With it being Monday afternoon, it would be safe to assume that many of you are in need of a type of energising that no amount of caffeine can provide. Well, Grammy-nominated duo, Bob Moses, has just the thing, as they drop their latest hit, “Love Brand New”. Featuring the surge of electric guitars and chaotic production, listeners will be jolted into a state of much-needed alertness upon the first listen as the track’s infectious tune rings out. But in the name of balance, the Canadian duo also treats us to a dose of their melodic-yet-gruff tone which is used to deliver divine, heartfelt lyrics, laced with romantic sensibilities.
“‘Love Brand New’ is the song from this batch of music that feels quite boundary-pushing for us. It’s the song from the album that people seem to gravitate toward or appreciate no matter their musical tastes or preferences when we’ve played it for them. It’s a grooving, pulsating song with a big singalong chorus and it just feels like it’s going to be a lot of fun to play live and sing with a big crowd. It was written about the feeling of falling in love and experiencing everything as if for the first time as if it were brand new. We can’t wait to have it out for people to get to know it,” explain the artists when discussing the new track.
Upon the release of their new single, the duo sat down with Wonderland to discuss their high school beginnings and their upcoming tour. Head below to enjoy our conversation with Bob Moses…
Hey guys! How are you? How has life been?
We are good! Life has been kinda crazy for us all the last couple of years, hasn’t it? It’s definitely weird that it’s already 2022; the last couple of years have been time-bending. But we are stoked for the New Year and excited to put out new music! Hopefully, all this pandemic mess is soon to be behind us.
2021 was a rocky year for some, how was it for you?
It was definitely rocky, but sometimes you’ve gotta go through rocky seas to find brighter horizons. We were super grateful that we got back to playing some shows in 2021, and we enjoyed feeling somewhat normal, if not totally, as we got to travel a bit and do what we love. It was definitely a bit stop and go the whole year, and now we’re back into things being a bit rockier but we’re staying positive and hopeful for the future when we can all be back together dancing and sharing in big group experiences without this new level of worry we’ve all become accustomed to.
How did you guys meet and what sparked the musical interest?
We went to high school together in Vancouver, Canada. We shared an art class, although at that time we were more acquaintances than friends. Earlier in high school, we played talent nights in similar punk and hard rock bands. Then in the final years, we were focused on super different styles of music, so while we respected each other for being a serious music guys, we didn’t ever think to combine forces. The world works in mysterious ways. After high school, we lost touch, but we each found our own way to New York, unbeknownst to the other. We ended up renting studio spaces in the same neighbourhood of Brooklyn and ran into each other one day on the way to the subway. As you do when you’re two foreign Canadians in the big city, we had dinner to catch up and then decided to get together and just mess around in the studio and see what happened. There was immediate musical chemistry, and after a couple more sessions that week, we both decided that whatever else was going on in life, we should combine forces and try to figure out how to make it in music together.
Do you guys have different musical inspirations? If so, how do you combine it?
We have very similar musical tastes and besides that brief period at the end of high school where Jimmy was super focused on trance music, and Tom was super focused on the alternative singer-songwriter world, we basically enjoy much of the same music and have very overlapping inspirations. Our tastes, of course, differ just enough that we aren’t totally the same, so that adds some variety, but we agree on a lot. We’ve been at this for almost 10 years now, so we’ve also grown together and influenced each other’s taste as we’ve gained musical experience and knowledge. That said, we are both constantly in search of new music and discovering new things and having new ideas all the time, and a big part of our collaboration is sharing those discoveries and ideas with each other. This keeps us even more inspired than we might be on our own, and we know that when we both agree on something that that is the sweet spot of where we want to be in terms of creative direction.
You’re both from Vancouver. Do you think your hometown impacted your sound in any way?
Definitely. There was a certain sound and feel to the radio and to what was popular in Vancouver when we were growing up, and that definitely influenced us both. The alternative and rock stations and the influence of the Canadian take on certain musical trends (Canadian radio plays a disproportionate amount of Canadian content on the airwaves) shaped the sounds we both heard a lot of. But, also, the brooding rainy winters there, the proximity to Seattle and the overwhelming presence of nature all played a role in shaping our sound. We strive to find the balance between man and machine in our records, of organic and manufactured sounds, and that was probably in some way influenced by growing up in a city in the middle of a natural wonderland. Surely there are more ways than those, but those are few that come to mind.
And now you’re dropping your new single, talk us through your mindset going into the single?
We’re excited! “Love Brand New” is the song from this batch of music that feels quite boundary-pushing for us. It’s the song from the album that people seem to gravitate toward or appreciate no matter their musical tastes or preferences when we’ve played it for them. It’s a grooving, pulsating song with a big singalong chorus and it just feels like it’s going to be a lot of fun to play live and sing with a big crowd. It was written about the feeling of falling in love and experiencing everything as if for the first time as if it were brand new. We can’t wait to have it out for people to get to know it.
What do you hope people will take away from this release?
We hope people will get that feeling of being alive and full of wonder, of being excited, hopeful and positive. This has been a dark and trying couple of years, and we hope this tune can help people to feel excited about coming out and experiencing the world again with enthusiasm and positivity.
How would you describe your sound?
We would say we’re a combination of deep house and alternative rock with heartfelt, thoughtful lyrics about life and our journey to better understand the world and other people in it.
You have a tour this year, what can people expect?
This is our first time out with the full band since the pandemic began, so it’s going to be fun! People can expect a high energy, fun set with a blend of old favourites and the new album crafted into a journey that they will never forget!
What are you most excited about in 2022?
We’re most excited to share our new music with the world and get out there and play our hearts out to fans new and old! We look forward to travelling and being with people we haven’t seen in too long again, and the chance to celebrate life together in the company of others. We’re grateful for the chance to get to make music and share it with others and we are most excited to be able to get back to doing just that.
