Moxy from Moxy and the Influence interview
I recently had a chat with one of rock’s hottest singers right now — Moxy from Moxy and the Influence. The band is kickin ass and for a bunch of teens….. wow
- How and why was the band formed?
The band was actually formed by accident — I started out as a solo project and needed band members for a live show that was sprung on me. Obviously, I asked Sydney to cover guitar for me, as I’d been working with her for over the last 2 years in another band. She was the first permanent member. Ignacio quickly followed by messaging us on Facebook right before we became desperately in need of a drummer — after a quick trial period, he was in. Carly, our bassist, came last after seeing an ad (oddly enough) on Craigslist. We came together over a year ago now, and have been going strong ever since!
2. You’re backing band is called ‘The Influence’. Who are your influences? Yep! We’re called The Influence because we want to make our own stand in the music world and succeed based on who we are. We’re influenced by artists from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and even the more recent years. Led Zeppelin (Sydney), Motley Crue (Carly), Nirvana (Ignacio), and Evanescence (myself) are all influences that we name personally and as a group. Together, we make an interesting that somehow blends absolutely perfectly.
3. How long have you been together? We’ve been working as a band since August of last year (2013). Our current lineup has been together since mid-October of last year.
4. Whats your songwriting/recording process like? Actually, we’re still forming our songwriting process, as we’re still relatively new. Every song starts a different way, either with a guitar riff, vocal hook, or random jam session in practice. We haven’t figured out what works best for us yet! But our recording process is pretty straightforward: we work with ReAmp studios in southern California, and we start by setting up the drums, guitar, and bass in one room so they can jam and get the best track possible recorded. They’re usually pretty perfect after a few run throughs. Sydney records lead guitar tracks, Carly fixes up any missed bass notes (unlikely, but it’s happened), and I go in to record all final vocal tracks. Some mixing is done by Daniel Martin, one of the best sound engineers we know, and the track is done!
5. Why do you think rock is still popular and bands like Led Zeppelin and AC/DC are having a resurgence among younger fans? They are making a comeback, because they never died. Young fans recognize the genius of music created by bands like these, and they love it all just as much as we do. The musicianship, the technical aspects, the culture…they attract kids like crazy, just as they did in the beginning. Classic rock will never die.
6. What was your first concert? My first real concert was Evanescence at the Palladium in Hollywood — their first show back in America in years. Front row seats. It was amazing.
7. What’s the music scene like where you are? Is there a lot of support for original groups? The music scene out here, especially for young bands, is pretty cool actually. There’s an entire group of bands making up the music scene down here. Almost like a soccer league. We have lots of friends in other bands and we all share fans. Bands like Galvanized Souls, Against The Ordinary, Broken, Stereo Love, and many MANY others are our best friends and bands we play with constantly. We get so much support for what we do. It’s a real blessing.
8. What does the future hold for Moxy & The Influence? The future is looking especially bright these days. We’ve recently released our first music video, won our first two awards, recorded three more songs, and are planning a west coast tour for next year. I’m in a band with my best friends. I’m stoked for the future, wherever we go — but I must say, I know we’re going somewhere. Fast.
Cheers Moxy, keep up the great work and one day we shall see you on our shores!
Text Copyright Jakam Kourasanis 2015
