Fly me to the Moon: A Chat with Geography of the Moon’s Virginia Bones

Then there were two…

A fortnight ago, I wrote about the power-trio, jazz/funk fusion juggernaut that is Spiked Gravy. “Less is more” as they say, so we turn to the eclectic duo Geography of the Moon. Armed predominantly with a guitar and voice, (and a whole heap of percussion and pedal-board looping trickery) the duo are more than capable of kicking up an aural storm.

They have been active on the circuit in Cambodia and beyond for a number of years. To my shame, I had never seen them live but had heard whispers which grew to shouts about their musical prowess. I got to witness their show during the ‘Big Tay Out’ event at Sam’s bar in Tuol Toumpong. (Phnom Penh misses you Taylor!). They were as impressive live as I’d been lead to believe.

I then set about arranging a meet to sit down and talk all things music. That happened this week…

The band is made of up of vocalist Virginia Bones and Andrea Rubbio playing, well, guitars, loops, pedals, and pretty much anything that can be used to create a rhythm or sound. I quickly learned, from the notable absence of Andrea, the duo need to divide the workload that keeps Geography of the Moon active, on stage and recording. It is Virginia that does interviews…

We’ve only just begun…

After seeing what they were about live, I checked online and found some footage of the band playing in London several years back. An international band based in Phnom Penh? I was intrigued and keen to learn more.

Virginia and I met in The Deck on St. 135 following a brutal rain event. Formalities done, she set about briefing me on the origins of the Geography of the Moon. Virginia is a French itinerant who joined up with Scottish/Italian musician Andrea around 2016. They lived at different times between London and Glasgow in the UK, and Paris. At first, they were named Secret Spaceships. At this time they were a three-piece band with an additional guitarist, They also explored sonic soundscapes with additional sounds from the piano, ukulele, and of course, the voice of Virginia. This incarnation only lasted around one summer, but it whetted the appetite for music and live performance.

About that time they morphed into the duo Geography of the Moon, also the name of a song Virginia had earlier written, a song with metaphoric connotations about trying to understand your personal feelings. They tired of the banality of day jobs and began to focus on music, migrating to warmer climes for the harsh UK/Parisian winters. Gigs and shows picked up and soon they were in demand in both Europe and Asia, with Cambodia becoming their winter home.

They perform predominantly as a duo but are not averse to augmenting and experimenting with collaborations as the sound and situation requires. Hence at Oscar’s last week, they were joined on stage for a gig by drummer Salvatore Di Gaetano and bassist Greg Bescher. On this occasion it was planned, other events have seen impromptu guests join the band.

“It’s of the beauties of the form, we are not restricted by a rigid band structure, with just the partnership it’s easier to inflate or deflate as we please,” Virginia said.

I learn too that the band is active recording and releasing studio music, which is available for download or, if you prefer (and I for one certainly do), a good old 12” slab of vinyl! Often recorded in Phnom Penh, the music is written, recorded, produced, and released unilaterally via their own record label ‘Teen Freaks Music’.

I ask about musical influences (being that I’m bereft of imagination to ask an interesting question). Virginia responds, “We are not trying to sound like anyone else, who do you think we sound like?”

Seeing them live I picked up some top notes of first-album New Order (as they transitioned from Joy Division before becoming the Blue Monday electro-force), and the Jesus and Mary Chain, some mid-notes of Sonic Youth with subtle hints of Pixies, Nirvana, and some most welcome Velvet Underground/Iggy Pop rawness, with bottom notes of The Carpenters and the Everly Brothers. Virginia looked at me as if I was musically challenged, almost certainly, the perfect look for the occasion. 

She said the Jesus and Mary Chain and New Order references had been made before.

Being the adroit music journo I pretend to be, I rephrased the question to ask what were the recent artists on her turn-table. Virginia namechecked Dope Lemon (‘not an influence’), Billie Eilish, Courtney Barnett, and Joanna Newsom. An interesting and varied selection, it goes some way to explain the wall of sound they generate live. I asked after guilty musical pleasures and she stressed there are none to feel guilty about, but cited a fondness for Harry Belafonte. There is also a strong interest, in the Khmer musical scene of the 60s and 70s.

One good thing about Music, when it hits you feel no pain…

I was mostly interested in being present for Taylor’s send-off, but arrived at Sam’s bar just after Geography of the Moon had hit the stage. After a round of greetings, the stage grabbed my attention, largely because I was trying to find the ‘hidden’ musicians on stage…

The late Reverend Gary Davis was a blind musician. Playing mean blues and gospel on a 12-string acoustic, he believed alternate tunings or even the use of a capo on a guitar, was ‘cheating’. He passed in 1972, just as the musical soundscapes technology was allowing were just becoming engrained in the mainstream and experimentation was rife. Whilst there is always a place for these old musical purists, music needs growth to remain vibrant and capture the imagination. If he walked into a Geography of the Moon gig, as a blind man, he’d believe the band had four or five members.

Watching Andrea perform is a delight, one moment hunched over a scarce percussion instrument looping the rhythm section to the PA, the next hammering some guitar lines. Combined with her voice and personality, this cacophony forms her commanding stage presence.

Geography of the Moon has quite a dynamic, which creates a unique experience. The sounds glide and change effortlessly, and Andrea’s eccentric stage presence is the icing on the cake. The songs are memorable and contain subtleties packed in the adrenaliane-fueld music. The shows maintain your interest, both musically and visually. I would have loved if Andrea had been available to join to discuss his playing style and how it developed, but it was not to be.

The immediate future for the duo includes recording the third album over the coming months in Phnom Penh. They’ll then be off for a series of international gigs (tour dates and locations to be finalized) but certain to include Japan.

You would be well advised to catch them while you can.

Geography of the Moon can been seen live at Meta House (now Street 228) this Saturday, 21^st, May (about 21.00 hours) with an earlier art performance from Mental Dental.This Sunday (22^nd) will see them perform at The Vine on St. 244 in the early evening (around 17.00 to 19.00 hours). This is under the moniker of the Teen Freaks Sessions. They will be playing a ½ acoustic set / ½ electric set (Bob Dylan, eat your heart out…). This regular Sunday event is the perfect way to complete your weekend.

You can further listen and/or purchase music by Geography of the Moon here.

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