The Eclectic, Genre-Bending Duo Finding Their Way on the Local Scene
By Esther Sanchez
Born and raised in the Coachella Valley, where the desert’s charm meets a diverse music scene, Desert Moons stands out as a uniquely blended acoustic duo. Guitarist and vocalist Nick Hales, who shines as a powerhouse performer in hard rock, metal, and reggae bands (to name a few), infuses the duo’s style with soulful riffs and rhythmic charm. Meanwhile, Esther Sanchez, who typically takes center stage as the lead singer of the rebellious female punk band The After Lashes, brings a fierce energy and bold attitude that electrifies audiences. Together, they transform popular covers from the ‘60s to the 2000s into their own captivating sound, interweaving rock, blues, and bluegrass styles into every performance. While they enchant fans with their unexpected song choices and signature harmonies, both Nick and Esther also passionately pursue their individual projects, each expressing their artistry in varied musical realms.
CVW: “How did Desert Moons come together and what inspired the name?”
Sanchez: “How we came together is pretty simple. Nick and I were both involved in our separate projects. I was, and still am, fronting The After Lashes, while he was, at the time, playing guitar and/or bass for way too many projects to list, notably Sleazy Cortez, Cakes and Snakes, and more recently, People of the Sun. I distinctly remember our first car ride together when we were coming down Hwy 74 after performing at the Idyllwild Strong Benefit for disaster relief in 2019. We were listening to music as we rode down the mountain, and as we sang along together, we automatically started harmonizing with each other. It sounded pretty good to us without much effort. The entire situation felt pretty organic. Not long after that, Nick started doing some solo acoustic work on his own, and I didn’t really come in until later.”
Hales: “For a brief time, I was actually doing duo work with our dear friend, Stevie Jane, who is the wife of Derek Timmons, with whom I play in Sleazy Cortez. She is also the incredibly talented lead vocalist of Grins and Lies, another cool project that I love and am proud to be a part of. Stevie and Esther have a similar vibe when it comes to the types of songs they like to cover, regardless of their differing vocal styles. Because of that experience, I knew that collaborating on beloved hits throughout the decades with a rad chick was something I enjoyed doing.”
Hales continues: “Eventually, I started doing some solo gigs, which was great. Esther attended many of my shows, and at some point, I brought her in for a song here and a song there. As the situation naturally developed, we started discussing ideas and practicing together, and it wasn’t long before we were booking gigs as a duo. For a while, we were just billed as ‘Nick and Esther’ because we couldn’t think of or agree upon a name for ourselves. It wasn’t until we were booked for the Annual Benefit for Autism that our friend and benefit organizer, Josh Heinz, asked us if we wanted to be on the flyer as ‘Nick and Esther’ and whether we had a logo. That’s when we looked at each other and decided it was time to make it official. The street we live on is called Desert Moon, so we shrugged and went with it. The rest is history.”
CVW: “What is your musical background, and how has it influenced your style as a duo?”
Sanchez: “I come from a very musical family. On my mother’s side specifically, we are a melodious bunch. My Grandpa Kenny was a fantastic Native American bluegrass musician who, to quote my Mimi, ‘could play anything with strings on it.’ I have wonderful memories from when I was around three years old of him jamming out on the banjo, mandolin, guitar, or whatever instrument he had, and calling me over to sing with him. Those experiences definitely planted the seeds for my love of bluegrass.”
Sanchez continues: “I also very clearly remember watching my mom and my Mimi singing ‘I’ll Fly Away’ together in church and noting their beautiful harmonies. It really was in the church where I cut my musical teeth. I sang my first solo in front of a full house just after my 4th birthday, and it was within that setting that I continued to hone my vocal abilities. Fast forward a couple of decades down the line, I ended up singing here and there with multiple locals who are pretty much all dear friends of mine to this day. It’s been a wild ride, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Hales: Hales: “My father’s side of the family is known for its rich musical history. My dad acquired several instruments throughout his life, and when I was growing up, he would pick up his bass and play every now and then. I remember being 8 or 9 when I learned about a vintage classical guitar that he got from a job as collateral. I would fiddle around with it occasionally when I was in 6th or 7th grade, but I didn’t really dive in until I started guitar class in 8th grade. By the end of that year, a few of my friends had taken up guitar, bass, and drums, and we were well on our way to starting a band before we even reached high school. I have been lucky enough to surround myself with many awesome, talented friends throughout my life, which has made it pretty easy to make music the center of my life—a fact for which I am eternally grateful. I don’t know of many places where one could grow up with such an advantage.”
CVW: “You cover popular songs from various genres, but how do you choose which songs to perform in your unique style?”
Sanchez: “It’s interesting because I’ve always had a knack for reimagining music in various styles. I have to acknowledge that acts like Postmodern Jukebox have significantly inspired me, demonstrating that a great song can be reinterpreted across many genres, which I find incredibly fun. So, to answer your question, any song we love can be adapted, as long as we can dedicate the time and effort to make it happen. With an uber-talented musician like Nick as a partner, the sky’s the limit.”
CVW: “What does the future hold for Desert Moons?”
Hales: “One of the things we are focusing on is expanding our song repertoire. We have a long list of all kinds of fun material that we want to work on and continue to develop. We love surprising our audiences with our song choices, so expect a lot more of that.”
Sanchez: “We are also planning a video shoot for a song we recorded for ‘It Came from the Desert Vol. 2.’ For anyone who isn’t familiar, it’s a Halloween-themed compilation album featuring local artists that was envisioned and brought to fruition by our buddy, Matt King, who is a notable mover and shaker in these parts, to say the least. The song is called ‘Osceola Wants His Head Back.’ There’s a long story behind how that song came to my attention, but it was written by a fantastic artist named Will Brack, who graciously gave us permission to do our thing with it because it’s about my ancestor, Osceola, who was a war chief from our tribe and a true Indigenous hero. It’s quite a wild story!”
Sanchez continues: “And in the spirit of not being pigeonholed exclusively as a cover act, we are also working on writing and perfecting some original material because we have heads full of ideas and want nothing less than to keep audiences coming back for more.”
You can catch Desert Moons as the opening act for Saint Andrew’s Fire on Thurs, Dec 19th at 7:00 PM at Plan B Cocktails and Entertainment.
Follow Desert Moons at desertmoons760@facebook.com desertmoons760@instagram.com
