Moravian’s ‘Sirens’ Release Show at the Orchid Theater

Show Review + Interview ★ Emily Galeas ★ @emilygaleasmusic★ 7 Minutes

---

Detroit-based alt-rock group ‘Moravian’ just sold out the biggest show of their career on Saturday, taking the stage at the Orchid Theater in Ferndale, MI. After selling out the additional 50 tickets that were added after selling 500 tickets, it was clear that the energy at this show would be unlike any other show they’ve played, on both the band and the fans sides. 

I had the chance to speak with Moravian before they took the stage, and we talked a lot about this new era, musical inspirations, and the future of the group!

When asked about the current state of their music, as well as what inspired this breakthrough into a more cinematic and well-rounded approach to their music, lead singer Alex Christ had this to say; “We’re just starting to come together as a group, we’re all very different… A few things we’ve decided we really wanted to mesh together was a creepy eerieness, mixed with a really polished, catchy and kind of ear-wormy kinda vibe.”

“Love it.”

“...And just marry those two things. We also really like the cinematic, you know what I mean? We’re really into horror movies, most of us are… So that was the inspiration for ‘Ashes’ and the ‘Ashes’ music video. This (referring to their newest release ‘Sirens’) is just that in a different font. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

“Is it less like terror and more like horror in a way?”

“A little bit more mythical horror?” 

“Yes, exactly. So, two sides of the coin.” Christ finished.

Moravian via gabriellastephaniec on Instagram

Moving on to the musical composition that makes up the bands newest track ‘Sirens’, featuring a wide range of backing vocals and punching harmonies. When asked about who took part in these vocals that make the song so “siren-like”, Alex responded; “It is not everybody, I would have liked for it to be everybody… We only have a certain amount of time for vocals if we wanna stick to a couple sessions, and I’m able to nail em’ out pretty quickly.”

“Right.”

“If I can divulge it's actually me and Coby's (Valead) girlfriend Delaney singing the background vocals, and we had her on ‘Ashes’ too doing the add-libs and stuff.”

“Really?”

“Yep! And she’s great.” Alex responded. 

Beyond musical composition alone, this track is packed full of mythological lore, as well as intense and fast-paced guitar solos accompanied by a strong bassline. I asked the band what their musical and promotional inspirations were for their track ‘Sirens’...

“This is a little bit harder to pinpoint, because it's kinda the vibe of ‘Ashes’, but there's less to it… I wanted to go somewhere where your imagination takes up more, and it's giving you less.”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

“I think part of it comes from ‘The Ring’... Just that creepy girl motif that we really wanted to work around.”

“And like a faceless element too?”

“Right.”

“Where did you guys shoot the promo? On a beach?”

“We went to Higgins Lake… The water was freezing cold too.” Blake Potvin, guitarist of the group responded. 

“When did you guys shoot it?”

“April? Yeah, like two months ago.” Coby Valead, bassist, added.

We also spoke briefly about the band's ‘Ashes’ music video shoot that was shot in the dead of the Michigan Winter late 2025 and early 2026. The band spoke about their dedication to the project, spending hours out late at night in the woods, surrounded by snow, trees, and absolutely freezing temperatures. For an indie Detroit alt-rock group, ‘Moravian’ has an unmatchable dedication to their craft! 

It was time to move on to the bands new era as a whole, speaking with regard to the groups last three singles, ‘Tell Me Why’, ‘Ashes’, and ‘Sirens’. I asked the guys about their sonic shift into this new era, I inquired about if the band would be sticking to this specific sound as a “signature sound”, or if they would continue branching out. Alex spoke up with this;

“We certainly plan on going down all the avenues that we can as a group, cause we don’t want to be “one sound”. I think this is a very strong sound for us, and it's very exciting and fun.”

“And great live,” I added. 

“Thank you. It takes everything we’re into right now. Like it started with ‘Tell Me Why’, and that was the pop element of it. We noticed there was a tiny bit of a hard edge to it…”

“Right.”

“And so we kinda just started working off of that, and it just kind of evolved into more of an aggressive kind of alt rock sound…” 

“So it just kind of came naturally to you guys?”

“Yeah.”

Moravian 's "Sirens" promo shoot via gabriellastephaniec on Instagram

Speaking of inspirations, I also talked to the guys about their specific musical inspirations as a group, and specifically Christ’s inspirations as a live performer, as he brings such an electric energy with him on stage. When I had mentioned that I would compare ‘Moravian’ to that of alt rock groups like ‘Cage The Elephant’ or ‘Arctic Monkeys’, it seemed to be exactly what they were going for. 

“Yeah, it's a mix of a few bands, like ‘Queens of the Stone Age’ is definitely a band that inspires. ‘Muse’, kinda just like that late 90’s kinda like heavier alternative rock with a little hit of like ‘Arctic Monkeys’.” Valead said. 

“Like the grandiose and loudness of ‘Muse’ mixed with the attitude of ‘Queens of the Stone Age’ and ‘The Strokes’, as well as some of the bounce of ‘Block Party’...” Christ added. 

“I don’t know, the way that I sing naturally is just very similar to that of Alex Turner from the ‘Arctic Monkeys’.”

“I agree, and your live performance style is very similar.”

“...And a huge inspiration is Matt Shultz of ‘Cage The Elephant’, I love how he's just a crazy man live, and I didn’t know what he looked like live until after we started and I was like ‘I really resonate with this like, this is awesome’.” Christ said. 

Along with inspirations, I spoke with ‘Moravian’ about their reason for escaping that classic rock ‘Led Zeppelin’ sound, and gravitating towards some of that 90s alternative rock that not many indie groups go for nowadays. We also chatted about the lore of the siren, and how they lure pirates into the sea with their music. On a less serious note, I asked the band what each members ‘siren song’ would be. 

“Purple Rain,” Valead responded.

Christ added; “If I was staring out in the middle of the ocean, and I heard ‘Ocean Man’ by ‘Ween’, it would take me in, it would.”

“‘Any Color You Like’ by ‘Pink Floyd’,” Rico Velez, drummer.

Potvin added; “‘Where Have You Been’ by Rhianna.”

“I think mine would be something by Billie Eilish," Shane Wheeler, guitarist, added in.

Moravian live at The Orchid Theatre via gabriellastephaniec on Instagram

It was time to tie up our time together, and what better way than to ask the group the age-old question. What are we going to be able to expect for the future of ‘Moravian’. 

“More, more, more. I mean, we’re busy all the time but we don’t plan on getting less busy. We plan on playing a ton more shows, and at a very high quality and a very high standard. And giving every stage we have our all. A 110% effort.”

“Good!”

“We’re looking to see what our music is gonna grow into, and so we’ve got recordings in the works… Little ideas of perhaps projects in the near future so we’re kinda just like thinking about it, strategizing, but we’re not taking a step back by any means.” Christ added as a closing statement. 

After congratulating the band on their biggest sold out show yet, we parted ways and soon enough, it was showtime. The show had two openers, a four-piece group entitled ‘Mild Pulp’, and another six-piece rock group called ‘Starlings’. Both sets were relatively short, but packed a lot of energy and crowd interaction to prime the audience for the main event. 

Soon enough, a chrome curtain dropped over the stage, and the anticipation began. This was by far the most produced ‘Moravian’ show I had ever seen, and you could tell that the group was not taking this sold out show lightly. ‘Moravians’ set started with a booming instrumental intro, when the curtain raised and their set took off into a high-energy alt rock set. The group played some of their hits off of their EP’s ‘Moravian Drive’ and ‘Call It What You Want’, including ‘Room For Two’, ‘Comin’ Alive’, and ‘The Rain’. While also playing their newest tracks ‘Tell Me Why’, ‘Ashes’, and ‘Sirens’, which was the main event for this particular show. The crowd was hyped up, with Christ even crowd surfing at one point, and the rest of the band gave it their all with the music to accompany their lead singer. 

To break up the set, close friends, partners, and family members of the band made a video montage for the members to enjoy, providing a beautiful sense of connection between the crowd and the band on stage. This show was also a celebration of guitarist Blake Potvin’s 25th birthday, which added a layer to the community within the space. It was clear that the group went to extreme lengths to create a highly-polished and stadium-worthy set and performance. Alongside them, their fantastic team and General Manager Gabriella, who assists the band in creating their cinematic visuals, promotion, and photo/video content, while also managing the band day-to-day. 

Moravian is one of the most consistently brilliant bands I have gotten to see grow both musically and in popularity. If you are looking for a new alt-rock group to lend an ear to, ‘Moravian’ would be number one on the list in my book to check out within the Detroit indie music scene. Great guys, that put on a great show, with a fantastic team and community surrounding them. Check out ‘Moravian’ on their social media to figure out where they’re playing next!