Based in Northwest Ohio and formed by singer/songwriter Zack Fletcher, Moths in the Attic create ghostly sonic compositions that merge rock and classical guitar influences with progressive, folk, and hints of jazz. The songs float on playful tempo changes, momentous crescendos, and patient melodies shaped by Fletcher’s weary crooning voice and acoustic guitar skills.

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Built over the disillusionment of loss and a need to complete a transitory phase, Moths in the Attic are an exercise in contemplation and self-reflection. Their music is an expression of passion, a way of traveling the paths of the human experience, a way of seeing the beauty within the wounds. Moths in the Attic make music that explores the ability to reposition the self towards something better, revealing a calm willingness to endure collapse and stoically let it bleed out musically and lyrically.

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Fletcher began playing the guitar at an early age and soon began collaborating with musically inclined peers. In 2009, he released an EP of solo material, titled Dead Ends. This solo effort would lay the groundwork for some of the earliest Moths material. Following its release, Fletcher performed his music around his home state of Ohio as well as abroad while traveling in Spain. He later took opportunities to submit original songs to national contests including a singer/songwriter contest held by Guitar Center and NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. His most recent solo effort entitled Vignettes was released in 2020, featuring classical and progressive inspired instrumental guitar music. 

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Craving a larger sound following his travels, Fletcher began to seek out other musicians to collaborate with. After meeting Mike Williams in college, they soon began performing together. Williams’s saxophone adds a jazz texture to Fletcher’s acoustic work, bolstering a fresh dynamic to the music, at times highlighting and at other times punctuating the melodic movement. Williams grew up playing gospel at his church in Cincinnati, OH. Since college, Williams has released solo and collaborative work fusing smooth jazz, R&B, and hip hop influences under his stage name Mike Williams On Sax.

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Percussionist Kevin Jorrey, a previous collaborator of Fletcher who has played in a handful of rock and metal bands, was later added to the mix, solidifying the foundation of Moths in the Attic. Fletcher and Jorrey’s musical sensibilities interfuse into elaborate rhythmic patterns in their recordings and on stage. Depending on the percussion setup he uses, Jorrey helps mold the band into different experiences. His travel kit is composed of a cajón, cymbals, foot tambourine, and a bass box, which assists the band as an intimate ensemble. Jorrey will also play a full drum kit to help expand their energy as a full rock band.

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Since 2016, the band has been performing at numerous venues in the Midwest. 2018-19 found MITA with spots at several renowned festivals in Ohio, including a main stage performance at Black Swamp Arts Festival alongside acts like Samantha Fish and The War and Treaty. They were selected by Toledo-area radio stations to participate in a band competition, took up a monthly residency, and have  played in support of artists ranging from country to metal to indie rock including Tyler Childers, Helmet, Two Tons of Steel, and OWEL.

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Moths in the Attic released their self-titled debut album in 2019. It was recorded and mixed at DLT Studios in Bowling Green, Ohio and mastered at Jack White's Third Man Records in Detroit, MI. It features an expansive sound with a variety of talented collaborators and wide-ranging instrumentation. The album and its singles and music videos have garnered positive press and features in indie blogs for their musical originality and emotional sincerity (see press below).

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In 2020 the band canceled their first tour due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which would have taken them to Chicago, Nashville, and other regional locations. Instead, they used the time to record a video series from their respective homes called Songs from a Distance and continued on to followed up their debut release with a companion collection called Live Sessions in early 2021. Live Sessions features live renditions of the studio album tracks plus unreleased original and cover songs.

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By Andrew Spiess, writer

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