color,
I am so consumed by thoughts of you that the rest of the world seems dull in comparison,

These days are like,
It feels like every day is like,

Another early morning,
Starting the day off,

Sleepless distant and longing,
Unable to sleep because of my longing for you,

Light leave quietly.
Please leave quietly, without causing any more pain.

You have touched me now,
You have left a permanent mark on me,

You haunt me over and over,
I can't escape thoughts of you,

I've closed my eyes,
Trying to forget,