DJ Interviews: Moonscar Music

 Hey there guys, DJ Dizzy here & this is my interview with Moonscar Music

How'd you get started in music? 

We all had our own journeys that have brought us to this point. Chris’s mom and dad both played guitar and when Chris was bored his mother would tell him to go play your fathers guitar. Plus his brother Dave played drums around him all the time so he fell into it naturally. Tommy Started playing when he was 5. Then elementary school band when he was 6 and played brass low brass till he graduated. Picked up guitar around 11, bass at 21. Bobby started in high school with marching drums and continued to play music throughout the years. His brother Timmy played guitar so they were both always involved in bands. Frank started off playing saxophone in junior high and started singing in junior high choir, later he got his first guitar for Christmas. His uncle showed him how to tune it and a few chords to practice. Later he joined a band with some school friends singing and playing guitar. We all knew each other or of each other. Hung out with the same crowd of friends, but at different times in our lives. Bobby and Chris were playing together years ago and Frank was at the show watching them. That band was called MoonScar. Tommy was friends with mutual friends Frank had. Chris and Tommy were in a band together called This Machine. Bobby and Frank were working on a few tracks together when Chris and Bobby started recording one take tracks. Frank asked if he could put vocals on them, and it took off. We needed a bass player and Tommy was the logical choice and we asked him to join us which he accepted and MoonScar was reborn. 

Who are your inspirations or influences? 

We have so many different influences. A lot of similar ones. Classics like Van Halen and Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work were really big influences on Chris and Frank. Chris loves Nuno Bettencourt, Eric Johnson. Dimebag Darrell, George Lynch, Jason Becker, Zakk Wylde. We all were into metal growing up. Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Metallica, Pantera. Grunge music shaped us collectively and still has a big influence on us today. Alice In Chains, Candlebox, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam. Bands like Kings X and Tool, and artists like Prince who were so different and brilliant and made us look at music differently. A lot of modern influences like Killswitch Engage, Karnivool, Mudvayne. Tommy’s influences  are across the board as well, Prog metal, pop, metal, grunge, funk, bluegrass, folk, metal core, birds, car horns, arguing old couples, literally anything can be an influence. Bobby really loved drummers Dave Abbruzzese from Pearl Jam, Nico McBrain from Iron Maiden, Vinny Paul from Pantera, and John Bonham from Led Zepplin. Frank loved the Smashing Pumpkins, Prince, Alice In Chains, Living Color, and Van Halen. You can hear the influences in our music. There’s a lot of different influences, but somehow we make it our own. 

What advice would you offer aspiring performers? 

Be yourself! Sure there’s only 12 notes in music and something’s may sound similar, but what makes it different is what you bring to it. Help others. So many bands have this junior high mindset about being competitive or “better” than others. The best local scenes are the ones who embrace each other’s music and grow together. Check your ego at the door!  Shows become better, more people get turned onto your music and the music of others that way. It’s ok to be competitive with yourself and inspired by others to improve your craft, just not to alienate others and yourselves in the process. We all love to play live and write, but reaching someone emotionally through your music is therapy. If it impacts or changes someone’s life for the better you become more than a musician, you connect with them and that’s what music is all about. 

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers? 

We don’t really focus on on setting ourselves apart. We focus on the music we love to make. We feel that the fun part of being in a band is being around others you love and respect. We don’t want it to feel like clocking in for a job because at that point is wouldn’t be fun. The passion, fun, and love for what we do and each other makes us who we are. MoonScar

Any new gigs or albums in the future? 

We are planning a few events and gigs in the Bluefield, WV/VA area. Looking for regional shows and festivals to play. We are constantly in writing and recording mode. We currently have 18 songs. Working on getting our website www.moonscarband.com up and running. Putting some songs together for an “album” and putting it on Spot, iTunes. This past year we have pumped out a lot of songs, so it may be an album and an EP.