Flagstaff’s Moontour are Truly Creating a “Love Letter to Music”
words and photos by Norah Jerinic-Brodeur
For those of you who do not identify as an Arizonian, allow me to introduce you to one of our state’s unexpected hidden gems; Flagstaff. Flagstaff, Northern Arizona’s own mountain town, squashes all stereotypes that Arizona is completely desert and it is truly a special place. Flagstaff is home to one of Arizona’s largest universities; Northern Arizona University (NAU). The NAU community is part of what makes Flagstaff so diverse, while simultaneously tightknit. Diversity is a huge factor that supports the uniqueness of Flagstaff’s local music scene. I had the pleasure of learning more about the indie-rock music community up in Flagstaff from their very own indie/alt-rock group, Moontour.
The Moontour project was originally started as a solo project in 2022 by current lead vocalist/guitarist, Blake Comstock. Blake released Moontour’s first two records, Moontour Radio and 1000 Ghosts, and ran his shows with a backing band. Once Blake moved up to Flagstaff from the valley, Moontour became a duo with the addition of his brother, Hayze Comstock, on the drums. Through mutual connections within the NAU community and local music scene, Blake eventually met Gabe Marshall (bass and backup vocals), Carson Miller (lead guitarist and backup vocals), and Nick Kruse (saxophone and synth). The five-piece wrote and recorded their tracks “Good Father”, “Break The Fall”, and “Honeybee” together, which is what really established them as Moontour.
Since then, the band dropped their junior album (which doubles as their freshman album as a five-piece), Don’t Break, in September of 2025. Now that Don’t Break is officially one year old, the band notes how this record is sort of a “trophy” for them. Afterall, it was their first album as this current group and they were very intentional and patient with the process so that the result would be true to themselves. Don’t Break also serves as a time capsule. Although the boys note aspects of the album they would change, it is very apparent that they all appreciate where they were at as a band when they created the album and of the experiences/opportunities that have come their way since its release.
When asked to describe Moontour in just one word, the boys highlighted their “unseriousness” as a group; unserious in the sense of going through the process without pressure, but rather enjoyment and appreciation for being involved in the music scene. Not only are the boys of Moontour bandmates, but they view themselves as friends first. Just through my short time getting to know the boys, it was evident how much they care for one another. Blake describes the mission of Moontour as being a “love letter to music”, which goes to show how much the boys value music and the impact it has made on them.
Moontour recently wrapped up their Arizona fall tour with stops in Tucson, Phoenix, and Flagstaff. The band had the support of the lovely All Yours indie-rock band of Tucson and Phoenix indie-rock band SUNTWIST. Needless to say, the Arizona indie-rock bands held it down in all three and did not disappoint! If you are intrigued by the sense of community and support within the Flagstaff music scene, I highly recommend you take a listen to Moontour’s discography and keep an eye out for their new music on the horizon!
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