Biography
Moonchild is a Los Angeles-based neo-soul trio consisting of Amber Navran (vocals, saxophone), Andris Mattson (trumpet, keys), and Max Bryk (saxophone, keys). All three met as alumni of USC Thornton School of Music's Jazz Studies program, forming the band in the summer of 2011 while on tour with Navran's solo project. Their debut album Be Free (2012) immediately attracted heavyweight attention: after hearing it, Stevie Wonder personally invited them to open his annual House Full of Toys benefit concert that December. The band signed with UK soul label Tru Thoughts for Please Rewind (2015), expanding their reach internationally.
Moonchild's sound fuses improvisational jazz instincts with modern neo-soul production, landing somewhere between D'Angelo's analog warmth and Flying Lotus's electronic textures. Their pivot from straight jazz to soul came from a shared obsession with D'Angelo's Voodoo — an album all three discovered around the same time. Each subsequent record pushed further: Voyager (2017) deepened the lush arrangements, Little Ghost (2019) married acoustic and electronic elements with newfound nuance, and Starfruit (2022) served as an explicit tribute to the Black women who shaped their artistry, featuring guest Lalah Hathaway. Their 2026 album Waves marks a milestone collaboration-heavy project with Jill Scott, Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, and PJ Morton.
Their reputation as both elite session musicians and a cohesive creative unit has made Moonchild sought-after collaborators across jazz, soul, and hip-hop circles. Navran, in particular, became a go-to collaborator for Robert Glasper on his own projects. The group's ability to straddle jazz credibility and pop accessibility — without sacrificing either — has earned them fans ranging from Stevie Wonder and Jill Scott to Tyler, the Creator and 9th Wonder.
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Fun Facts
- All three members met in USC Thornton School of Music's Jazz Studies program — the band is essentially a jazz school project that went global.
- Stevie Wonder heard their debut album Be Free cold and liked it so much he personally invited them to open his charity concert in December 2012 — before they had any label or major press.
- Amber Navran has a habit of secretly pirating beats from Mattson and Bryk, adding vocals without telling them, then sending the finished track back as a surprise — a workflow they've apparently never fully stopped using.
- Many of the Starfruit (2022) songs originated from 'Song A Day' — a community challenge where participants write and upload one song per day for a month. The trio did it together and mined the results.
Members
- Max Bryk
- Andris Mattson
- Amber Navran
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- D'Angelo - Voodoo was the shared obsession that pivoted all three members from jazz to soul; the album is widely cited as their primary stylistic catalyst [Pre-formation, ~2010-2011]
- Erykah Badu - Core influence on Moonchild's neo-soul vocal and production aesthetic alongside the broader Soulquarians collective [Pre-formation]
- J Dilla - Major production influence on their beat-making approach and rhythmic feel [Pre-formation]
- Robert Glasper - Influence and later collaborator; Glasper's jazz-meets-R&B approach directly informs Moonchild's hybrid sound [Pre-formation and ongoing]
Key Collaborators
- Stevie Wonder - Invited Moonchild to open his House Full of Toys benefit concert in December 2012 after hearing Be Free; collaborated on Waves (2026) [2012, 2026]
- Jill Scott - Supporter since debut; featured collaborator on Waves (2026) [2012, 2026]
- Robert Glasper - Has collaborated with Amber Navran on his own projects; featured on Waves (2026) [Ongoing]
- Lalah Hathaway - Guest vocalist on Starfruit (2022), contributing to tracks including 'Tell Him'
- Kamasi Washington - Toured and collaborated internationally [2010s]
- Chris Dave - Collaborator on Waves (2026)
- PJ Morton - Collaborator on Waves (2026)
Artists Influenced
- 9th Wonder - Notable supporter and fan of the group's neo-soul output [2010s]
Connection Network
External Links
Tags: #neo-soul
References
Heard on WWOZ
Moonchild has been played 2 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.