GET TO KNOW: MOIRA MACK
Both in life and music, Moira walks a line of stubborn determination and perpetual adaptation. Though she is incurably independent, her sound exposes her many influences. From Stevie Wonder and Ella Fitzgerald to Blake Mills and Sigur Rós. Her jazz-infused, neo soul songs are the product of this varied musical education.
As a songwriter, Moira finds her confidence in self-deprecation and biting honesty. Her lyrics are loose lipped explorations into the uncomfortable. She frequently exposes secrets in her songs that would otherwise be guarded by sobriety. Her constant need to unsettle is carried through her artistry and intentional or not, she never gives the same performance twice.
Where are you from, and how did you get into music? Did you play any instruments growing up?
I grew up singing constantly but didn’t realize that I had a talent for it until high school, when I had my first choir solo. I had a brief stint with violin in 4th grade which I actually really enjoyed but unfortunately did not have the patience for. It wasn’t until after going to college to pursue other interests that I realized nothing was going to make me as happy as music did. So I dropped out after one semester and moved to Los Angeles. That was nearly ten 10 years ago. I did end up transferring to USC and graduating with a music degree eventually; I’ve been pursuing music professionally ever since.
Who were some of your early influences and who are some artists that you’re excited about right now?
My parents raised me listening to lots of classic rock, blues, and motown. BB King, the Grateful Dead, and Marvin Gaye were on regular rotation when I was growing up. But the soul artists were the ones that stuck with me the most, Sam Cooke is one of my favorites to this day. Etta James, Bill Withers, Chet Baker, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell and Amy Winehouse are a few others that have heavily informed my artistry. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of the Paper Kites, SZA, Cautious Clay, May Erlewine, and James Blake.
We were absolutely in love with your submission “After The Beep” Can you tell us more about the song and what inspired you to write it?
Thank you! This song was born out of my life-long struggle with depression and a desire to be honest about it. Several years ago I was just beginning to reemerge at the tail end of a major depressive episode, I’d had a long day and I was sitting at the piano when my dad called. I saw the phone ringing and thought to myself, I just don’t have the energy to pretend that I’m okay right now. He left a long voicemail which I then listened to and realized, huh, I probably could’ve been honest. I probably could’ve answered the call, told him that I was struggling and maybe instead of being burdensome, we might’ve found some connection in that moment of truth. So I wrote a song about it.
A few months later the pandemic hit and I was suddenly faced with lots of solitude–I live alone–and an overabundance of free time, so I decided to delve into learning how to produce. I went through at least three extremely different versions of the song but hadn’t landed on anything that felt right. Then in January 2022 I rented a farmhouse in rural WI for two months. I brought all of my recording gear and instruments and hunkered down without internet or cell reception. I tossed out the previous versions of “After the Beep” and rebuilt it from scratch. By the time I left the farm to head back to LA, it was done.
What does your creative process look like in general? Is there anything specific you do to get yourself in the creative zone?
In an ideal world, my creative process would look like those two months in Wisconsin. I rarely struggle for creative inspiration but I am easily distracted haha. I work best when I find a state of flow which is difficult when there are so many interruptions in my day-to-day life. I have thousands of voice memos, iPhone notes and song drafts awaiting the proper focus to be finished.
What’s the most memorable live show you’ve played in the last year?
The first one that comes to mind, which I suppose defines it as the most memorable, was actually a tiny show I played in Vancouver, BC last summer. I had never been to Vancouver before and I got to spend a few days before the show exploring the outdoors north of Whistler–I fell in love! It is so unbelievably beautiful up there. The people I met in Vancouver were so kind, I can’t wait to go back.
What’s your dream venue that you’d like to play?
I would love to do a full tour playing only churches. The Gorge Amphitheatre, Red Rocks, and Pappy and Harriet’s are a few others I’d love to play.
How do you deal with this new expectation for artists to not only create within their art form, but to content create and self-promote on social media platforms as well?
I don’t haha. At least, not well. I really despise social media, it is wildly detrimental to my mental health. It’s actually played a big part in the shifting of my career goals. I've realized that I could be happy staying out of the spotlight and focusing more on songwriting, production and composition–anything to keep me off of social media.
What’s something non-musical that you’re really excited about right now?
Ceramics, sustainable agriculture, botany, film photography, videography, culinary arts, nutrition, psychology…I actually wish this list were shorter haha, I might have an easier time focusing on one thing!
What’s next in the world of Moira Mack?
I’m sitting on nearly a decade of unreleased music right now, so priority numero uno is to get that off of my hard drive and into the world. I’m so excited to get to work with the WIP team on a song!