MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Singer-songwriter Ian Moore’s new album ‘takes a stand’
More than 20 years into his career, Ian Moore finds himself touring more than ever — and it’s a good thing.
“My life is insane times 1,000,” he says during a recent phone interview. “My career has gone really well, and I’m basically doing it on my own. You know how Jay-Z has the entourage with him and people handling his business? I do that solo.”
Moore’s profile rose in the early to mid-1990s with his first two albums.
Both were critically acclaimed and turned major attention to the then Austin, Texas-based musician.
A move to Seattle led him to incorporate some psychedelic sounds into this music.
With his latest album, “Strange Days,” which is available digitally, Moore continued to challenge himself.
“(The album) was a different thing,” he says. “Stylistically, it’s an Ian Moore record. But it has more of a hip-hop feel. I worked with a lot of different people. I started in Austin with Adrian Quesada. Then I came home to Seattle and worked on it for a bit. Then I went to Oakland and worked with Jim Greer.”
That’s where the album got a lot of its rock influence.
“I didn’t have a plan for this album,” he says. “The music industry has changed so much. I explored what it means to make a record now.”
So Moore searched through his previous writings to find a group of songs that worked with the vibe of “Strange Days.”
“A lot of the songs are about violence and resistance,” he says. “And when I was putting the finishing touches on them, I just grabbed the words that surround me on a daily basis. It’s a record that takes a stand.”
With 11 albums in his catalog, Moore says picking a set list that is representative of his career is nearly impossible.
He’s also left with “having” to perform his hits.
“Because I had a bit of success early in my career, it’s tricky,” he says. “Some of the newer fans have never heard this music. Right now, I’m all about this record and I want it to get the new songs heard. I’ll play songs people want to hear. The goal is to kill each night on stage. I want to give the best performance each time.”