An Interview With The Los Angeles-Based Musician, BETTY MOON!

“…You can’t help but give Ms. Moon her due as a true child of the ‘60s who embodies that era’s gung-ho spirit of sex and revolution and rock & roll…and who couldn’t use a good healthy dose of that in these Skrillex times? ” – LA Weekly

Betty Moon is a Toronto-born singer, songwriter, producer, and filmmaker. Known for her sultry voice, rock n’ roll attitude and visionary appeal, Moon is an always-evolving tour de force. Moon’s music has been featured in a variety of television shows and films including Californication, Dexter, Bounty Hunters, Walking the Dead directed by Melanie Ansley, and Last Gasp starring Robert Patrick.

Moon’s first album deal was with A&M Records, and her self-titled debut LP was released while living and touring throughout Canada. She has been nominated for four CASBY Awards including Best Album of the Year, Best Single of the Year, Best Video of the Year, and Best Artist of the Year. Moon released multiple records after her debut album, which includes Doll Machine (EMI), STIR (St. Clair), Demon Flowers and multiple releases via her label Evolver Music including Rollin’ Revolution, Amourphous and Pantomania.

In 2010, Moon relocated to Los Angeles and released her 5^th album Rollin’ Revolution, which garnered airplay on famed L.A. rock radio station KROQ. In 2013, Moon was a featured artist at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, sharing the stage with Marilyn Manson, Quiet Riot and The Offspring. She continues to be a regular performer at iconic venues such as The Roxy, Whisky a Go Go, and The Viper Room in Hollywood. Her collaboration with top music industry professionals includes Kenny Aronoff, Randy Cooke, Wes Scantlin, John Christ, Jason Sutter, Glenn Milchem, Gavin Brown and Chris Lord-Alge.

Moon’s 8^th studio album CHROME will be released on August 25th! She has previously unveiled a series of singles and remixes from the album paired with music videos that take the viewer down the rabbit hole of her larger-than-life style, lyrics and sound. Her latest single “Life Is But A Dream” premiered recently via Our Culture Magazine and is now available via online retailers.

Put together as a concept record, Moon carefully spent the last year crafting songs that capture the story of her new life in Hollywood after relocating from Toronto. Moon is known for her fearless approach to creativity and ability to stay ahead of music trends that keeps her sound fresh and exciting. CHROME is the follow-up to her critically praised 2016 release Pantomania, and was produced by Betty Moon and members of her band. CHROME’s first single “Sound” was released in March and has been receiving critical praise, alongside some impressive remixes by respected DJs Mahalo, Loud N’ Killer and Ganberg.

“The idea behind CHROME was to project a beautiful, destructive and sexy concept of what life can be like when there is nothing holding you back. The drama, success and passion for music all comes together with this album. Each song was pieced together to tell a story that is bigger than you could imagine.” – Betty Moon

Learn more about Betty Moon in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! How has 2017 been treating you? Musically, did you approach this year any differently then you did last year? 

2017 has been an amazing year so far, and I can’t believe so much has happened in such a short period of time. I think with my new album ‘Chrome’ and approaching the release, we really wanted to do things bigger and better than ever. We assembled a badass team and even took some routes using radio and retail that have served us really well setting up the album. Outside of music, I’m making sure to stop and smell the roses a bit, and it really helps my work ethic shine better than ever.

Where does this interview find you today? Is there music playing in the background? If so, what is it? What kind of music do you listen to when you are working? What music gets you instantly out of a bad mood? 

I’m in my studio today taking a quick break from working on a new project. So far today I’ve listened to some great to new rock music from Queens Of The Stone Age, Royal Blood and Highly Suspect. I typically listen to many genres of music, from EDM to of course the type of rock I’ve always loved. If I’m in a bad mood, I’ll put on some Passion Pit or Garbage to get me in better spirits.

If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing?

I think I would be one heck of a great interior designer. It would be amazing to do the work for Hollywood’s greatest musicians, celebrities and executives to add the “Betty Moon” touch to their homes and businesses.

I always like to ask artists about where they came from and how that city or town has influenced them as an artist now. So how do you think your home of Toronto has affected who you are as a musician and the art that you create? What was it like moving to Los Angeles and what impact did that have on your career?

It’s been quite a few years since I’ve moved to LA, seems like so long really. I’ve had such an amazing time living and running my business here in LA that it really feels natural, like I wouldn’t be anywhere else now. Toronto and so much of Canadian culture runs in my blood, and obviously has a strong influence on my entire life and music, but that’s a part of my history now and I’m writing new chapters every day. Moving to LA was the best decision I could have made, even if it seemed like a scary one at the time.

“Chrome” is your 8^th studio album so I would love to know how you think you have grown on this record. What is different about the way you approach music and your process to create it? How have you reinvented yourself on this new collection?

I’ve always been known as a rock artist and with ‘Chrome’ I really wanted to try something outside of my comfort zone. Honestly I’ve grown a bit bored with the rock scene these days, and find a lot of excitement and fresh ideas coming out of the electronic genre. I worked in the studio and my band for almost a year writing and letting the right songs flow naturally, without forcing anything on some deadline. We usually take our time on albums, but for ‘Chrome’ I really wanted to make sure I was at my best all around.

What is one thing that remains the same throughout all these collections that you have put out?

No matter what genre or style on a Betty Moon record, you’ll know it’s my distinct voice and songwriting that keeps my fans connected album after album. It’s really important to keep integrity with the vocals, it’s who I am and it really helps keep my albums connected.

Where did the inspiration for “Chrome” come from? More specifically, how did your latest single, “Life Is But A Dream” come together? What about your previous single, “Sound”?

‘Chrome’ is really a culmination about everything with my transition to living in LA. I know the vibe is pretty fantastic all around, but the lyrics vary and have a lot of truth to them. I think people can truly understand the energy of this album, and each song tells a story that has a personal but relatable touch.  From a night out on the town to the challenges of relationships, running a business and finding work/life balance, this album reflects everything that people deal with. My latest single “Life Is But A Dream” really brings it all together and says “hey, life is great and we need to live it up!”. Despite everything going on in the world, life is beautiful and we need to grab a hold of every moment.

How do you think that being a musician has helped you live your best life? Can you talk about the joy that it brings you today?

Being a creative totally opens your mind to new ideas and ways of living life you may otherwise never realize. You meet amazing people from different walks of life and share stories that inspire you to design your own fate. As they say, “leap and the net will appear” right?

What are your plans for the rest of the summer? Do you have any tour dates currently lined up?

We’re working on dates for September and have a release show for ‘Chrome’ coming up at the end of the month. Besides that, a lot of my time is spent writing and producing albums and video work for my company and outside clients.

Who are some of your very favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? What musicians would you absolutely love to work with in the future? 

I’ve been on a huge Queens Of The Stone Age kick lately, I think collaborating with Josh Homme would be a dream come true. I really think he understands the way I think musically and it would be cool to do some forward-thinking rock music together.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

Be your authentic self, live your life and don’t take any BS from anyone! I do want people to take their own message from my music though, it’s up for interpretation!

What advice would you give to someone just getting started on this music path? Or even to someone young that is thinking of becoming a musician one day?

The easiest two pieces of advice I give younger musicians is to learn the business side of music and to emulate the success of 3-4 of your favorite musicians. The music business isn’t an exact science, but following the road that others have taken is the best way to find out where you’re meant to go.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourself or your music?

I want to thank everyone who has supported my career so far, and hope those unfamiliar with me will check out ‘Chrome’ when it drops on August 25^th! Thank you for taking the time to interview me today!