After 15 years away, Brazilian indie rock trailblazers Moptop are back. In 2025, they released Long Day, their long-awaited third studio album. It’s their first record in English, and a bold reintroduction to global audiences. The album is a deeply personal exploration of loss, nostalgia, disillusionment, and the complexities of middle age—unflinching, yet hopeful. It’s gritty, melodic, and restless like classic Moptop, but now with broader influences echoing Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones, and hints of Americana woven into their indie garage DNA.
Formed in Rio de Janeiro in 2003 by Gabriel Marques (vocals/guitar), Rodrigo Curi (guitar), Daniel Campos (bass), and Mario Mamede (drums), Moptop helped define Brazil’s 2000s indie scene. Originally called Delux, the band drew comparisons to The Strokes and Los Hermanos, blending indie rock influences with their own melodic urgency. After signing to Universal Music and rebranding as Moptop (a nod to the Beatles’ iconic 1960s haircut), they released two acclaimed albums (Moptop, 2006 and Como Se Comportar, 2008) and featured in the album and TV special "MTV Live 5 Rock Bands", a project uniting key rising acts of the time. They toured extensively, performing at major festivals and opening for international acts like Oasis, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, Placebo, Keane, and Iggy Pop. Moptop was nominated for major national awards including MTV VMB’s "Best New Act" and the Multishow Brazilian Music Awards. Their website, built by Gabriel and guitarist Rodrigo, even won an MTV award and was a finalist at the SXSW Web Awards, competing alongside the likes of Eminem and Arcade Fire.