For six years Moist ruled Canadian rock radio. Based on the strength of singles like "Resurrection", "Push" and "Breathe" they released three albums between 1994 and 1999. That period saw the band visit Calgary multiple times, headlining tours like Edgefest, playing large arenas and even some appearances on the Stampede Coke Stage. But gradually Moist seemed to disappear. Singer David Usher stayed in the spotlight with multiple solo albums while everyone else worked on other projects. Then seemingly out of nowhere the band announced a few select concerts in December, 2013. Fifteen years after the release of their previous album Moist has returned with a new album, Glory Under Dangerous Skies, and a tour that brings the band to the Grey Eagle Resort Centre in Calgary November 28th, Union Hall in Edmonton November 29th, and Better Than Fred’s in Grande Prairie December 1st.

"All of us are in a really good head space," guitarist Mark Makoway told GayCalgary recently on a break from rehearsals for the tour. "When we got together to do the shows at the end of last year we didn’t totally know what to expect. Being out and playing together again was really, really good and the fans’ feedback was so positive. It pushed it forward and we are really stoked to go out on the road. It was so energizing, and the vibe was so positive, it really drove us. We all looked at each other at some point during the tour and went this thing is starting up again, this isn’t just a tour. We are definitely moving on to the next step. It is an all-consuming proposition. You come off a tour and go into writing and recording and the album cycle and media – it takes over your life in the best possible way. I honestly felt that we would play together again and do more music; that was always the intention. So I never really dealt with the idea that it wouldn’t happen. I think if we had let it go any longer it might not have happened, which is part of what brought us together as well. Nobody was prepared to just let it die."

With the success of the tour, the band reunited to create Glory Under Dangerous Skies. Driven by the first single "Mechanical" the style of the record is similar to 1994’s Silver and 1996’s Creature.

"We didn’t know what it was going to be going in. Our last record (Mercedes 5 & Dime) was painful to make. It was painful to write. We really focused on that being a ‘studio’ record and got away from the approach we had with Creature and spent an awful lot of time in the studio slaving over things. We were worried that this record would be a similar process. Having been away from each other for a bit, we were in a place where it felt really fresh, and there were a lot of ideas. It came together really smoothly and surprisingly quickly. We got together in Montreal for a four or five day intensive songwriting junket and by the end of it we had eight songs. Of course we threw out half of those songs, but we did a couple more sessions and the record really came together. With this record we went in and recorded while the songs were new and fresh, and it is the sound of a band playing live. There are some overdubs and extra things on it, but it is quite a simple record that way. And I think that is what I like best about the newest record – we have gone back to that. When you spend a bunch of time and make a new record you have a certain sense of nervousness. The minute it comes out there is a sense of release. We feel really good about it honestly. With Facebook and Twitter there has been a lot of immediate response and feedback from fans and the reception has been fantastic."

The line-up for the band has changed as well. Drummer Paul Wilcox left the band in 2000 with a back injury and bassist Jeff Pearce, who reunited with the band for the initial tour and played on some of the album, left earlier this year. Original members David Usher, Kevin Young (Keyboards) and Makoway are joined by guitarist Jonathan Gallivan, drummer Francis Fillion, and Louis Lalancette on bass to round out the current band.

"It is hard to say goodbye to some of your brothers. We have always been a very close band. But, by the same token, Jonathan, Francis and Louis are all great musicians and they all come with ideas that pushed in a few different directions and positively moved us forward creatively. They are all really great guys. You live in close quarters on the tour bus and, seeing each other all the time, you have to be really tight as a unit in terms of the vision and the people. We are really fortunate that everyone is on the same page and is a unit."

This year has seen the release of new albums from Moist, The Tea Party, GOB and Bush, among others, that first achieved success in the ’90s. It seems that there is a desire for fans and artists to reconnect with music that defined a special era of their life. While Moist never officially broke up, it was a long 15 years for fans who were longing to see the band again.

"I can only really speak for us, and the timing for us was personal. Over the years we have remained great friends and we would get together and talk about is this the right time to do a Moist record? and for some reason it never was. Just recently we all got together and there was no reason for us not to do it, and there was a sense that we had to do it now or it might never happen. When we took our break it wasn’t with the intention of taking a 15 year break, it was just to step away and take a breather, and we all went in separate directions. There was something cool going on in the ’90s that I think music has gotten away from a little bit –  an authenticity of it in some ways. I think fans are responding to that."

During their first run together, Moist almost literally played everywhere in Calgary. From the Silver Dollar Action Centre to the Saddledome, fans have seen them in many different environments. The 2014 Resurrection Tour saw the band play Flames Central, and they are one of the first bands to play the new event centre at the Grey Eagle. Makoway reflected on the many fond memories he has of Calgary on stage and off.

"We have had some fantastic times in Calgary just as a place to go and run amok. It seems like for, whatever reason, we have always had a day or two off around shows there. So aside from live venues we have sampled much of what Calgary has to offer. I have fond memories of the Republik, a few places that I can’t even remember, so it was certainly a good time. We played in a roller rink once too if I remember correctly. One of our first shows was at Frank Sisson’s Silver Dollar. There was the Mercury Lounge as well; it was a place we would run amok with martinis."

The tour also features a VIP sound check opportunity that includes merchandise, a vinyl copy of the new record, an intimate three song sound check and Q&A with the band, as well as a photo opportunity. It is a must have experience for Moist fans and means a lot to the band as well.

"The best thing about it is having the barrier down. You do a show, and you have interaction with the crowd, but you don’t have that one-on-one interaction. At every VIP people are telling personal stories and memories of how we have fit in their lives. It is amazing to have that kind of feedback and connection – it often doesn’t happen. The VIP this time around has the vinyl. It is the first time we have done a proper vinyl release of an album. It is really special having that vinyl."

After re-launching with a greatest hits type tour, Moist is excited to feature new material live on this tour.

"People want to come out and hear their favourites. There will be old songs – you will still hear "Push" and "Resurrection" – but to play this new stuff is quite a trip... Plus, creatively, we want to change it up...We have designed a very different show, putting a bunch of new songs into the set really changes the flavour of things in a way. We are looking at different outside the box things, like dramatic lighting, and a full-pressed show from top to bottom. The new record is really about a band playing live and the songs really work well in the set. I think people will be really surprised how it has changed and developed and will be a surprise. I am excited to get it out there and see what the feedback is like. It is very gratifying when you put out a record and people really like it."