Editor’s Note: Casper wrote this article almost a year agoand we held onto it for a new release or show promo, but I’ve recently been playing the Moon Mode EP quite a bit — “… Dogs of Fire” has been my alarm clock these past few days (I fuckin love those bongos, yo). It’s a great way to start the day. So I figured why not shed some light on this EP that continues to resonate.

In 2019, Ali Awan was named an Artist to Watch by WXPN and dubbed the Philly rocker you should be listening to by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Awan has been writing songs from a young age and spent many years playing bass and guitar in other bands before his solo releases began. Awan put out his first EP, Butterfly, in 2019 and returned in 2021 with a new six-song EP titled Moon Mode. The EP is incredibly cohesive, with each song flowing seamlessly into the next. The title track “Moon Mode” kicks the EP off to a great start—it’s high energy and gets your adrenaline pumping.

“Climb” and “Sticky Sneakers” are also kick-ass tracks, both featuring seriously sick instrumentals. Like, the harmonica that introduces “Sticky Sneakers” and returns throughout the song is just so fucking good. 

Awan does a great job of drawing in nostalgic elements of classic rock while also creating a sound that’s entirely his own, and we’re stoked to see what future projects he has lined up.

Check out the Moon Mode EP and give him a follow on Insta @aliawan.wav

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