Bob Moses, the Vancouver-born duo began their musical journey in collaboration together in Brooklyn in 2012 while meeting serendipitously on a walk from their individual studios just blocks from each other. Their unique sound has transcended musical genres. With the combination of steamy guitars, Tom Howie's beautiful vocals and Jimmy Vallance's enticing production the floating melodies and the beautiful piano chords the electronic duo has reached many supporters, conquering both major festival stages and selling out intimate clubs.

The acclaimed 2015 debut album, Days Gone By (Domino) made Bob Moses more popular still, and earned the duo two Grammy nominations. (A remix of their song "Tearing Me Up", by RAC, won a Grammy Award for best remixed recording, non-classical.)

The latest album Battle Lines 2018, (Domino) is another triumph and though the ARTist’s latest project seems to have mixed reviews, SLM loves the new music and has always been a strong supporter of their tracks. Our favored signature sound of the band is a strong album and is the perfect feature for this Holiday Edition. The genius in the title of the album and theme, where the songs don’t necessary reflect that of the lyrics and concept is one of the things we find most intriguing. We chat with Jimmy Vallance about the Album and the bands anthology and journey as Bob Moses.

 

SLM:  The self-titled track, "Battle Lines", tell us about the title and the album, with the video with the fire and the road. What is it representing?

JIMMY : We had written the track “Battle Lines”, and we weren't sure about what to do for an album title. We sent the track list to a graphic designer and told them what we were thinking about. They came back with 10 images, one of which was this fiery road and that's how you see it now. We just thought that that was such a cool image to sum up sort of what we were talking about.

We didn't want to go overly, military battle, that's not what it meant to us. So here was this image that there wasn't a clear narrative about, what had happened or how that had become. We also like the idea that it was this road that was sort of pulling you in, and inviting you in, but you could tell there was a bit of a tumultuous path to get there. It’s just really reaffirmed for us the title of the record and tied in with the sentiments that we felt. Once we saw that picture we knew that the record title just made sense.

SLM:  The track “Back Down”, I love that it starts in one direction and then goes in another. It's kind of like a surprise right at the beginning and it's beautifully written. I know how it felt to me when I first heard it, it seemed to have a bit a Duran Duran sort of feel or nod to it.  I know you guys covered one of their tracks with SIRI (right - Say A Prayer). It feels like your album has a message too, it feels like it's in that vein of sort of getting that message with a social conscious, like a movement.

JIMMY : Totally, it's weird, I wouldn't say we're some politically motivated band, we just write what we know, and you have to write about what inspires you. We have travelled so much on the tour and the last record and met so many people.

I think that the important part for us is, we wrote this very interpersonal record with “Days Gone By”, and we saw so many people connect with those struggles. Then we got a chance to go to countries, visit cities, se and meet people and realized what this global struggle is. Especially now, so many things are coming to the forefront of our culture that's getting talked about. With woman’s rights, and equality in the workplace, and what's been this purge of stuff that we've needed to talk about for a long time that's been swept under the rug. We've noticed this is not only just an isolated thing in America or Canada, it's a global thing.

 

SLM:  With your extensive travel you guys have been to some amazing places. I was thinking “Eye for an Eye”, there's a music intro on that one. Where's that music from?  

JIMMY: So the intro for that, funnily enough we had originally sampled a Phillip Glass and Rabi Shankar track. But we spent months and months trying to clear it but we never heard back, so we had to recreate it from scratch. It’s technically inspired by a Rabi Shankar and Philip Glass song, but we had to sort of rewrite it and re-interpret it and that ends up being what's on the record.

SLM:  “Only Thing We Know”, another great track and “Nothing But You”, there seems to be like a theme of shadows, kind of throughout the album and holding back. Fill us in on these ones.

JIMMY: Tom and I came together and he played that for me on acoustic guitar. We were scared by it because I think it's probably the "popiest" thing that we've done. We were nervous about it for a while, but then we just ended up really liking it. We thought, you know what, let's not over think this, let's not get too caught up, if we both just like it let's just finish. It sat with us for a long time, because we were very sort of shy and nervous about it. It kind of fought its way onto the record. And funnily enough when we play it live, it goes over so well. It's one of those tracks, that’s earning our affection the more that we get involved with it.

SLM:  I felt like “Don't Hold Back”, is you two motivating each other almost. I'm sure it was just an idea of inspiring people, or motivating people, but that's what that track said to me to me.

JIMMY : It totally is.

SLM: How long have you been together now as Bob Moses?

JIMMY: This is our sixth year together. We started in the underground dance scene, and now we've broken more into the whole indie thing, playing more concert venues instead of nightclubs. It's been a real privilege that we've been able to ride this unique line of getting to play concerts, and also DJ'ing, and jumping back and forth between the two worlds. I think a lot of people don't get to do that. We feel really fortunate for the journey that we've gone on together and individually.

SLM:  The dance track, “Listen To Me, and  “Enough To Believe” both great tracks. Then we get to the sort of book end to your album, “Fallen From Your Arms”. That one felt also a little politically inspired of course. That was just my interpretation as well, what a great finish to the album. Do you prefer the more intimate settings to play these tracks now somewhere like the Commodore or a Festival setting?

JIMMY : I think festivals are great because they expose you to so many people that may have never heard of you, or may have an idea of you.

It's such a good way to win supporters and then you couple that by coming back and doing intimate shows, and you know I 100 percent believe that if we hadn't played so many festivals we wouldn't be able to go to so many parts of the world and play our own shows.

We chatted a little more about the music scene currently in California, where fellow EDM unique ARTists (click on ARTists links) recently featured and interviewed MOBY,   BONOBO   and RUFUS DU SOL, (friends of Bob Moses whom they will play the upcoming SUNDARA festival with) and who also have all taken up residence. I also asked and highlighted the very cool live set they do from the top of bell tower for MixMag (right) at San Diego's Museum of Man for CRSSD Fest.

Bob Moses is inspiring and their live show always impressive,  we cannot wait to see them again on Tour in 2019 as well back in Canada.

TOUR AND ARTIST INFO AT : http://bobmosesmusic.com/battle-lines/

Blind Faith

P. Tinham , 10.9.2018

Battle Lines released September 14, 2018 , Domino 

Bob Moses: Tom Howie, vocals/guitar (left) and Jimmy Vallance production/piano (right)

SLM:  Congratulations on the new album, Battle Lines. You guys played back in your home town in Vancouver in September. How does it feel to play your new album at the iconic Commodore now as opposed to where you've been?

JIMMY: It's interesting, on Days Gone By (2015), we released some EP's and had a little bit of a buzz going and then it was released. We've always done this thing where we put a record out and then a week later we’re on tour and it takes six months or a year for people to know a record. With this album, we sort of gave ourselves a pep talk “ We're going back at it, the records only been out a week.” People aren't going to know the songs when we play new music, so let's not feel too bad if people aren't going as crazy as they are for the older stuff, because that has happened before.

But funnily enough, that hasn't been the case this time. Everyone whose  come out has just been eager. I think our goal was to try and come back and play the venues where we left off last time and bring new music, and  test it out. So far, it's been going phenomenally well and exceeding our expectations.

SLM:  Oh that's so great, that it's translating so well from the studio to the live audience for you. I understand Battle Lines is inspired by living in New York, and you've called it having a "kinetic energy" in that great mini documentary (Right- Days Gone By - A Bob Moses Story) , which looked like a lot fun to make. What inspires you to be creative in NY and now California?

JIMMY: We basically made Days Gone By in New York, started touring, wrote some ideas for Battle Lines on the road. We rented a home based in the Los Angeles in Laurel Canyon for the last year and a half, then wrote, finished,  Battle Lines there.

SLM: What a different environment from Brooklyn or that side of New York City to Laurel Canyon. I love the introduction to the Album through social media with the #AndThen short. Tell us about this idea and collaborating with Apple Music.

JIMMY: We were really fortunate, to have had a good relationship with Apple over the last couple of years. Apple Music approached us and said that they wanted to help on the campaign of this record. To which we were really thrilled. Apple is one of those companies that based on their history and nature they've always put ARTists first. We really respected them, and we use their products all the time. Steve Jobs is a visionary, and in the mid-2000's, iTunes basically saved the music business for lack of a better word. They're quirky, too, you know? This #AndThen thing they created, was basically them giving us six scenarios and saying “You guys fill in the blanks, you tell a story, and then we're going have some fun with it.” What came out is kind of crazy, but we think it’s great

SLM: Getting into the Battle Lines, and the opening track "Heaven Only Knows". I love that line, "waiting on faith is your only disguise". Tell us about this track and what it's about?

JIMMY : Well with what's been going on in the world, we were very inspired by this whole idea of blind faith. That's a topic that comes up a bunch on this record, with people not questioning things and just following. I think we saw that a lot with the political climate in the United states, and also what's going on globally. People have been able to take power, and get things through just based on lies and deceit, with people believing in these old institutions and not questioning why, not asking why enough. I think political figures almost become the ideology for some and people just blindly follow things , maybe with good intentions, but what ends up happening can be quite disastrous. I think we were really inspired by the chaos that comes from wanting to believe in something so bad that even if it isn't good, it doesn't matter as long as it fulfills that desire.