Duncan Moss has been a musician all his life, however his path to becoming an artist was a journey that has taken him some time to arrive at. With the release of his new album Mnemonics – Part 2 out tomorrow I spoke to Duncan about his career and latest release.
CCM: You have had a lifelong love of music but life opened up a career in another sector. Tell us how you found your way to pursuing music professionally.
Duncan Moss: I had a lifetime itch that needed scratching. A number of events and life experiences occurred that led me to the decision to pursue music full time. To that end I made all the necessary changes in my life to enable me to focus totally on my first love which was composing music.
Just over seven years ago I started on this great adventure and knew absolutely no one in the music industry. My wife and I moved to London, our grown up children having left home, and I focused all my time into playing , writing and recording music. I have been a hermit.
Along the way I have met people in the industry who have been kind enough to give me their time and encouragement by introducing me to other people who can help me on my journey. This whole process has been completely random but I have been extremely fortunate in meeting industry figures who have enabled me to move forward increasing my circle of contacts at every stage.
CCM: You’ve previously talked about the artist’s “two diametrically opposed conditions.’ Can you tell us more about that and how you balance them in your own career.
Duncan Moss: I understood long ago that the skills and mindset of an artist are completely different to those that you require in business. Business is hard nosed, mistrustful and very pragmatic. Artistry is open, trusting, vulnerable and emotionally receptive. Such artistic traits would be seen as signs of weakness in business. Very occasionally the two meet. I found that to fully pursue my artistic endeavors I really didn’t have the headspace to do anything that wasn’t in keeping and sympathetic to this.
Quite early on in my musical journey someone said to me “in music you are either making it or exploiting it.” At the time I thought this was quite harsh but over time I have come to understand that there is a lot of truth in this statement. Many of the people I mix with in the industry do not deal with money; others do it for them and take their cut. I understand this completely.
CCM: Even throughout your career in business you continued to compose. Can you share a little about your approach to creating new music.
Duncan Moss: I generally have two ways of writing. The first is when I get a tune or melody in my head which I am usually not aware of until I start whitling or humming it. The second way is what someone coined as “noodling.” This is where I sit down at the piano which I do every day and just play the first thing that comes into my head experimenting with chords and progressions. Both ways lead on to sitting at the piano and working out where the melody is going and all the detail that goes with same.
Thereafter I’ll go to my Korg Kronos which is a wonderful workstation and start to orchestrate the outline, lay down tracks as a demo in Logic or Sibelius and generally show the direction and flavor of the overall sound I want. At this stage I’ll choose a producer. Then it’s fun time in getting the musicians in to record. After that of course its onto mixing and mastering.
CCM: Your new album Mnemonics is Part 2 of a series. How did the concept come about and where does this record pick up from the last? Will there be a third part also?
Duncan Moss: I was in a studio with Hadyn Bendall, a record producer, working on another album. He left the studio for a while and whilst he was gone I thought I’d spend my time playing a lovely Yamaha grand I’d seen in the live room. When he returned he asked me what I was playing. I said it was some piano songs I’d written over a lifetime. He asked me to play some more and then picked up the phone to Masterchord studios and booked me in to record a piano album there in six weeks time.
I was going to call the album Soul Notes as it’s very evocative but it was pointed out to me that people would be disappointed when it came out and was nothing like a soul album! One of my team, Dean, came up with the name of Mnemonics which I thought was a great idea. Part 1 is the piano solo album and does what it says on the tin.
Having got the final mixes of the album back from Hadyn I was having a drink with a great pal of mine called Steve Sidwell who is a Grammy award winning arranger and conductor. Top of the game. I asked him to come up with an arrangement for one of the tracks because I thought it would give the music a whole new flavor. It was stunning! So I said this’ll probably bankrupt me but can you do the other ten tracks which he did. Then we recorded the whole album with a truly world class orchestra courtesy of Music Creation Ltd at the wonderful Air studios in London.
There could be a Part 3 but not for a while as I’m just so busy on other projects. Also I have two more albums written and recorded and ready to go after Part 2. I’m currently working on album no.5. Hence the hermit comment earlier!
If I should do a Part 3, I might use the same songs but reimagined with vocals on as they are all written in song format and most of the top lines I have in my head.
CCM: It is said you create music without conforming to a particular genre. How do you describe your music instead?
Duncan Moss: When people talk about genre I find it quite inhibiting and restrictive. I like progressive music or prog and like the idea of blending different sounds and flavors to give an overall feel to the music. The next two albums are very much along these lines and I call it sonic architecture! Essentially they are classical in origin but with lots of drums and in these examples a sixteen piece band as well as an orchestra.
I am very visual so all my work is to a storyline and has a narrative that runs through all the music. It’s going to be huge fun bringing it to life on a stage.
As an aside, I had a comment on my socials recently where a lady said ‘ I hate piano music!” I was so intrigued I wrote back and asked her why. She said it was because her neighbors was learning piano and it drove her mad! I posted back that we all have to start somewhere and it might get better but good luck and thanks for replying. Imagine my joy when she posted again a few months later and said she loves my piano music and now listens to piano music all the time!
Several other lovely people have said they are big heavy metal fans and can’t understand why they like my music. So no I don’t get too hung up on genre….
CCM: What are some of your musical goals outside of recording?
Duncan Moss: Firstly I am really looking forward to staging these albums live. I said earlier that they all have a narrative so apart from Mnemonics Part 1 and 2 the other albums are about the journey through life and life lessons, artificial intelligence and currently about old men sending young men out to die in wars. Lots of opportunity for interesting and complimentary visuals.
I also like the idea of installations where music is part of the offer, as again, I love the idea of mixing art and music. This is also very inclusive as it gives many more people the chance to experience what’s on offer and with wide appeal. Finally I’m just starting on a few collaborations which is so much fun and bringing me huge joy!
CCM: I love your story because many of us have followed different paths but the love for music is always there. Would you offer any advice to someone considering coming back to music again?
Duncan Moss: Far be it for me to offer anyone advice however if I was advising myself I would say:
- Have you truly got a burning ambition?
- Have you genuinely got a skill or special ability for something?
- If the honest answer is yes then ignore the annoying voice that says you can’t do it
- Get on with it and don’t procrastinate
- Ignore everyone that says you can’t do it or earn from it
- Work 24/7 at it and don’t give up
- Be totally focussed and professional
- When you get knocked down as you will, get back up and carry on
- Be nice to people
CCM: What do you hope listeners will take with them from your latest release?
Duncan Moss: Mnemonics Part 2 is a very emotive piece of work covering one man’s life experiences that are common to most. I genuinely hope it touches you and that you enjoy the emotive music. Mostly though I just hope it brings you joy and, should you need it, comfort. It’s all written “heart on sleeve” and all I’ve done is to express musically, to the best of my ability, what most of us encounter along the way. As I’ve said on one of my upcoming albums, ‘Enjoy this moment; this moment is your life!”
To learn more Duncan and purchase his latest releases visit:
www.duncanmossmusic.com
