#IMMusicMonday: Mary Moore Talks ‘Rooted Heart’ EP, Upcoming Tour & More
Nashville based Folk-Pop singer Mary Moore has built a name for herself as the vocal powerhouse vocals with an ability to capture audiences from all walks of life with her storytelling lyrics.
The singer–songwriter caught up with IndustryMe to talk about her new EP ‘Rooted Heart‘ , finding her sound and more.
What are your earliest memories of your love of music?
My love of music is tied to my love of creation – and when I found songwriting, that’s when I fell madly in love with music. I remember sitting down around 10 years old and songwriting for the first time. I was never interested in playing/learning established songs, but I loved sitting in front of the piano, just pressing random keys, making chords I didn’t know the propers names too, and just singing phrases that popped in my head. It was pure magic to me, and not only magic, but a way for me to let everything in my head out. Singing is my meditation, and songwriting my cathartic joy.
Over the years I have fallen more and more in love with music – the way it allows me to connect with people (as a listener and performance), it’s an instant mood changer, the friends I have met in the music world. It’s a beautiful thing, and I am so lucky I get to make it.
What made you decide to pursue music as a career?
I really tried to find something more practical to fall in love with. I majored in business, I did internships in marketing, non-profit work, in the big data world, but nothing brought me joy like making music does. I realized that to be happy, I had to do music – so I moved to Nashville after graduation and have never been happier.
Making music, and being an artist, is such a cool job too. You get to be so creative, you get to hustle constantly, (which is great for a work-obsessed person like me), you get to meet new people all the time, and best of all, I get to write, sing, and perform songs.
How would you describe your sound?
I would describe my music as Bohemian-Pop music – music that makes you want to dance around a bonfire under the stars. My music is the wild flowers and vines overtaking an old building- wild and unstopabble, There is something big and energetic about my songs, like classic rock music – but also a sweetness/sensualness. My music is a blend of Folk, Americana, and indie-pop, but with some big rock-esque vocals.
What does this EP mean to you?
“Rooted Heart” is about embracing the new, unknown, and messy parts of life, and learning to flourish in them. The EP wrestles with ideas of new love, anxiety, and resilience.
And your favourite song on the project?
Oh my, such a hard question – they all kind of feel like my children that I love equally. I think Redwoods has my favorite message – but then Reaching in the Dark is the song I need on my sad, tired days. And then Map My Body is such a fun song and it’s my go to when I wanna bop around my apartment, and then I think Burn is so unique and different. So I don’t know – my favorite song from the EP changes every hour haha.
‘Map My Body’ is a very sensual song. Did that make you nervous at all putting it out?
Haha – yes – it is very sensual song! But no, I wasn’t super worried about putting it out. I think that we don’t hear a lot of sensual Americana or folk songs, so it stands out in my genre a lot more than other genres. Especially because Americana/folk-pop songs tend to be pretty lyric-centric, so you really have to listen to the words I am saying. But if you compare it to the pop lyrics on the radio, “Map My Body” feels like child’s play haha.
I love how sensual it is though, and I am a pretty sensual human in real life, so I think the song is really fitting to my brand. After putting it out though, I remember a month-ish later, sitting with a friend who said he got a little blushing-ly uncomfortable when I played the song at a live show – and honestly I loved that. I think sex in the U.S. is such taboo topic, and I am happy to make people feel just a little uncomfortable. I think it’s art job to make us feel a little uncomfortable and push the envelope of what is acceptable.
Is the entire EP self written or did you work with some other people on the project?
There are four songs on the EP – and three of the four are self-written. The final track – ‘Redwoods’ – was co-written with Kodey Brimms!!
If you could perform your song ‘Redwood’ with any singer of your choosing, who would you pick and why?
Oh my gosh – hard questions – I think Brandi Carlile would fit this one best and she would sound SO COOL on it. I would love to hear her slay that belted note at the very end of the song. And her vibrato filled singing would give the song a really cool feel!!
Can we expect any accompanying visuals for this project?
In the works for that right now :)!!! The main EP will not be the only thing that you see or hear from the project. This was a labor of love, and I want to celebrate these songs in a lot of different, special ways.
‘Burn’ has a very different almost siren like sound. What was the inspiration behind this track?
I was in acapella group back in the day, and a love of the human voice was born from being part of that group. I love the sound of an army of voices moving people to emotion – so that need to have harmonies on harmonies definitely inspired the sound of the song.
I also love in albums when there is a song or interlude that really breaks the mold of the other songs, so I knew I wanted to have something like that, and I wanted the song to feel really intimate. The other songs are soooo big, so I think Burn is a nice, home-y, warm song that can re-engage the listener.
What is your usual songwriting process like?
A lot of my inspiration for my songs comes from moments and quick thoughts. Usually I will just be walking around, or driving somewhere kind of mindlessly thinking, and out of nowhere lyrics with a melody just bubble up. Usually that initial thought is coupled by an existential crisis I have been thinking about for a week, or from a bigger moment in my life, but the song is typically started by my brain just smacking me in the face with an idea, and then I am feverishly trying to capture the moment and feeling authentically, and using that initial idea as a compass.
Then a lot of my favorite songs become like a puzzle- and I sort of brainstorm out every possible thought, interesting phrase, etc. and then try to slowly weave the story together. This process usually takes a couple weeks of really trying to piece the song together in a cohesive, beautiful way.
Do you tend to draw inspiration from your own life and experience?
A lot of my lyrics do come from my own experiences, but usually when I know I have a good song idea, is when I talk about a issue in my head with another person organically. So it’s a mix of something that has been on my mind for a while, and then processing that thought with someone else going through a similar experience/thought process. Talking it out with someone else really helps make the song dynamic, and also hopefully you or the other person yells out an interesting phrase in the passing of conversation that you can grab on to!
You also have a full time career outside of music what’s it like balancing the two?
It is interesting haha! I love who I work with, and my company has been so so so good to me, and really supports my artist ambitions. It’s hard to sleep enough, late gigs and early mornings, but I feel good enough to handle it right now.
It’s also nice letting my brain switch from data analytics mode to music mode. It breaks up the day nicely because I use very different part of my brain for each role.
What’s been the biggest learning curve on your journey so far?
Man, I still feel like I am learning something new everyday… I think one of the biggest things, and kind of most fun things, is the importance of a brand, and how that brand affects everything – the words you use, the visuals you use, how you announce things. A more bold pop persona may say “GO LISTEN TO MY SONG RIGHT NOW.” Where my brand needs to say something more like “My song is out, I’d love if you gave it a listen :)”. It’s been really fun learning about branding and how to use it to build an entire experience for a fan!
If everything goes to plan where do you see your career in 5 years?
In five years, I hope to be touring a bunch globally, on the festival circuit, and I’d love to be on full album number two! I hope I have an amazing team around me of people I trust and respect!
Any final shoutouts or plugs?
Other than my EP “Rooted Heart”
I have a tour coming up!!
7/30 & 8/5 – Nashville, TN
8/10 – Richmond, VA
8/13 & 8/14 – Washington, DC
8/20 – NYC,
8/21 – Boston
8/24 – Philadelphia
9/14 – Dallas, TX,
9/21 – Houston, TX
10/23 & 10/24 – Seattle
10/25 & 10/26 – Portland
Keep up with the latest from Mary at:
- Website: https://www.marymooremusic.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marymooremusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryMooreMusic