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We recently had the extraordinary privilege to check out the stunningly amazing musical experience, that is “Moonshine & Other Spirits” from Boston, based Americana Sextet, Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners.

The new Ep, arrives today, (Friday, March 27) . It lands not too long after throwing down for another series of annual St. Patrick’s Day shows around the city, and just ahead of playing The Burren in Somerville on Saturday, March 28 with Billy Dodge Moody and Luke Curran.

You can listen to “Moonshine & Other Spirits” on Spotify Here and on Apple Music Here

Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners, do not take their foot of the gas for one nano second on “Moonshine & Other Spirits “ and it is gloriously intoxicating.

Things kick off with EP opener and lead single “My Baby’s Happy,” a sleek and hypnotic composition starring guest vocals from Boston country music riser Elisa Smith (who last year scored a Josie Award for Female Country Song of the Year for “Nashville Don’t Forget Me”)(Her vocals on the track are absolutely divine) as well as maybe the most rippin’ accordion solo, thanks to McGorty, to come out of the scene in a hot minute. 

The EP is augmented by two upbeat new Kettle Burners tracks, “Impossible” and “Make Me Wanna Dance (Moonshine Shuffle),” as well as a pair of covers, bringing dusty-road classics from Robert Earl Keen (a propulsive “Goin’ Down in Style”) and Tyler Childers (a gritty and street-walkin’ “Whitehouse Road”) into the Kettle Burners’ free-wheelin’ world of raucous, spring-heeled, folk-punk Americana, where Celtic and Bavarian sounds mesh with the Stateside grit and grime of outlaw country.   

But to truly imbibe in Moonshine & Other Spirits, one must connect two disparate origin stories in just how this EP came together. 

Not too long ago, the band was up in New Hampshire playing a few ski mountain and bar gigs up in the Granite State, and Byrnes secured some unconventional lodging, linking up with a friend who offered his moonshining shed for the weekend. “It was a totally off-the-grid operation; no plumbing, no electricity (save for whatever could operate on batteries) and no internet,” Byrnes reveals with a smirk, “but it would be warm and cozy, as he would have his wood stove burning and the still cranking, as he would be distilling mash that weekend.”

The Kettle Burners found themselves posted up in the middle of the woods, far from any roadway or civilized development, with only trees and a passing stream as neighbors. They cozied up, avoiding stepping on any distilling tools or mason jars filled with various mysterious liquids, and over the course of the weekend the band shared stories, sampled some product, and jammed out – even planting the seeds of EP closer “Make Me Wanna Dance (Moonshine Shuffle).” 

Even the EP artwork, a photo DiBacco snapped of the snowy scene around midnight, with the moon looking down upon them and the band’s vehicle taillight giving the setting an ominous red glare, was pulled from those sessions, eventually designed by Megan Kelly to complete its portal into the music contained within. 

With the Moonshine part locked in, the Other Spirits aspect comes from a more other-worldly place, even with the intrepid pun doing some heavy lifting. While putting the finishing touches on the EP in his basement studio in Medford, Byrnes was visited by an apparition as he was working on “Make Me Wanna Dance (Moonshine Shuffle),” and the experience shook him to his core. 

He spotted a person walking into the room out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look, there was no one to be found. The room then went ice-cold, and goosebumps stretched across his skin. Feeling the paranormal situation was maybe not too uncommon for his historic home with an extensive history (and maybe even a family member who once experienced something similar) the next day, he returned to the scene of the haunting.  

“As I descended down the steps, I pondered about starting a conversation with whatever it was down there in the hopes of keeping peace, but under further contemplation the prospect of getting an answer back would probably just make the matters worse, so I decided to just stay quiet and ignore it,” he adds. “Fortunately, I finished the EP and I’m happy to report that there were no other otherworldly visitors dropping in to listen to a sneak preview of the music.”

Other guests on the EP include Wayward Vine’s Valerie Rachel and Whiskey Boys’ David Delaney (who once played with Byrnes in Three Day Threshold), both lending their fiddle talents on “Impossible,” the type of Kettle Burners barn-stormer that the band has become known for in a short period of time. And “Make Me Wanna Dance (Moonshine Shuffle),” with its almost Vegas showman’s groove and kinetic energy, carries the same intensity.  

Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners make music that fill our hearts with an abundance of joy and makes our feet want to dance for days .

Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners are:

Kier Byrnes: Guitar and vocals

Jason McGorty:  Accordion

Dan DiBacco: Electric guitars, Vocals

Monica Sager: Washboard

Joe Miller: Bass