Give us a little bio about you.
Of course. My name is Betty Moon and I’m a songwriter, singer and producer of both of film and music. From Toronto, visiting and doing work in LA for years now living in the Los Angeles area. I have been playing music since I was a teenager and with lots of hard work scored a big record deal in the early 90s. The rest is history really, I refined my songwriting and production skills from there and focused on leveling up with everything I do year after year. I’m a big supporter of and heavily involved in the arts and am the biggest fan of rock n’ roll across many decades. I’d say for anyone that wants to learn more about me, go here haha – http://bettymoon.com/
What made you go in to music?
I always loved singing and dancing as a little kid but when I discovered bands like Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and Jane’s Addiction, my world was rocked and I knew I had to learn guitar and form my own band.
You have a new EP coming out on the in Spring, tell us all about it.
‘Hellucination’ has been something I’ve been working on for almost a year. I put together almost 30 songs to choose from and really let things simmer before choosing the final track listing. I put a lot of the classic Betty Moon sound into these tracks but as usual really focused on changing things up a bit and keeping things interesting with some really cool new sounds and instrumentation. I produced the album, but also had a great team around me to help with writing, post-production and worked with really great remixers. The theme of the album is that we are living in a ‘Hellucination’, and this album unveils some fairly straight up and direct thoughts from track to track. I began to explore a different palette, got silly playfully and love the new direction that I found in the process of writing and recording with an amazingly talented group of people.
What was the writing process like?
A little turbulent at times but for the most part it was actually a blast. I didn’t feel rushed this time around and ironically without any pressure these songs all came together rather quickly in some ways. I just don’t know what to do with the other 18 songs that are pretty cool as well but I dare not release a double album which was a thought at one point. I know many artists may claim writing is either easy or a struggle, but I don’t see it either way. I just go with the flow of what each day provides me make the best of it. Sometimes I feel like a conduit bringing stories in from the other side. Many of the ideas we jam out as a group in a studio, living room or wherever it may be. My studio or theirs a lot of the time. And there are also no shortage of great recording facilities in L.A. thankfully.
What was the recording process like?
Recording can either be painstakingly difficult to get right or incredibly experimental and fun. We tracked as we went over the past year and it was really just taking a week or two spread out to mix the songs we chose. Most artists book studio time and do it all at once, but fortunately I had the luxury to record these songs at my own leisure. I mean there was pressure to not take years on this, but I gave myself 1 year to knock this out. And I think Im pretty happy with the work we did. It’s a gem of a record once you get it.
Will we see any music videos for any of the tracks?
Absolutely, a music video for “Save My Soul” recently came out (link below) and I’m currently in post on a couple more that will be coming out this Spring. View on Youtube –
What else can we expect in 2019?
We’ll be pushing ‘Hellucination’ for the rest of the year, and releasing lots of singles, remixes and music videos. A few tours here and there on the books but have yet to tour Europe or the middle east. There’s so much work that goes into all these individual steps, and I’m excited to show everyone what we’re up to. I tend to keep pretty busy just being stationed here in L.A. and pursuing more possibilities of TV and film placements for my catalogue of songs.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
As an artist and musician I feel I’m someone who is always easily inspired by situations, stories, environments, news and the friends/family I’m surrounded by. Sometimes the inspiration comes from just being frustrated with people and the world and getting passionate and emotional at the same time, enough to get over to the piano and/or pick up a guitar and mumble a few ideas. I also record a lot of voice memos as I’m driving. It’s common here in L.A. to look over and see someone either talking their lines from a film script or singing. We are all a little crazy in whatever bubble we’re in. But sometimes it’s important to get out of that bubble to explore some genuinely topical issues that will resonate with the world of humans, hence Hellucination being a collection of songs that aims to perk up your ears and stimulate your soul.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
On tour with Jane’s Addiction, then Depeche Mode and my music placed in a huge Summer blockbuster, having my own line of clothes inspired by my music and fashion style along with plugging my new beverage.
You also advocate for women in production, tell us more about how this came about and how you can help others.
It’s really from being in the industry in the US and Canada for quite a while and heavily networking with so many women who have different roles from executives to being an emerging artist in our local scene. I do my best to help introduce other women I know in music to collaborate together and work with other female engineer/production professionals. We are about to change gears with women steering the ship for awhile so we can get back on track with nurturing, loving one another, enjoying our lives, having fun but making sure we still have a good moral code and a sense of goodness to help one another.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
I take a lot of driving trips to explore different parts of the U.S, I’m often at the gym, out and about everywhere in L.A where there’s always something going on, or watching badass documentaries and movies A night on the town with my friends is always a must as well. Gotta get that source material somewhere right?
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Do music for all the right reasons, don’t have an agenda to get signed, get rich and be famous. Everyone I know that’s successful and happy on all levels are writing and recording music simply because that’s what gets them stoked. If an emerging artist is simply going for a record deal and hasn’t paid any dues, it’s going to be a rough road ahead.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
All my overthinking creative friends out there will appreciate this “Ignore the haters and live your life as you dream it.”
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Absolutely, you can check me out on Facebook and Instagram below.
https://www.instagram.com/bettymoonmusic/
https://www.facebook.com/BettyMoonmusic/
https://www.youtube.com/user/Channel7699/videos?view_as=subscriber