Formed in the mid-1990s, Spellbound is the dynamic duo of Paul “Pablo” Thomas (guitars, keyboards) and Bobby Moon (vocals, percussion), based in Los Angeles, California. With over two decades of experience as award-winning songwriters and producers, the pair has created a genre-defying catalog of critically-acclaimed work. Their unique sound blends 1970s Funk & Soul, 1980s Sophisti-Pop, and 1990s Brazilian, Cuban, and Latin dance influences—all while remaining rooted in socially-conscious storytelling.

Their latest album, Life 101, released in March 2025, is described as their most personal and refined project to date, encapsulating their signature “Sophisticated City meets Tropical Rhythms” vibe. Mastered at Sterling Sound by Chris Gehringer, the record not only sounds polished—it moves, literally, with an animated digital album cover captured by photographer Joey Ikimoto.

1. When did you discover your love for your craft and what made you realize you wanted to pursue a career in it?
Paul: Speaking for both of us, I can say that Bobby Moon and I loved music as long as we can remember. And we were fortunate enough to grow up in families that nurtured our interest. Our dedication and perseverance is due to being such huge music fans.

2. To what or whom do you accredit your sense of style?
Bobby: No particular person, but I wanted Spellbound to be a sophisticated band from the start. It had to be funky and soulful. Even though I might not have personally had the ability to pull it off, I wanted players who could.
Paul “Pablo” Thomas came into the picture, and the vision moved forward.
We love Funk, Salsa, Sophisti-Pop, and Fusion. Bands like Parliament, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Los Van Van, and The Style Council were big influences. And there’s our love for world music—especially Cuban and Brazilian rhythms.

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3. On your current project, how did you come up with the concept?
Bobby: Our current project is the album Life 101, released a couple of months ago in March 2025. We both finally got to that age where we wanted this album to be extra special—creating the kind of music we love to hear and really crystallizing the Spellbound sound. These are our musical life lessons.
We feel it’s our best writing and production to date, right up to the final mastering stage. It was mastered at Sterling Sound by Chris Gehringer, who we believe has the best ears in the business.
Our branding has always been the Sophisticated City mixed with the Tropical. A slick, polished city sound paired with the warm rhythms of the Tropics. Photographer Joey Ikimoto captured that essence perfectly in the cover image. This was also our first all-digital release, and we were able to animate the cover—so it moves! That was really neat.

4. What are some of your greatest challenges, and what is your greatest attribute when it comes to your work ethic?
Paul: The greatest challenge is getting our music to the masses. The corporate music industry keeps an iron grip on who the public gets to “hear of.” They control and even manipulate the numbers to make their chosen artists appear like the only options.
Meanwhile, the rest of us have to convince listeners that there is other great music out here—it just may not win a popularity contest or show up on mainstream TV.
On the plus side, we don’t have to push the mainstream narrative, lie to the public, cover our eyes in photos, or wear dresses like some mainstream artists do. We get to be true to ourselves.