INTERVIEW: Al Moses — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Francis Brown

Al Moses

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THANKS to Al Moses…

PHOTO CREDIT: Lewys Mann

for talking about their new single, I Want More (officially released on 30th November), and the story behind it. I ask how they all found one another and whether there is a favourite memory from their careers so far; which album means the most to each of them and whether there are some approaching artists we need to seek out.

I was keen to know if there are gigs coming up and more material; what they have planned for the year ahead and which artist they’d support if they were given the chance – each member picks a song to end the interview with.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello. We’re doing good. We’ve just come off the back of a great few of weeks as a band, actually. Every day, we keep hearing more good things so we can’t complain.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We’re Al Moses; a four-piece Rock ‘n’ Roll band from South Wales. We’ve been together since 2017 although Jack and Daf, our two frontmen, had been knocking about, trying to get a band going for a little while before then.

We play a raw, audacious brand of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Jack’s lyrics can vary between social commentaries on British drug culture, to the occasional bit of soul-searching. We like to sing about anything that carries a weight.

I Want More is your debut single. Is there a story behind it?

It’s our oldest song as a band. Jack must have just turned seventeen when he wrote it and I think that post-education disillusionment is looming over the entire song.

It’s ultimately us using the band as a distraction and an excuse to avoid all the inevitable things in life that are laid out in front of us. It’s a basic enough concept but it needed to be said. People have seemed to really get on board with it and we hope it continues to be a bit of an anthem for the young and reckless.

Do you know how you’ll follow it? Are you planning that far ahead?

We’ll be releasing another single sometime early-2019 but we aren’t too concerned about that at the moment. There won’t be an E.P. or an album yet though - there wouldn’t be much point. We do have some really great songs in our arsenal though.

PHOTO CREDIT: Francis Brown

What sort of music/styles is the band inspired by? Are you all bonded by similar tastes?

We’re all fans of the bands we’re strongly influenced by: Libs, Manics and Arctic Monkeys, for example. Raychi, our bassist, is really into bands like Animal Collective and Panda Bear; in contrast to Jack and Daf who are big fans of bands like Mary Chain and Scream.

We do bond as a band over the music we despise, more than any other we know. It comes in handy knowing what we want to avoid when writing.

Do you recall when Al Moses came together? What is the inspiration behind the name?

Daf and Jack’s said their love for The Jesus and Mary Chain had brought them to go and see them in Cardiff.

We were really struggling for a name at the time and, even though Jack felt pretty let down by Jim and William Reid’s lacklustre performance, he suggested using a religious figure in our name like the two Scottish brothers had done so.

‘Moses’ on its own sounded a bit drab so we stuck the ‘Al’ in front of it and just loved the sound of it. It doesn’t mean anything but it feels like a brave name and that was enough for us. It’s a really good name to shout.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

We’re only doing our third ever headline gig on 29th November but we’ve got it in the upstairs room of Clwb Ifor Bach which is a three-hundred-capacity venue.

We never thought at the start of the year we would be playing to a crowd that big - considering we had only done two gigs as a band prior to January. If we can sell that out like we have done on our previous two headlines then that would be the ideal way to round off an unreal year for us boys.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

We’ve been having some class stuff come in since the release of I Want More. We can’t say too much yet but we’re gonna be playing outside of Cardiff a lot more and possibly getting some bigger support slots…anything could happen.

PHOTO CREDIT: Francis Brown

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Hearing our song on Radio 1 is always a bit moment for any band; it always sounds different somehow. To actually say we have a fanbase full of nut jobs from round South Wales is something that gives us all a buzz.

Jack and Raychi got off the train from Cardiff to Newport for a gig in September and spotted four or five people wearing Al Moses T-shirts on the walk to the venue. Then, the following Saturday, we went up to Merthyr and had the same. Seeing people genuinely love your band is unbeatable.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Raychi says ‘The White Album’ would be his, just ahead of Revolver. He said it’s a nostalgic album for him having listened to it a lot as a kid.

Daf claims Ziggy Stardust (The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars) to be his, for Soul Love alone.

George has gone for the Definitely Maybe because he loves playing it in his car.

The Holy Bible by The Manics means the most the Jack because their twentieth anniversary gig in Cardiff Castle was the first gig he ever went too - and it contains some of the greatest lyrics ever written.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

We’d support Fatboy Slim at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on Jack’s birthday. With a rider consisting of caterpillar cake and a Cardiff City third shirt signed by Callum Patterson.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be harsh on yourself and be interesting.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

We are playing at the TramShed in Cardiff for Shimmer Sounds festival alongside some top bands. And then it’s all about our headline gig in Clwb Ifor Bach on 29th November. We’ll be announcing some new dates very soon though.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Blinders

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

We’re all into The Blinders’ debut album; it’s class. There’s a great band from Cardiff called Laundrette who have really raised the bar in terms of making a gig ‘an experience’, if you’re into all that. Raychi rates Slipknot’s new stuff, weirdly.

IN THIS PHOTO: Laundrette

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

We’ve all been mates for years and years and always struggled for finding things to do so band has helped loads with that. We’re all either working full-time or doing some kind of education for the most part. Whenever we do get time it’s all about Al Moses and then we obviously have to drink together and go out too much and meet people to tell them about Al Moses.

Jack is a big Cardiff City fan so he has a season ticket, while Raychi works on his own Ambient music locked away in his room. We try to make everything about the band though because it’s the best part of who we all are believe it or not.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Daf: Les Cactus - The Last Shadow Puppets