Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Moss Henry
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I was outside in the yard at home. I was pretty young, probably didn’t even start school yet. The song “Those Were The Days” played on the portable radio and the song really grabbed me. I can’t explain what it was about it but I imagine it had more to do with the melody than the words. I couldn’t wait for it to be played again. Back then I had no concept of radio playlists or the ability to purchase music. Songs were something that were here and then gone, like the breeze. So when I did chance to hear it again it was like some kind of magic.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
Not long after I started learning guitar I would occassionally try to write a little song. I used to mess around with portable tape players and a stereo combo system with record player, 8 track and cassette player that would let you plug in and record to cassette. It had two dials to adjust the recording level and each had a needle that you tried to keep out of the red zone. Back then it was pretty cool stuff.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
I can come up with licks pretty easily but lyrics I find challenging. For some reason I had a spurt of lyrical inspiration. I had been running a band for a few years and at that point I knew a good number of musicians to call on for recording purposes. There was also a readily available and affordabled recording facility nearby. It was run by the person who sometimes was our soundman so he was already familiar with some of the material. He had been a recording engineer for many years. I made the decision to record an album. – I had the money, I would make the time. Plus I wanted to do it while my hands still worked. My regular job is pretty hard on the hands. A few years before starting “Just Passing Through” I had surgery on my left hand. That was during covid, gigs were harder to come by so it looked like a good time to get the procedure done.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Honky Tonk Alt Country Americana
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
What is was like to work in a studio setting. When I got the opportunity to record in a bona fide recording studio that was an eye-opener, my introduction to real multi track recording.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
An acoustic guitar, portable cassette player, Pro Tools, pencil & paper, alone time
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Carla Morrison’s recording of “Pale Blue Eyes.” It’s done in Spanish. I love the arrangement and vocal delivery. It doesn’t matter that I don’t understand most of the words. The feel conveys such a sense of melancholy and vulnerability it can water up my eyes.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Personal experiences have certainly influenced the subject matter more than anything else. If you write from personal experience, your songs, particularly lyrics will be more genuine and relateable. Just think of a song you heard when you were a kid, then heard again years later. The experiences you’ve gained along the way will color your mental image, capacity to comprehend and relate to it.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
That’s up to them. I just hope a listener gets something from it. I’m not trying to sell any messages or ideas. It’s just my way of trying to express something. The way it’s perceived may be a different something to another person. I guess it’s similar to a painting or sculpture in that it won’t necessarily illicit the same response to everyone who sees it.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
I don’t think music has taught me any lessons. But I can tell you some lessons I’ve learned along the way that I’ve found applicable to music: Be determined, give yourself a generous amount of self critique, be open to suggestions and be able to deal with rejection. Also, you’ve got to, at some point be able to walk away. You can nit pick a song to death to the point where you’ll never get anything finished.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Austin City Limits
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
That’s a hard one. Johnny Cash, just because it’s Johnny Cash. Or Doc Watson since I really admire his guitar playing. Lots of names and faces come to mind for a variety of reasons, things I really admire about their work. Cindy Walker comes to mind, too. I’d like to be a fly on the wall as she composed tunes. Plus later in life she just lived in a regular house in a small town and I’d like to think she would have been very approachable. Anyway, the main goal to collaborate with anyone would be to learn and exchange ideas.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
To gain some visibility. In regard to independent music, the metaphor “needle in a haystack” falls short. Often it feels more like your music is one tiny plankton floating in the ocean.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
i’m irrelevant. I just hope that they enjoy the music.
Link
