Interview: London Based Band Mama Moonshine

Mama Moonshine is a London based rock, soul, and blues band who has been tearing down the stage since 2013. They recently released an incredible animated video for their single "Mr Shy", directed by French illustrator and animator Louis Grosperrin. We connected with both the band and Louis for exclusive interviews and here is the first, featuring Mama Moonshine. 

After reading our Q&A with the band, be sure to follow them on Facebook and go see them perform live in they pop up in your city; tell them DCWS sent you!

How did you all come together to form Mama Moonshine? 

We met in a hazy London house party through friends, where I convinced the 4 of us to get together by singing in their ears and promising great things! Phil (lead guitarist) and I have been writing and performing together for years. We met the boys when we flew the nest and moved down south to London.

Tell us about the name "Mama Moonshine". How did that originate?

Finding a band name was the HARDEST thing. We had a lot of gigs booked when we were ready to perform live and had no name to give the venues! The pressure was building. We had one idea which is so bad I can't repeat it ... but after a lot of whiskey it did lead us to 'Mama Moonshine' The week before our first gig in Camden.

How did you connect with Louis for him to create the animated video for "Mr Shy"?

Louis and I connected through a mutual friend, which is one of the reasons I love working and collaborating with lots of different people. Louis's work is amazing and his video was the most phedellic and creative take on Mr Shy - which was exactly what we wanted. and it was a great experience and project for us both. 

What can you tell us about the live album that is in development? Will "Mr Shy" be on it?

Mr Shy is most definitely on it! It is one of our core most well received tracks that we love. We are releasing a new song every 2 months from the live album and the next song to come is 'Me Me Mind'. A tale about a very self involved friend and this track introduces our new saxophonist!

What do you enjoy most about performing live for an audience and do you have a favorite cover song to play live?

I have always loved covering Moloko 'sing it back'. We make it super funky and really thicken up the bass line. It has such a good groove and gets people dancing. I've loved that tune for so long - I remember loving it when I went to my first disco! Does that show my age? Probably!!

If i could perform all day every day - I would. My favourite thing about singing live is putting on a cat suit, dancing like a crazy bitch and having my boys behind me giving it their all. 

Connect with Mama Moonshine: Website | Facebook | Soundcloud

DCWS Connects With Amelia Eisenhauer To Discuss Her Album "Fortune Cookies" And Her Experience On American Idol

Our next interviewee Amelia Eisenhauer may look familiar to you, especially if you were a consistent viewer of American Idol.  Amelia was a contestant on the farewell season of the show, and this very talented singer-songwriter, classical violinist and champion fiddle player out of Nashville recently released her debut album "Fortune Cookie", available for purchase on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fortune-cookie/id1195716895. After reading this exclusive Q&A, be sure to follow Amelia on social media and check out the visual to her single "Black Dog" below. 

Tell us about your training as a classical violinist and playing the fiddle. How did you get your start playing these instruments and do you play others as well?

I started playing classical violin when I was 6 years old and started in the Suzuki program at Southern Illinois University. I played classical for quite some time, but I had a sudden urge to be able to play all the cool country stuff you hear on the radio! So after I spent three years learning the classical techniques and styles I started in fiddle lessons in New Athens and branched out to many different teachers over the years. I’ve picked up a few more instruments along the way, instruments are kind of like potato chips, you can’t stop at just one! I now play mandolin, guitar, bass, piano and I am learning cello.

What are your most proud of with your first album "Fortune Cookie"? Do you have a favorite song from the release?

I’m proud that I could spend my high school career making something like this, it’s not everyday you can successfully make an original album! My favorite song on the record would have to be Moth or Butterfly, I really enjoy every part of that song, it always makes me feel happy when I listen to it.

Tell us about the name of your band "The Peruvian Farm Girls". Who are the members?

The name “The Peruvian Farm Girls” is meant to convey an interesting, mysterious and colorful bunch of people, and it represents just that! The band consists of my mother Rhonda, my brother Andy, and Bryan Ward.

You have your calendar filled for the next few months with performances in Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Illinois; what do you enjoy most about performing live?

I love performing live because it’s like throwing a party and it actually helps me become more in touch with myself as well as with my fans. I feel like the stage is the only place I can truly let go and not care about everything else going on around me.

What was it like standing in front of the three judges for the first time and singing your song? Were you nervous?

It was TERRIFYING, and the room was very cold because of all the lights and cameras.  I was shaking all over and when it was all over and I walked out I couldn't even remember what I said! It came back to me in bits and pieces later, I was so nervous it was almost like a black-out moment!

What did your experience on the show teach you the most about yourself as an artist? 

I learned so much from that experience.  You learn to take criticism, you learn to take rejection. The night I was eliminated off the show was probably one of the hardest nights of my life. You keep questioning yourself, wondering if there was something you could have done better. However, you learn how important it is to just be yourself, and do what you do.  One of the guys said to me "There's a lane for everyone." You learn to value your own art and stop comparing yourself to everyone else.

Congratulations on your songs "Black Dog" and "Lucky" being featured in the film "A Short History of Drugs In the Valley". How did these song placements come about?

We had a mutual friend with Brent Kato, the guy who produced the film.  He mentioned he was looking for original music from an up and coming artist so our friend Brian Duplantis introduced us. We send him some tracks and turns out our sound was exactly what he was looking for!  It was a very lucky break for us.

If you had to describe yourself as an artist or your music in three words, which words would you select?

Intellectual, fun, eclectic.

What are your goals musically for the remainder of 2017?

My goal is to really find myself as an artist and write lots of original music! I am also learning Pro Tools at the moment, so I would love to get that mastered.

Connect with Amelia Eisenhauer & The Peruvian Farm Girls: Website   Twitter   Soundcloud   Facebook

Q&A with David Dixon

David Dixon is a guitarist/singer-songwriter from Greenville, NC who studied guitar performance and songwriting at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and at East Carolina University. His rock band, "The David Dixon Trio" is currently touring the southeast and he recently released a self titled album "David Dixon" which is filled with amazing Blues, Rock and Soul inspired songs. We caught up with David to find out how he got his start in music, how his self titled album came about and much more. 

Carlton Boyd

How did you get your start playing guitar and singing? 

I was fortunate to have music in my life from an early age. My mom is a Suzuki Method violin instructor. She literally had me learning violin on a tiny instrument when I was two years old. That little violin is in a frame at my parent's house now. Suzuki is a Japanese method of learning music by ear first, before learning how to read music. It basically teaches you how to memorize music and how to play what you hear on your instrument. I am so lucky to have been exposed to this method of teaching (involuntarily at that). It caused me to develop a strong ear and to be able to quickly figure out musical lines when I hear them. By the 5th Grade the orchestra needed an upright bass player, I was selected, mainly because I was tall enough to hold the instrument. One of the first things I learned to play on the bass was a Temptations song. I was hooked on the feel and the groove from that point on. By the 7th Grade I had switched to playing guitar and it has been my favorite thing ever since. 

I started singing out of necessity. I had a high school band of some pretty talented guys, nobody wanted to sing. I knew having a vocalist would be something that would help us get more fans so I starting singing on a few songs. I always thought of myself as a guitarist first, until I really started getting serious about songwriting, after college. Nowadays, I consider myself a vocalist, a guitarist, and a songwriter.

What are your thoughts about the independent music scene in North Carolina? 

View fullsize

 I think NC has a lot to offer as far as the indy scene goes. There are hot spots in the state that have a ton of talent and support for independent artist. I moved to Wilmington a few years ago for that reason, specifically. Having beaches nearby didn't exactly make it a hard decision. Wilmington has a lot of great open mics, clubs, performing arts centers (the BAC and Cape Fear's new venue) and Greenfield Lake Amphitheater. There is also a impressive amount of musical talent and songwriters. I attend a songwriter's night every month that features several artists per event. Its great to see original music supported when a lot of venues only want cover bands. No disrespect to cover bands, its just nice not to be limited to only that if you want to play regular shows. 

The Triangle is awesome as far as talent and venues as well. My band (the David Dixon Trio) has performed regularly at the Raleigh Wild Wing as well as Tir Na Nog downtown. We were bummed when that venue closed as it was a local favorite spot downtown. Also, the Pour House and Lincoln Theatre regularly bring in great bands. Several of my friends in Wilmington bands play the Pour House regularly.

Asheville is also one of the cities in NC that stand out in my opinion. There are a ton of musicians, artist, creative people and outlets to showcase that. I think basically every college town in NC has some good stuff going on, musically. My hometown of Greenville is also making some strides to bring in more good music. We always love coming home and playing events for ECU like Freeboot Friday, and having shows at Crossbones Tavern. We did an album release party there. Crossbones does a good job of showcasing a lot of up-and-coming NC-based bands as well as some well-known, regional acts.

Describe your experience performing for the US Military in South Korea; how did it come about?

I played in a Raleigh-based band several years ago that played Soul, R&B, and Beach Music called "The Embers". They have been around since the 50s and I was the third generation of the band. They have been regionally famous for decades. When their guitarist of several years left the band, my name came up in their search and I ended up joining the band and playing with them for three years. It was my first taste of having a road crew, riding a tour bus, and playing to thousands of people at times. We were a favorite of Raleigh's "North Hills Thursday Concert Series" in the spring and summer. 

We were asked by a US Army General who was friends with the band leader if we would be interested in touring several US Military bases around the holidays in December and performing a series of shows for the troops. We did, two years in a row and it was an amazing experience. Those troops, especially the ground troops near the N. Korea border (the DMZ) don't get to spend time with their family and loved ones over the holidays. It was so rewarding to bring them a taste of the States and play music that made them happy. We were all given medals from a general at each base we performed. I have them all in a shadow box on my coffee table. It was a great experience. 

Also, some of my former band mates and I went to the Red Light District a couple of times and found this bar in Seoul that had an open mic. The bar was called "Woodstock" and had pictures of American musicians on the wall. We went in there and played a set of Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone (among others). They went crazy. The Korean bar owner had his calendar out trying to book us for the following weekend. It was so cool to bring American music to people who admired it so much. Such a great experience.

How would you say your education/exposure at Berklee and East Carolina have prepared you as an artist?

View fullsize

My time at ECU and at Berklee really helped to shape me as a professional musician. My college experience was a lot different than most people's in that, I already knew exactly what I wanted to do since childhood, so it was time to get serious right away. Most people take some time to decide what they want to study. My decision after my freshman year was to either drop out of school and move to Austin or New Orleans and be a street musician, or attend a top-notch music college that focused on contemporary music. When I knew I wanted to go to Berklee I met with the Dean of the School of Music at ECU. I talked him into letting me take all music classes (mostly jazz and theory) in preparation for me transferring to Berklee. He allowed it and luckily, I had some pretty good preparation going into how intense Berklee was. Not to say I didn't party in college, I do love to have a good time, but the workload I signed up for was so intense it demanded most of my time and energy. I spent my last two years at Berklee grinding about as hard as I ever have. I came back much better, both at singing, guitar and having a much better overall understanding of music, both recording and performing. 

Tell us about your self titled album David Dixon; how did you select which songs appeared on it? How long did it take to record? 

I have always listened to a lot of different musical styles. I was raised playing classical violin, majored in jazz performance, grew up playing the blues on guitar, and love rock, soul, R&B and reggae music. I also really love acoustic-based, singer-songwriter styles as well. I wanted to showcase these styles on my record and have always had a hard time writing in one style. That makes it hard to describe yourself in one word or genre, but I didn't want to have limits on what was coming out in my writing. I think we did a good job of connecting so many different styles without the album sounding too schizophrenic in end, although I am trying to make my next body of work more cohesive and to have more of an overall connected vibe. I've always loved that about artists who make a great album thats all connected and vibes well. The Alabama Shakes did that on "Sound and Color" and just won a bunch of Grammys for that album.

I want to make music that people of many demographics enjoy. So I have that going for me on my album in the way that, if you don't like rock and skip the first track, the second track has a more soul/R&B vibe, the 4th track is pop, the 5th track is acoustic and so on. Thats a big advantage of being influenced by a lot of different styles of music. The tricky part is connecting those styles on a record and not making it sound all over the place. 

Click to Download

I emailed song ideas to the musicians I hired for the record. The drummer was in LA, the keys player in New Orleans, everyone was in a different city. I basically sent them charts of the chord changes and demo recordings, and then trusted them to come in and put their own flavor on my songs. I also had the help of my Berklee colleague and producer, Dave Wolfe join me on this album. He and I went back and forth from Richmond and Wilmington working on all the different phases of the record, from pre-production to when we both flew out to LA and got it mixed and mastered. Overall, the album took just under a year. Having a full length album under my belt not only helped me develop and evolve as a songwriter, but it has opened a lot of doors for me musically. I have gotten FM radio airplay in several markets as well which is very exciting. I spend most of my time now writing music and booking shows and promoting. Its more than a full time job even before you get to the actual gigs. 

I couldn't have recorded and released my album without the help of my fans via a successful Kickstarter campaign. We raised about $4,000 and I also spend a lot of my own money to complete the project. It ALWAYS costs more than you think it will which is why having label support can be a huge help. There's something to be said for doing it all yourself, independently though. It was a proud moment for me to release my album as an Indy. It was also amazing to have a multiple Grammy-winner do the Mastering. I literally googled "well-known Mastering engineers" and found Brain Lucey (the Black Keys, Ray Lamontagne, Beck). I sent him an email to see if I could afford him and he was really nice and said he always looks out for Indy Artists. He made it affordable for me and now I have a Grammy winner in the album credits. That was a really special part of the project for me as well as a great lesson to Indy Artists. Try for the best and you never know what will happen if you ask. Thanks for the support. It means the world to me. My album is available for sale on iTunes and Amazon, and you can also free stream songs on Spotify and Soundcloud.

Connect with David Dixon: Website   Facebook   YouTube