Texas-born alt-rock breakouts Dexter and The Moonrocks have officially kicked off their next chapter. Following the viral success of their genre-bending 2024 EP Western Space Grunge, the four-piece has announced the release of a brand new EP titled Happy To Be Here, arriving May 8 via Severance Records / Big Loud Rock. The band also revealed a major headlining tour, their first-ever vinyl release, and dropped a new single and music video, “Say I…” — all in the span of one week.

The six-track EP is being describes as the band’s most refined and emotionally resonant work to date. Led by the soaring, chart-rising single “Ritalin,” Happy To Be Here captures the band’s transition from underground favorites to major festival contenders.

“Happy to Be Here is a little more emotional and feels more personal than Western Space Grunge,” guitarist Ryan Anderson explains. “You can really hear the difference between the two EPs when you listen back-to-back on the vinyl. There’s joy in the struggle, and this record reflects that.”

The EP’s second single, “Say I…,” was released earlier this week alongside a gritty new music video filmed inside Fort Worth’s iconic honky-tonk, Billy Bob’s Texas. With a backdrop of line dancers, rodeo rings, and swinging bar doors, the video leans fully into the band’s rock-meets-country DNA, giving fans the visual counterpart to the sound that’s made them standout.

Fans have been begging for a physical release—and Dexter and The Moonrocks have finally delivered. Their first vinyl, The Double EP, features Happy To Be Here on Side A and their breakthrough EP Western Space Grunge on Side B. The limited first edition sold out in just 15 minutes, but pre-orders are now reopened to the public.

In support of the new EP, the and is hitting the road on their “Happy To Be Eveyw(here) Tour,” with dates across the U.S. starting in June. Stops include Peoria, Phoenix, Memphis, Nashville, and a Warped Tour appearance in Long Beach, California, on July 26.

Pre-sales begin March 31, with public sales opening April 2 at dexterandthemoonrocks.com/tour.

The band’s meteoric rise began with the unexpected success of their 2024 radio hit “Sad in Carolina,” which spent seven weeks at No. 1 on U.S. Alternative Radio—knocking out genre giants like Sum 41. They followed up wit a live cover of Tyler Childers’ unreleased track “Messed Up Kid,” which racked up over 900,000 weekly streams and proved the band could turn even deep cuts into viral hits.

As Alternative Press Magazine put it, “Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan inform the band as much as Soundgarden and Pink Floyd, which is reflected in their distinctive sound.”

A former fry cook, oil field worker, concrete surface decorator, and kids’ baseball coach walk into a bar—and change the alt-rock landscape. That’s the origin story behind Dexter and The Moonrocks, whose grassroots rise is driven by a DIY ethos and a sound they’ve dubbed Wester Space Grunge: an explosive blend of country grit and post-grunge edge.

HAPPY TO BE HERE TRACKLIST

1. Cry
2. Sarahtonin
3. Breakin’
4. Ritalin
5. Say I…
6. Happy To Be Here

DEXTER AND THE MOONROCKS 

“HAPPY TO BE EVERYW(HERE) TOUR” 2025 

APRIL

16 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesas Theater

18 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre

19 – Colorado Springs, CO – Phil Long Music Hall

24 – Manhattan, KS – The Hat

25 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion

26 – Fayetteville, AR – JJ’s Live

MAY

5/3 – Charlotte, NC – Lovin’ Life Festival

5/16 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville (festival) 

JUNE

8 – Peoria, IL – Peoria RiverFront

12 – Springfield, MO – The Regency

13 – Little Rock, AR – The Rev Room

14 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall

19 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom

20 – Newport, KY – Megacorp Pavillion

21 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl

JULY 

10 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace

11 – Roswell, NM – The Liberty

12 – Albuquerque, NM – Historic El Rey

17 – Tucson, AZ – Encore

18 – Phoenix, AZ – Marquee Theatre

19 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theater

26 – Long Beach, CA – Warped Tour 

AUGUST

29 – Weston, CO – Caveman Music Festival

SEPTEMBER

4 – Sun Valley, ID – The Valley Music Festival

20 – Richmond, VA – Iron Blossom Festival

Full tour dates and tickets available at dexterandthemoonrocks.com/tour

Dexter and The Moonrocks may have launched their journey from small-town Texas, they’re going global—with a new EP, national tour, and a growing fanbase that refuses to stop spinning their records. Whether you’re a diehard or new to the band, Happy To Be Here mark a definitive new chapter in their rise — and one that’s well worth joining.

Follow Dexter and The Moonrocks:
Official Site
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Facebook
X / Twitter