BALANCING ACT
Guitarist Ian Moore cranks out new music, dips into catalog
Ian Moore’s life is one filled with balance. In fact, the musician has become sort of a master. “I’ve got so much stuff going on right now,” he says. “I don’t know where to start.” Moore has three albums that are getting ready to be released. He also has a new management team, and it’s the first time in 15 years that he’s actually had a manager.
He’s also working with a charity in Seattle to provide free health care to those who need it.
Not to mention he’s curating an exhibit that is celebrating Woody Guthrie.
“I’m meditating and doing what it takes to remain calm,” he says. “It’s important that I just go with the flow on all of these projects.”
Moore has been making records since the early 1990s. He got his start in Austin, Texas, where he became part of Joe Ely’s touring band.
The guitarist then started bands of his own and released solo records. In all, Moore has released a dozen albums.
Moore says his new music is different from the songwriter route he’s taken in the past.
“I used to get really introspective,” he says. “That’s changed a lot. I’m writing songs with messages. I don’t want to preach in my music, but I often wonder where all the protest songs are. There’s so much happening in our country, there’s no real stance in music that anyone’s taking.” Moore wants his music to spark some conversations. “As I’ve become more spiritual, I look for the peace in many things,” he says. “It’s important for me to put those elements in my music.”
For his current tour, Moore will be performing music from his entire catalog.
He admits that with a lot of music, he often forgets many of his songs.
“I’ve been looking through my old songs, and I am shocked at how many I’ve not played in years,” he says. “I’m trying to put them together in a set that makes sense.”