"It's about college, about maintaining that little bit of being a kid," Petricca said. Written by Petricca and New York songwriter Nick Lerangis as their time at Kenyon College came to an end. The lead single from the album, " Anna Sun", became a surprise hit in the summer of 2011 following an endorsement by the Esquire article "30 Summer Songs Every Man Should Listen To". The band's self-released album i Want! i Want! was recorded by Chris Schmidt and Ben Cochran at Soap Floats Recording Studio in their hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. The band played on the main stage at the 20th Anniversary of Lollapalooza and also supported Local Natives in an Official Lollaplooza Aftershow at Lincoln Hall. In spring 2011, the band went on a short tour with the west coast band, Grouplove, as well as supported Panic! at the Disco and Weezer on select dates. Before the release of their self-titled album, Walk the Moon joined many other performers at the Music Midtown festival and performed on the Great Southeast Music Hall Stage in Atlanta, Georgia in September 2011. They are known for their energetic performances and tireless touring schedule. The band played at the Sasquatch Music Festival and Firefly Music Festival. Bonnaroo’s camera crew documented the painting process in a short video from the 2011 festival. They have claimed it has become a “live tradition”. In 2011, the band members began to paint their faces for live performances and they would bring enough paint to share with audience members. Influential music blog Neon Gold helped to break the band in January 2011, calling "Anna Sun", "the kind of stuff British A&R dreams, and major label bidding wars, are made of." In February 2011, Walk the Moon signed to RCA Records. Along with the success of "Anna Sun", Alt Nation named them a band you need to know for the summer of 2012. The group independently released their debut studio album, I want! I want!, in November 2010, receiving airplay for the track " Anna Sun" on multiple alternative radio stations.
History 2010–2011: Beginning, Anna Sun and i Want! i Want! The band's use of 1980s musical mainstays, such as keyboard and synthesizer, is also notable. Walk the Moon have cited Talking Heads, David Bowie, the Police, Tears for Fears, and Phil Collins as influences.
The band is notable for its charting hit singles Anna Sun, Shut Up and Dance, and One Foot. Lead singer Nicholas Petricca started the band in 2006, while a student at Kenyon College, deriving the band's name from the song " Walking on the Moon" by the Police. Walk the Moon (stylized as WALK THE MOON) is an American rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio.