With their radiant debut single “Anytime,” indie western folk duo Cactus Moon makes a striking entrance onto the scene. Hailing from Boise, ID, Chelsea Smith and Freeman DeJongh craft a sound that is at once timeless and freshly cinematic—surf-rock guitars meet sun-bleached nostalgia, all underpinned by emotionally raw storytelling. “Anytime” is a swirling fusion of spaghetti western melancholy and psychedelic folk groove, introducing listeners to a band unafraid to dance on the line between vulnerability and cool composure.
The track opens with shimmering, vintage-leaning guitar tones that immediately evoke a desert sunset, setting the stage for Smith’s buttery vocals, which glide effortlessly between honeyed affection and thinly veiled exasperation. Her lyrics are laced with quiet fury, unraveling the emotional toll of loving someone who demands more than they give. “Anytime that the moon / Looks at you sideways,” she croons, channeling the type of sharp observational lyricism that recalls 70s-era Joni Mitchell and contemporary acts like Angel Olsen and Weyes Blood.
While the song’s groove is undeniably danceable—surf-inflected and summer-ready—“Anytime” strikes a deeper chord in its message. This is not a track about heartbreak; it’s about recognition, the slow boil of self-respect finding its way back to the surface. Cactus Moon masterfully captures that moment right before the emotional switch flips, when you know you’re about to walk away for the last time, but still haven’t yet. It’s defiant, cinematic, and achingly human.
Co-writer and producer Freeman DeJongh provides the instrumental backbone that gives the song its propulsive edge—his arrangements are spacious yet purposeful, textured with reverb-drenched licks and subtle shifts in tension. Together, Smith and DeJongh create a world that feels lived-in, raw, and expansive. There’s a confidence in this debut that suggests the duo is not experimenting—they’ve already found their sound, and they’re ready to let it bloom.
With “Anytime,” Cactus Moon doesn’t just introduce themselves—they arrive with authority. It’s a debut single that signals the beginning of something special, with a full album (Day For Night) on the horizon and a sonic identity that feels destined to resonate. This isn’t just music to hear; it’s music to feel under your skin, like warm twilight air or the slow burn of realization. Cactus Moon is officially one to watch.
