MICHAEL MOONEY: Q&A |

He’s fairly new around these parts. The Jamberoo, Australia native now calls Montreal home. He’s a musician, a gifted one, and this week marks the release of his debut effort “Machine-Made-Hand” on Corico Records. Nomag got a hold of Michael Mooney…

NOMAG: Tell us a little about how you got started as a musician?

MICHAEL MOONEY: At 16, I was asked to leave school. A few months before that, the music teacher had asked me to audition for a vocal group he had going. I was reluctant, but after a few months of working in a steel works factory, I returned to school to focus on music. It was a defining moment in my life. That teacher is still very important to me.

N: May 12th marks the release of your debut EP “Machine-Made-Hand”, how would you describe your sound to the public?

MM: Brazenly vulnerable… what do I mean by that? Geez.. I felt pretty at sea when I got here. I wanted to make something I would have been too timid to make back in Oz. I think the record is ambitious in its production, instrumentation and bold in its honesty. Especially lyrically.

N: Please elaborate a little on the EP; how everything came along, who’s involved, musicians and so on…

MM: Man, who isn’t on this thing? I was lucky enough to land in a place with some exceptionally patient and talented people. The guys in and around Apollo Studios are patient enough to try and pick up what the hell I am saying in my aussie drawl; talented enough to bring it all to fruition AND THEN let me whine about the winter… oh wait.. I am not answering the question… am I? The boys on the record, (whom are all more talented than me. Like Bill Gates said.. well I cant remember, but something about getting the best…) the producers, engineers, and musicians… are all part of the live show… Leon Louder, Bao-Khanh Nguyen, Jumpin’ Bean, Etienne Gaudreau, Jesse Gnaedinger, Jason Brando, Peter Van Uytfanck and Alex Dray.. All good boys from good homes…

N: Who or what are your influences? Who do you look up to? Any local acts?

MM: Well, I have heard a draw full of new stuff since I arrived… I, like most I guess, have access to more music than I can possibly digest. You can still hear some Beatles (cant shake it), some Can, Beach Boys, Bon Iver, The Flaming Lips… Local acts? The Clues put out an amazing record in 2009. Timber Timbre, who has moved here, was one of my favorite finds last year. Malajube were awesome on all three occasions that I saw them… I have been compared to Watson (Patrick), but I am not sure if that is accurate. In an effort to become more popular, I will challenge him to a game of table tennis. I would be the Rocky to his Apollo Creed…

N: That crazy little thing called love… So you moved from sunny Australia, to not-so-sunny Montreal out of love… Is that the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a girl? If not, please share.

MM: No No.. that is it. Although, guys with guitars often make asses of themselves for women. I would say that it is the second defining moment of my life. Neatly ten years after the last. She knocked me out.. I had no choice but to follow.

N: Are there any notable differences between the Montreal and Jamberoo (or Sydney) music scene? Any surprises once you got here? What did you expect? Any pre/misconceptions?

MM: I had no idea about what I was heading into. After being here for a while, I would say that this place is more like Melbourne (maybe Sydney is closer to Toronto). In Sydney you can make a living as a live musician, here I have met fewer people doing that. So, from my experience, I think here you are forced to create something in order to perform in from of people. It encourages creativity, as opposed to excellence…

N: The absolute best thing about living in Montreal?

MM: Cheap and thriving (for an artist). You hit someone with your bike and it’s probably a director…

N: The absolute worst (besides winter)?

MM: It’s dirty and the roads are terrible…

N: Favorite place to loiter or kill time in the city?

MM: Anywhere with good coffee (and their aren’t many in town)… Cafe Neve, Lapin Presse, Cafe Flocon…

N: The Bee Gees, Steve Irwin, Nicole Kidman… what would be the 3 best things australians have given the world?

MM: The notepad was invented in Australia, and the first feature film was shot in Melbourne.. (I think)….. For me personally: 1. Julian Assange is doing a great job… 2. ACDC 3. Cate Blanchett is a natural beauty who swears like a wharfie…