Dexter And The Moonrocks
Years Active: 2021–present
Genre/s: Alternative rock, indie rock, country rock
Label/s: Big Loud
Members: James Tuffs, Ryan Fox, Ryan Anderson, Ty Anderson
Dexter and the Moonrocks are an American rock band from Throckmorton, Texas formed in 2021. Combining elements of country and rock music, they have described their genre as "Western space grunge", which they chose to name their 2024 EP after. The band gained traction after a clip for their song "Couch" went viral on TikTok.
James Tuffs had been friends with cousins Ryan and Ty Anderson since they were in 8th grade. After the three of them graduated high school, they all pursued jobs and higher education, until Tuffs' parents entered him into a song writing contest without him knowing. Tuffs very nearly won, and after some encouragement, he decided to form a band with the Andersons. Originally going by the name "James Tuffs and the Southern Trouble", the band would recruit drummer Ryan Fox from an ad online in late 2021 and change their name to Dexter and the Moonrocks. Explaining the name, lead singer James Tuff has said "I was thinking of something cool. My name is James. And Dexter and the Moonrocks sounds way cooler than James and the Moonrocks. There wasn't much thought put in. It was about that quick".
While various media sources have listed their hometown as being Abeline, they're actually from rural Throckmorton County 70 miles northwest. By the band's own admission, their hometown has no local music scene to speak of, with Ryan Fox stating "We had to drive like two-and-a-half hours just to get into a scene… and even then they’d pay us 300 bucks and tell us to go fuck off". The band has described early shows before they got signed as being very lightly attended affairs, with Tuffs recalling "There was one where we showed up... and the only person there is the bartender. That’s the one person there. And even the bartender, while we’re playing, is like, ‘Could you kind of keep it down?’... “We booked a show there. We didn’t keep it down. So, it was an experience, but those are the shows that you really learn from. It’s good for you. We’ve played many of those.”"
In 2023, the band announced they would be signing with Severance Records, an offshoot of Big Loud Records, where they would be the flagship artist. This was something the band appreciated greatly because it meant that they would have industry veterans promoting them, while also ensuring that they would not be lost in the shuffle of a bigger label. They agreed immediately to this signing.
Freakin' Out
Dexter And The Moonrocks