Name: Jordan Moser
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, film maker
Nationality: American
Current release: Jordan Moser's latest single "Greenbelt Vision" is out via Keeled Scales. His full-length Peril will follow on July 28th 2023.

If you enjoyed this Jordan Moser interview and would like to find out more about his music, visit him on Instagram.  



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

There are things that you can't stop thinking about. That is my impulse to create.

For my record PERIL, the ever-present reality of the climate crisis that sparked my creative process.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

Since I recorded PERIL mostly by myself I made sure to build a process that would help me not get bogged down or spiral into doubt. I set dates to record different instruments and wouldn't move on until I was happy. I tried to move as swiftly through the actual recording as possible.

That said, the finished version of the record is probably the third full version since I record a lot of demos as I'm writing.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

I'm not much of a creature of habit, I like to surrender to the chaos. So I guess that's a ritual in itself.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

I try to write things that are true to me and also carry a universal meaning.

The more layers I can build in the more I like the lyrics.

Once you've started, how does the work gradually emerge?  

All of the songs on PERIL were written and rewritten over two or three years.

I care so deeply about the message behind this record I was working on them in the background.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

My creative state for these songs was a frantic obsession between the interplay of deep truth, and my disappointment with humanity which I love and believe in so deeply.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I like to shout new songs from the rooftops however I can. I like to share new ideas with friends and play fresh songs at shows.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

I used to get lost in the production side of things when recording.

I originally wanted to make PERIL a live record before the pandemic so I could focus on the performances and the moment with my friends who were there with me.

Since I ended up recording the record piece by piece, I tried to just capture a nice transparent clean sound and hand it off to Dan Duszynskii whose ears I trust to polish and glue the sounds together.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

The urgency of the subject of the record made me really want to release PERIL as quickly as possible.

For various reasons , it took a long time to get PERIL released. But that is the crux of the climate crisis itself. Can we get our shit together and act quick enough?