Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Amirreza Moqtaderzadeh
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Growing up, there was always some kind of music being played in our house. So I grew up in my grandma’s house, and the oldest memory I have is my uncle learning how to play Liebestraum No. 3 by Franz Liszt on the piano. He kept playing the intro over and over again, and the sound of that barely out of tune upright piano is just embedded in my head forever.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I always wanted to be an artist and share my creations. Everything really started in 11th grade, when I had so many poems and needed a way to share them with people out there; in my mind, I remember thinking to myself: no one is going to take these sad edgy poems written by a 17 year old seriously, so I started playing some chords on the guitar, and recorded my poems in a very spoken word, reverby kind of thing on top on my phone. Production-wise, it was terrible; it was very raw and people seemed to like it though.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Right now I’m working on a concept album. It’s inspired by “Experiments in the Revival of Organisms”. I think it has a lot of shock factor, especially if you see the original video or them resuscitating a dead dog in old Soviet Russia. The whole thing about Ideology and Propaganda, tied with the fact that this is very gruesome and chilling makes for something really epic.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Imagine if David Gilmour, Roy Buchanan, Frank Zappa (in his later career) and the band Camel made a record. That would be close to my sound. A lot of instrumental, psychedelic rock, even some Leo Ferre inspired stuff.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
The fact that it can always be better. It’s better to put out something that is very polished, than to just put something out, because later on you are gonna regret it. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I think it’s a different toolset for every song. Some things that I use the most would be Amplitube, Logic Pro, the Universal Audio Plugins, My two main guitars (an Esp Eclipse, and a 1967 Fender strat), and my main amp which is an Orange Rockerverb.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’ve been getting into a lot of GOASTT, and Roger Fakhr. Those guys are very underrated
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Oh definitely. Especially with the instrumental tracks, I always try to convey a specific moment and feeling. Take for example my song Platitudes; the whole premise of that song was the moment I broke up with my first “serious” girlfriend… Or the song Hymn For The Diluted, that song was all about the first time I ever tried weed and how it made me feel.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
All I care about is for my audience to be able to relate to the songs on a deeper level. Honestly that would be the biggest dream, for someone to aesthetically think of my music asa. Soundtrack for a specific moment in their life.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
That if there is an element that can bring people together, that is music. You don’t need to understand what the lyrics say, you don’t need to understand music theory, you don’t need to understand anything about how it was made, but still connect with another person through it.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
2 words: Woodstock 1969
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I truly wish George Harrison was still alive. That would have been the best thing I could ever do. There’s just this aura about him and his music that I absolutely love.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
All my social handles are @ymirreza. You can also listen to my music on Apple music and Spotify
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/amirreza-moqtaderzadeh/1655974736
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
One step at a time, making better sounding stuff, more authentic stuff, more captivating stuff.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That I’m also figuring stuff out as I go and everyone struggles at one point or another… the reason I don’t put out a new song every month is because I actually care about what I put out a lot.
