MØAA - Interview - Prémonition

MØAA

Propos recueillis par Christophe Labussière en mars 2024

Jancy Rae is a kind person to the extreme, and that's what immediately strikes when you watch her settle at the merch booth after one of her concerts, waiting patiently for fans to come and meet her, welcoming all of them with the utmost warmth, or when she takes to the stage along with her two musicians, taking over the space with a beautiful energy, enjoying the moment in full with delicacy. It's a pleasure that is shared with genuine sincerity, either from the stage or while listening to MØAA's two albums, "Euphoric Recall" released in 2021, and the more recent "Jaywalker", two albums which share unique sounds and atmospheres, as if you were navigating a parallel universe where The Jesus & Mary Chain and Dead Can Dance would become one. A subtle, bewitching and captivating sound. A range of qualities that also define Jancy, both as a person and through her music, qualities perhaps so strong that they guided the interview she gave us the day after her European tour ended, making her answers at times sound too perfect, too held back, almost too polished.

Can you introduce yourself? At least, how would you introduce MØAA to someone who doesn't know you and your music?

MØAA is a project that I started when writing demos while I was living near Seattle in 2017/2018. The first album (Euphoric Recall) was recorded and released while I was living in Venice, Italy in 2021 and the newest album (Jaywalker) was recorded and released in 2023 while living in Seattle. I write almost all of the music myself -the guitar, bass, synth, vocals and drum parts- but with each album I work closely with Italian producer and musician, Andrea Volpato, who also co-wrote a couple of songs with me on the first album and he is also the live guitarist.

How old are you?

I'm a 90's baby ;)

You are from Seattle. I have read that you moved to Italy. Where do you live now, in Seattle or in Italy?

I lived in Venice, Italy for 3 years, but now I live in the greater Seattle area.

You've just finished your tour. How does it feel to perform in Europe, traveling from country to country, far from home? When do you enjoy yourself the most?

Our tour in Europe was amazing, the fans really showed up for us which felt great especially being far from home. I think I enjoy myself the most when stepping on stage and when talking with the fans at the merch table afterwards and hearing their experiences with the music. At the hotel I usually reflect on the night and how it went.

From my point of view, your music is quite unique, like a blend of shoegaze and darkwave, between light and darkness. How would you define it?

I refrain from trying to define it since I would rather let it be whatever it is supposed to be. This maybe allows the writing and music to be more unique in the sense that I am not trying to emulate any genre or artist, instead I'm just filtering through the different music I love and listen to when I'm writing.

What are the bands that have shaped you, that have led you to want to create your own music, to develop this unique sound?

The main trigger that really gave me permission to create my own music was an interview I watched of Anton Newcombe (of The Brian Jonestown Massacre) where he said he started writing when he realized that if all the punk musicians around him in the 80's could write music, why couldn't he? I thought the same for myself, and so I borrowed from an old boss of mine a guitar, bass, and little audio interface to record demos on my computer. The sound I made came from intuition and experimentation, a child like approach to writing and picking out a random synth (Korg MS2000) to start writing with. I also was really into psych rock at the time and loved distortion when writing the first album. Andrea Volpato also helped develop/finesse the sound I was going for when he produced both albums, but the bones of the sound I wanted was sketched out in my demos that I would show him- like the synth sound I would pick and whether there was distortion or delay on the guitar or bass. But in his studio he would make my ideas really come alive through coupling his own sound design with what I brought to him in my demos.

Do you believe you're creating something new with MØAA, or is it more of a nostalgic best-of and mix of influences?

I am not too preoccupied with trying to make something specific, whether that be new or nostalgic. I'm pretty much a "go with the flow" type of writer, and just let things come to me. This may result in a mix of influences of the music I listen to a lot, which is always changing, so what I write is likely to evolve with every album.

I've seen that the name MØAA comes from the warrior gene MAO-A. Is it this gene within you that concerns you?

We all have the MAO-A gene, but some people will have a variation of the gene that results in more aggressive behavior. I don't know which variant I have - but I find the concept fascinating nonetheless.

Do you manage to control it?

If I have the aggressive variation, it seems I'm only able to control it about 50% of the time.

#10

Why did you choose this name?

I like genetics, I like forensic psychology, and what I write about in my music circles around mental health and death often, so it fit well for me.

#11

What are you waiting for, hoping for, wishing for? What could happen to you for the better tomorrow, next month, in a year?

My goal at this point is just to continue writing music that is true to me, tour and hope that it continues to reach the people that appreciate it.

MØAA
"Jaywalker"
[WWNBB]

sorti le 13 octobre 2023

1. Jaywalker
2. The One
3. Such a Saint
4. Like Me
5. Chalk Lines
6. K.O.
7. Made in the Shade
8. All Blood is Lifeless
9. Undercover
10. Se 24th St

MØAA
"Euphoric Recall"
[WWNBB]

sorti le 2 avril 2021

1. Exist
2. X Marks
3. Flashlight
4. O2
5. Tracer
6. Lam
7. Dilate
8. Night Vision
9. Don't Mind
10. Diffuse

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