INTERVIEW: The Moods — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

The Moods

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MY final interview of the day…

is with the ten-strong crew of The Moods. The Manchester band has been discussing their musical influences and how they all found one another. I discover what their new single, Carnival, is all about and how their music generally comes together.

They share a treasured memory from their careers so far; which new artists we need to get our ears around; whether there are any plans for gigs coming up – each of them picks a song to end the interview with.

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

It's been a very busy week with The Moods. The new single, Carnival, has been gaining momentum with a couple of national radio plays on BBC Radio 6 Music and features in national magazines. Everyone seems to be enjoying the song so we're happy.

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

I, personally, have trouble describing our sound. It is a mixture of everything, really. I suppose it's mostly Dance, Drum ‘n’ Bass-driven but, as you can hear from our new single, we like to mix it up with a bit of Reggae, Dancehall and 2-Step-kinda-vibes. We really don't like to restrict ourselves. We even have Heavy Rock songs that we've been playing about with in our studio.

You can always expect something different from us, that's for sure.

Carnival is your new track. What is the song’s story?

This song came about from our festival experiences gigging as a band. We seem to enjoy festivals the most. There's such a good mixture of people and personalities and everyone is there for the same reason: to have a top time. We wanted to capture that feeling in a piece of music and I reckon we've hit the nail on the head with this one. It has a real summery feeling to it.

How does a song from The Moods come together? Do you all pitch in – or will someone take the lead?

We own our own studio, so we all get together as much as we can. We're quite fortunate to have a wide range of musical knowledge at hand in The Moods; so we're never stuck for ideas. There's ten of us in total, so the sounds come together quite quickly. It usually starts with one person's idea and we all come alive and throw our bits in.

It's quite hectic at times but we love it that way.

The band formed in Manchester in 2014. How did all ten of you get together? Did you all know one another before the band formed?

The core of the band has been together since high-school in 2002. We used to be an Indie band if you can believe that? Over the years, we've always written music together and evolved our sound into what you hear today. We've added a couple of rappers, a violinist and a trumpet player in recent years and we decided to take it back to the stage. We've had some great feedback so we stuck with it.

Which artists do you all rank as influences? Do you all have varied and wide tastes?

There are so many artists and bands that influence our music. Between the ten of us, we've probably listened to every genre out there. We're big fans of finding new music, though. That's what we love about touring: we get the chance to discover new and exciting artists. Some that instantly spring to mind from recent tours are K.O.G & the Zongo Brigade - and also Yoko Pwno.

Is there more material coming soon? What are you working on right now?

We're currently working on a new album.

We have no official release date and we're in no rush to get it out there either. We're looking to make this one our best yet. You can probably expect a couple more tracks like Carnival and, maybe, a few more unusual live instruments too. We don't like to restrict ourselves and anything goes. We will be releasing an E.P. soon, so look out for that too.

How do you think The Moods’ music has changed since the start? Have you brought new sounds into the fold?

Yeah, definitely. Like I said before; The Moods started out as an Indie band back in the day. It's been a long journey for some of us and a real learning curve with how to craft songs. We're quite lucky to have the history we have - and it definitely helps when writing music.

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

By the end of 2018, we're hoping to get out to some new cities and towns that we haven’t played yet and to keep building on our fan base with bigger gigs and festival slots

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

It's got to be our album launch party for me. Selling out the O2 Ritz in Manchester was unbelievable. The crowd was amazing and we sold loads of vinyl and C.D.s. It was a special moment for me and it's gonna take a lot to beat it.

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

Rudimental have always had a massive live show and I think we would be a perfect fit as a support band.

As for the rider; we already have a pretty hefty one with ten of us in the band…but I’m sure we could drink and eat a lot more if need be.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I would tell them not to be afraid to make the music you want to make. Gig a lot. I mean, loads! It's the most important thing you can do. You will learn a lot about yourself and your audience. Make sure your live show is spot-on and have fun. That's what it's all about: try not to make it a job and you'll feel much better about it all.

Where can we see you play? Do you have any gigs approaching?

We've spent the last year pretty much touring flat-out from as far north as Inverness right down to London. For all our tour dates you can check out.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

As mentioned before; K.O.G & the Zongo Brigade and Yoko Pwno really stood out as bands that really excited us whilst touring. Tixxy Bang, who features on Carnival, has an amazing album called Strongman that you should all check out. Also; some of the Scottish bands such as The Girobabies, Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5 and Busker Rhymes are all well worth a listen.

IN THIS PHOTO: Yoko Pwno/PHOTO CREDIT: Tixxy Bang

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

Only speaking on my behalf but, when I'm not in the studio or on the road with the band, I spend my winding downtime with a good film or game…and generally just spending time with the family

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).

Phil (Drums): The Beautiful South - You Keep It All In