Each month one deserving Staff Pick artist or band is chosen as a Rising Artist and receives the following:
- Full year's membership from Musician's Atlas (the music industry's most reliable contact database service)
- Playlist spot in the Top 100 and other popular stations on Jango Radio App / Jango.com
- 1000 play credits awarded to artist account
- Artist feature promoted on Radio Airplay blog, weekly newsletter, and social media outlets
- Playlist spot in the Top 100 and other popular stations on Jango Radio App / Jango.com
- 1000 play credits awarded to artist account
- Artist feature promoted on Radio Airplay blog, weekly newsletter, and social media outlets
We're happy to introduce you to the newest Radio Airplay Rising Artist, Gus Moon - A talented artist and storyteller giving John Prine, Jason Isbell and other key players in the Americana scene a run for their money.
"As true to himself as Gus Moon can seem, when pick hits string and he pulls that first lyric up from his gut, he transforms. A GusMoon show is as much a séance as it is a musical experience, as he melds personal experience, troubled characters, and often more-troubling narratives into many of his songs. He becomes the persona of the songs, like an actor might embody a role. It’s powerful. His mouth is a channel where several voices erupt, recalling the brokenness of their bad loves and the triumphs of their picking up the shards. Other songs are much more topically bright, but there’s always some sort of balance in his songs between the darkness and the light. A balance reflected in his voice. Just enough polish to know it’s been taken care of; just enough scratch to know it’s seen its share of heartache." -Patrick Barcus, National Road Magazine
Do you yourself write all your songs, or is this a collaboration with other members in your band?
I write the lyrics and structure. When we set out to record the songs, band members add their ideas and talent to the material and it becomes what you hear on the recordings.
What instruments do you play in the band or in your recordings?
I play acoustic guitar and sing. I'll add harmonica or electric guitar.
What are some of your fondest musical memories?
I grew up on a farm in central Indiana. Around the age of 15 I got into writing songs and recording them. There were a number of barns on the property. The main barn had a John Deere combine that lived within. I'd take my Tascam 4-track out there and setup a pretty handy little studio. I had a drum kit, bass guitar, and guitar amps all ready to go. I used the cab of the combine to record vocals.
I'd play late out in that barn. It was a huge metal pole barn with concrete floors. It's been 20 years since those barn recording days and neighbors still tell stories of how I kept them up many nights "banging those drums" and such. They never complained. Neither did my Dad. Looking back on this memory it always makes me smile.
Late teens through most of my twenties I played in a hard rock band called Bind that later morphed into Burn The Red Sky. That band began fizzling when I was about 25. I began playing more acoustic guitar and started singing. I wasn't the vocalist in the hard rock bands. I had a wide mix of music that I listened to and was influenced by but Iron and Wine and Ryan Adams stand out as game changers for me. I certainly credit them for leading me to delve into other artists in which I've gained mountains of inspiration.
Faultline is a beautiful song. Timeless, heartfelt and tastefully produced. Can you tell me a little bit about what inspired you to write the song, and the recording process?
In 2011 a major earthquake hit Japan. It was all over the news. My fellow bandmate, Dennis Furr, owned a coffee shop and I was working there at the time. The earthquake definitely shook me. I just thought of how insignificant even the most major personal or political issues are when Mama Earth decides to shiver or sneeze. The song Faultline was born on a slow business day at the coffee shop.
In the studio that song just fell together, as did the entire Splendid Noise E.P.. We recorded it live at Primary Sound Studio in Bloomington, In. We did add some backing vox and piano after the intial tracking. We discussed a few key melody lines beforehand but other than that it was everyone feeling it out and doing their thing.
So far the highlight of 2017 has been deciding to take the rest of the year off from touring and slow down! A lot of focus on getting "homebase" together. We'll record a new album this year.
Where are you currently based out of? Is there a good music scene in your
community? Do you play gigs regularly?
I live in Greencastle, Indiana. It's about 45 minutes west of Indianapolis. Greencastle is home quite a few of my favorite songwriters and musicians. Small town, big music. We do play in Greencastle, Bloomington, and Indianapolis often. We have a handful of venues we're fond of performing.
Performing live or recording...which do I prefer? At this moment I'll say recording. I'm in that mindset right now. All in all I choose creating.
John Coltrane, Townes Van Zandt, and Jason Isbell is what I'm rotating between most at the moment.
What do you enjoy doing outside of music? Does your hobby rejuvenate your creativity?
I've been building a house for 8 years now. It's liveable and getting closer to finished every day. Well at least every week. In this sense the word finished is somewhat a joke. The process moves forward and it's noticeable. My house is a creative project that I gain a great deal from on multiple levels.
Any upcoming releases or gigs you’re excited about? Can you give us a little hint to what you’ve got in store for your musical future?
Our goal for the remainder of 2017 is to record the new album.
What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
I like the ability to get independent music played next to it's major release counterparts and inspirations.
Gus Moon - Love Is All Around