An Interview with Willy Moon, Night Watchman of Pop Culture Recycling

The man that enters stage center exudes a “King of Cool” vibe reminiscent of Steve McQueen. Just as his music is meticulously sculpted and crafted, Willy Moon’s presence from head to toe makes him one of the most fashion-savvy crooners ever to walk the stage. From his sharply coiffed hair to his perfectly tailored three piece suit (but never with a tie) to his polished Oxfords, Willy doesn’t break a sweat on stage. He works effortlessly through his set, with each song barely lasting under the two-minute mark, a very Ramones-style set. Those songs only needed two minutes each, as the New Zealand native wowed the crowd with charismatic riffs and electrifying dance moves.

Willy Moon's theatrical presence on stage has no boundaries.
Willy Moon’s theatrical presence on stage has no boundaries. | Photo Courtesy of Jessica Mitter

Moon’s music evoked thoughts of Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly deciding to pursue a hip hop sound with Jay-Z producing their beats. Willy Moon does not disappoint in his set, using the brevity of his songs to his advantage. Each song gave the audience a glimpse into the creative mind of Moon. His songs drove his audience all over the place, whether it was jumping and jiving to the ’50s rock ‘n’ roll inspired “I Wanna Be Your Man” or swaying to the production saturated “She Loves Me,” both songs of which can be found on his 2012 EP, Willy Moon. Songs like “Working for the Company” see Moon utilizing guttural vocals and big band inspired music to provoke thoughts of the gangster era and the jazz sensation that dominated the 1920s. Songs like “My Girl,” his upcoming single coming out March 4, turn to more pop-infectious beats to catch the audience.

Willy Moon is currently making his way through his first tour of the U.S. His music takes a page out of almost every genre to create a sound he can call his own, an eclectic mix that includes modern elements of production and old school ’50s rock ‘n’ roll. He describes his style as going through and trying to make these “junkyard creations.”

I had the chance to sit down with Willy a few minutes before his set at Paradise Rock Club in Boston. When asked about his musical influences, he responded, “I spend a lot of time listening to jazz music. It’s kind of seeped its way into my music. Especially big band restructured traditional jazz, how it has a real jingle quality to it. I really like that. But I also grew up in the ’90s, so I listened to hip hop, you know, listening to Wu Tang Clan, De La Soul, people that were real heroes of mine.”

His name or songs may not be immediately familiar to the common listener, but you would be surprised to know that his music has appeared in many outlets. Willy has gone a long way since premiering his debut song “I Wanna Be Your Man” on Myspace back in 2010. This vintage toe-tapper first attracted the likes of Island Records and later Third Man Records label when he caught the attention of none other than Jack White, former member of the White Stripes. Under White’s record label, he released a split 7″ Railroad Track/Bang Bang in August 2012. “Railroad Track” is a powerful track that mixes a haunting gospel sampling and suave soul-blues vocals that would even give badass James Dean the chills. On top of that, Moon’s song “Yeah Yeah” was picked up last fall for a 30-second commercial for the new Apple iPod. His 2012 single takes over the listener’s mind and throws conventional songs structure out the window. Moon combines an irresistible chorus with a surprisingly fitting Wu-Tang Clan sample to mold one of the most ambitious outings by a musician in a long time.

Moon's gutteral howls echo throughout the venue.
Moon’s gutteral howls echo throughout the venue. | Photo courtesy of Jessica Mitter

“It’s really a potpourri of all these different flavors. When I make music, what makes it fun for me is I try to pay homage to all these little pieces apart from each other, and then try and stitch them together.“

As I continued through the interview, I found that there was a side of Willy that many people were not privy to. When speaking about one thing he could not live without, he had this to say:

“Hope. You can’t live without hope for things to change, for things to become better. I like the sense of the unexpected. I don’t know what’s going to happen in my life, and I get to write my own destiny, and I really like that.”

The theme of loneliness and isolation saturates his songs and gets hidden under the catchy riffs he creates. I asked him where this inspiration came from, and what “home” meant to him coming such a long way from his homeland of New Zealand.

“Home is an abstract concept. To me, I don’t really feel like I have a home in the sense of having an anchor or base of a place where you can go and feel safe. For me, home being able to retreat into my passions. Home is being able to make music, or watching films. I’ve always kind of been obsessed with the idea of being able to wander. If I can transmute those feelings of home into things that I love, then I can take that with me wherever I go,” he said.

Discussing the future direction of his music, Willy stated, “It’s more esoteric for me than just being into ’50s rock ‘n’ roll, it’s more about a sense of otherness and a sense of being able to go some place that is fantasy. I have used the past as an avenue to escape, and in the future, I don’t know, it will really depend on what excites me.”

It won’t take long for this enigmatic character to burst into the mainstream with his catchy tunes. His iPod spot was the first step into breaking through in the U.S. and there will be more opportunities to come at his doorstep. Although there is no prediction as to where his music will take him, with his unpredictable smattering of influences, one thing is for certain: this stylish singer is a musician to watch.

Check out Willy’s video for “Railroad Track” as well as the album sampler for his debut album, Here’s Willy Moon, coming out in early April. 

About Camilo Pardo

Camilo Pardo (CAS ’13) hails from the land of crabcakes and Old Bay (Baltimore). Here at BU, he studies Environmental Policy and Public Health. When he is not in class, he’s playing his guitar, Paloma. If you want to discuss anything music or science, he is your go-to guy.

View all posts by Camilo Pardo →

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