moonstone.

moonstone. arrived in the Dallas, Texas indie scene in 2022 with a clear sense of what they wanted: danceable alt-pop built on genuine emotional stakes, music that does not treat feeling deeply and moving your body as mutually exclusive activities. The five-piece brings vocalist Gracie Armendariz, lead guitarist Lucas Armendariz, rhythm guitarist Ramses Ramirez, bassist Charis Cacal, and drummer Connor Smith into a configuration that translates what they describe as "sad-pop" into something genuinely kinetic. The band members came from hardcore and post-hardcore backgrounds, which gives their alt-pop a live energy that more polished productions in the genre sometimes lack.

Their 2024 single "Figured Out" attracted coverage from multiple indie music publications and represented the moment the band's sound fully cohered on record. BionicBuzz, Blood Makes Noise, and Rock N Load all highlighted the track, placing moonstone. in a broader conversation about the kind of indie alt-pop that prioritizes emotional honesty alongside melodic craft. "Not As Present," another 2024 single, arrived with the layered guitar work and Gracie Armendariz's belty soprano vocals that have become the band's most recognizable sonic elements. "Just Another Day," released in January 2025, was described as capturing the raw beauty of emotional sensitivity, a phrase that doubles as a description of the band's overall project.

Dallas public radio station KXT 91.7 featured moonstone. on their Homegrown Music Show in January 2025, recognition from a significant regional media outlet that signals how the band has developed a local reputation worth broadcasting. The Dallas Observer named them among the best DFW songs of 2024, further situating moonstone. as one of the more compelling acts working in the North Texas indie scene.

Their self-titled debut full-length arrived on August 29, 2025, a thirteen-track record that collects the best of what the band had been building toward across their run of singles and new material. "Under the Knife (Pretty)," "Conversations," and "Standards" are among the album's tracks, each representing the full range of a band that plays with lyrical directness and melodic sophistication simultaneously. An album release show followed on September 13, 2025.

The inaugural MOONFEST at Club Dada in Dallas in June 2026, documented by KXT 91.7, marks moonstone. claiming something for themselves: their own event, in their own city, on their own terms. The foundation is solid.