A relatively new and fresh electro/pop band, Mansions on the Moon, has been gracing us with solid music since I came across them in late 2011. The Los Angeles based band has quickly gained a following thanks to a sound that really no other band quite has. They've even worked with some big names previously like Diplo, Pharrell, and DJ Benzi. With that kind of support, you know the guys are onto something with their music. So it was pretty cool that member "Baby Jeff" Maccora took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some of our questions. Check out the interview below with questions from writer Evan Klokis.
Who are some of your biggest influences and why?
Musically, I've been influenced the mostly by records. I grew up in a period where you had to buy a CD to listen to music. You got your Tower Record gift certificate and went down to the store to see if they had the CD you wanted. Sometimes it was sold out and you had to wait till the next shipment! Life is so much different today. After my purchases I would rush home, put the record on, and soak it up like a sponge. Learning all the parts that I loved. I still do that to this day. I also still love getting physical albums, something about reading all the credits, thanks, and linear notes makes me feel more connected to the art. Some of my all time favorite records are - Paul Simon "Graceland," Steely Dan "Aja," Weather Report "Heavy Weather," D'Angelo "Voodoo," Daft Punk "Discovery," Musiq Soulchild "Juslisen," Earth, Wind & Fire "Best of EW&F: vol I & II," Beatles "Abbey Road," Marcus Miller "Tales," Bootsy Collins "Back in the Day: The Best of Bootsy," Marvin Gaye "What's Going On," Junior Boys "Beyond Dull Care," Weezer "Blue Album," Beck "Midnight Vultures."
If you guys could pick any artist in the world to perform with, who would you pick?
Like as an additional member of the MOTM live band? If so, Prince. I don't think there's anything that he can't play or do. He's like a musical swiss army knife.
What was it like to work with Pharrell Williams?!
Paul Simon meets MGMT meets a joint/strong drink
Where was favorite place to perform and why?
This last San Francisco date at Slim's was pretty special for me. My Mom, Dad, Step Mom, and Sister were in the building, it's the first full MOTM live show that they've all seen.
What was it like performing at Camp Bisco?
The best part of Camp Bisco for me was hearing the Disco Biscuits perform. They are aural psilocybin.
What was the creative process like for “Full Moon” and how does the EP represent the band’s mission?
One morning, while in the middle of finishing up our first full length album, I got a call from our lead singer Ted. To strongly paraphrase, he said, "We are gonna write, record, mix, and release an EP in a month while this album gets done. Let's do this." At first I thought we'd never pull off an EP in that timeline, but we did.
What are Mansions on the Moon plans/goals for the future?
Play music till my hands fall off.
What do you like more performing in a studio or live on stage?
Since I've had 'out of body' experiences playing live, I'm gonna have to go with on stage. Strangely enough, when I play live, mentally I pretend I'm in the studio. And when I'm in the studio, I pretend I'm playing live. This technique helps me bring accuracy to my live playing and energy to my studio work.
Will Mansions on the Moon be releasing a full-length album in the near future?
I hope so. We are finishing production and mixing on the LP now.
Will we see Mansions on the Moon performing in the Philadelphia/East Coast area anytime soon?
Presently, there are only hopes and plans in the works. I've never had a cheese steak from Philly, so I think we have to go back.
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Posted in: Interview,Mansions on the Moon
