Little Moon – Dear Divine
Today, Little Moon has announced her sophomore album, Dear Divine, due out October 25th via Joyful Noise, and shared the swirling chamber-folk lead single “now”.
Led by singer-songwriter Emma Hardyman, the Provo, Utah-based avant-folk band made waves last year, winning the 2023 edition of NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest with a stirring submission of their explosive, ornately layered song “wonder eye.”
Following the release of her 2020 debut LP Unphased, Hardyman set out to write a romantic album about her newlywed husband Nathan, but the universe had other plans. After Nathan’s mother tragically passed away—a loss made more difficult by the fact that he had just informed her of his plans to exit the church—Hardyman recalibrated her vision and started work on a love-as-grief, grief-as-love album titled Dear Divine. Written after her own complicated departure from the Mormon Church, Dear Divine is Little Moon’s wide-eyed, intensely personal embrace of a whole new world. It is a vast, dense sonic tapestry of soaring multi-octave vocals over rich, future-baroque arrangements, mimicking the grandiosity and delicate ebbs and flows of nature, and the radical love and self-care that Hardyman seeks wherever she goes.
“‘now’ is a deeply personal reflection on my struggle to be present and authentic in a world full of expectations and insecurities,” shares Hardyman, “Developed over many years, this song grew and changed with me, delving into the difficulty of loving and being loved, especially within cultures and institutions that often prioritize trust in them over trust in oneself. Through this journey, I aimed to honor the deep, sometimes shameful parts of our humanity. ‘now’ is a message to myself that in our brokenness and vulnerability, we can find true connection and love.”
The Ty Davis directed video finds Hardyman escaping from a surreal theater performance to embrace her true life, she shares that it’s “about the inner conflict between being who we’re expected to be and who we really are. Growing up, I often felt like I was putting on a performance just to fit in. This video tells the story of breaking free from those constraints, shedding the costumes, and running towards a life that feels honest. It’s a reminder that there’s profound beauty in vulnerability, in accepting our imperfections, and in being fully present with our humanity.”
Tour Dates:
11/7 – SLC, UT @ Urban Lounge
11/8 – Park City, UT @ The Cabin
11/9 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
11/10 – Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s
11/12 – Portland, OR @ Mission Theater
11/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Popscene at Brick & Mortar
11/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Barnsdall Gallery Theater
#little.moon.music