An Interview With Wildlife Moon
Wildlife Moon has been releasing a string of singles throughout this year and the most recent and awe inspiring is "Mirrors Of Each Other".
The track brings a beautifully ambient neo-folk style with feels of Pink Floyd, Elliot Smith, and Nick Drake all thrown into a pot, boiled and seasoned, and damn does it taste good.
This single has dream-like vocals and scattered bending sounds flowing through its atmosphere at all times.
It's easy to see this as the soundtrack to a scene in a film and upon its first listen you feel like your walking alone in a forest. The sung peaking through the trees. Being taken back by the beauty of it all.
"Mirrors Of Each Other" is cinematic and has a way of surrounding you and letting you fall back into it fearlessly.
A perfect counterpart to other singles released in 2020 like "You Don't Have To Hide" and "Darkness", the new single is a wonderous time.
We wanted to sit down with Wildlife Moon to talk about where it all comes from. So we did just that.
TSWS: Okay let's start with "Mirrors Of Each Other". This track is gorgeous and really engulfed me. It's cinematic feel was excellent. Where did this song come from?
I was in a songwriting club with some friends a few years ago, and we would give each other different prompts or challenges to write about. One of the challenges was to write a song about a villain. I had just re-watched the anime movie Ghost in the Shell and thought it would be cool to write about the Puppet Master, who is this mysterious, misunderstood being looking for a meaning in existence.
TSWS: The song is a bit different from others like "Darkness" which has a much more anthemic rock feel. I'm hearing Arcade Fire, Elliot Smith and others. What bands and artists really influence you musically?
You are absolutely right in bringing up Elliott Smith. He's a huge influence on me. XO and Figure 8 are two of my all-time favorite albums. He gives you rock n' roll with "Son of Sam," then something with a cinematic tilt like "Everything Means Nothing to Me," all on the same record.
Other bands and artists I love have fluidity between styles/ genres, like Sufjan Stevens, David Bowie, Radiohead, Wilco, LCD Soundsystem, etc.
TSWS: How long have you been doing this? How did this all start for you?
I picked up the guitar when I was 12 and fell in love with punk and grunge and that was basically it! As I took guitar lessons I became infatuated with more styles, especially jazz, and decided I wanted to study at Berklee College of Music. A lot of the people I work with in music, either on Wildlife Moon songs or elsewhere, I went to Berklee with, so I am forever grateful for all the connections I was able to make there.
TSWS: What next for you as an artist? Anything in the works even now?
A few more tracks are currently in the works and should be out in early 2021. I'm trying to branch out more and have synths and samples provide the foundation for some new songs, where as I tend to gravitate toward writing with guitar as the backbone. So I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone and make something unique and cool with each release.
TSWS: Did you used to play live shows before? Do you think you'll be planning gigs when the time comes?
Absolutely. No question. I miss playing live shows very much.
I started producing music under the name Wildlife Moon in late 2019. I was rehearsing for the first official show in early March of this year with a great group of guys, and then it all was sidelined as NYC went into lockdown.
Besides that, I've played and toured as a solo artist, and with various other bands as a sideman for years.
TSWS: What does someone like you do when you're not working on music?
I like to play tennis, go on hikes, watch movies, read, and take pictures of my cat. I recently binge-watched all of the Harry Potter movies in a week. My girlfriend was shocked that I had never read any of the books or saw the movies, so we had to right at least one of those wrongs!
TSWS: What kind of advice would you give other aspiring artists out there just trying to get heard?
Make music that you are proud of and would want to listen to. Be kind and show gratitude to your fellow musicians, artists, and supporters. Get involved in your local scene, although that has really changed this past year due to coronavirus restrictions, it will eventually come back and you can be a part of building that community to be stronger. Give selflessly, pay your dues, and I guarantee you will be heard.
TSWS: What sort of non-musical things influence you to write?
Anything, honestly, from a story I'm reading to current events to my current mood.
Whatever the influence is, I try to use it in way in which allows me to be conversational, and convey a direct emotion to the listener.
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of your music?
Thank you so much for listening to my songs and supporting this new endeavor. I hope to see you all ASAP IRL!!!