After spending the last few years releasing a flurry of rich and enticing offerings, Brighton's Charlie Moss has returned once again to deliver his latest anthem 'The Ride'.
Channelling a broad and blistering indie-rock aesthetic, 'The Ride' makes for a compelling listen. Filled with pulsing production, killer hooks, and his own soaring voice layered throughout, he is certainly one to keep an eye on in the months ahead.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with him to find out more about his background and what has inspired him over the years.
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What was the first instrument you learned to play?
The first instrument I learnt to play was drums when I was 8. I worked my way up to grade 7 on the drums and then I saw a live video of Green Day and realised I wanted to be the frontman. When I got to the age of 12 I got a guitar for my birthday and I haven't put one down since!
What was the first album you remember owning?
The first album I ever remember owning and actually buying myself, was American idiot by Green Day. Funnily enough the first ever hard copy of a single I bought was Boulevard Of Broken Dreams by them too and I remember always asking my parents to play in the car where ever we used to go.
Did you ever form a band when you were younger and if so, what did they sound like?
When I was younger (about 10 years old), I played drums in a band for about three or four years. We never actually wrote our own music but it was great experience and really formed my love and passion for both performing live and writing my own material. It was a poppy vibe with a tiny bit of rock thrown in kind of similar to Scouting for girls.
What is a song you wish you had written yourself?
I think it has to be Yesterday by the Beatles. That has to be one of my favourite tracks of all time and for it to be so famous and relatable to this day having been written over 55 years ago is crazy stuff. Having said that I think just about anything written by John Lennon I wish I could’ve written myself!
What has been the most thrilling moment about creating your own music?
For me I think the most thrilling part about creating my own music is the process from writing the melody and lyrics in my bedroom to expanding the creativity of it with my band. Then recording in the studio with a producer and really hearing it come to life is an incredible feeling. It's then even more rewarding to play that track live in front of a crowd, especially infant of likeminded people who appreciate and enjoy music.
And what about the most frustrating part?
I think the most frustrating part of music for me is the sheer greed of the industry. I understand that this is a very touchy subject, however, for unsigned and independent artists it’s an almost impossible task to fund your own recording, travel, rehearsals, equipment and promotion / PR, when the sad reality is that maybe 1 out of 10 promoters will pay you for a show. I've had it countless amounts of times where the promoter has told me I can only play if I sell a certain number of tickets or if I actually pay up front, which is called Pay 2 Play - I do not take part in these shows and never will. I think too many people offer ‘exposure' as a means of payment, which at the younger stages of a bands life can be acceptable, but when you're really trying to make a name for yourself and break into the industry this really isn't a viable way of going forwards.
Which artist would you most love to share a stage with?
I'd absolutely love to share a stage with Catfish and the Bottlemen. I get a huge amount of inspiration from their music, and the energy that they play live with is honestly like no other band that I've seen. Those guys can play for hours and hours and still keep up the same level of energy throughout!
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
This is always a really tough one for me to answer, but I would like to see myself having released an album and having toured the UK as the headline act. Playing live is one of the best feelings to me, alongside being in the studio recording new music. I feel incredibly lucky to get where I am today so all I could ask for would be continued support and for people to keep supporting grassroots music - who know’s where I could end up?!
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Charlie Moss' new single 'The Ride' is available to stream now. Check it out below.
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