Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
Through Twitter. Exposed Vocals followed me and asked for this interview. I think it’s great that you guys are offering these interviews. It means a lot to the artists that someone is out there looking for them and willing to give them a new outlet to network and be seen. That free publicity is hard to pass up.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
I was born in Moundridge, Kansas, and have lived in Kansas my whole life. I grew up in a lot of different towns, but eventually settled in Wichita. I had always been interested in playing music, I played saxophone in middle school and tried out the Trumpet, but I failed pretty hard at that. I started playing bass when I was in middle school also. I got into a few bands as a bassist, but being a bass player in metal bands wasn’t doing it for me, so I transitioned to the guitar. I had always been just a guitar player, but the metal genre is not very popular around here, and life eventually started to happen so I fell out of music for awhile. When I came back to it I discovered that I just wanted to be involved in making music, whatever the genre, so I had to branch out and start making things on my own. I got a free version of Ableton Live Lite with a Fender half stack I bought, so I started playing around with electronic music and found it to be pretty fun to create. Around the time I started messing with Ableton, the other guitarist in my current band, Punish and Enslave, started a local record label, Indie Rex Records. He liked the little bits that I had so he signed me for an album, and here we are with Transient Solar Phenomena out on Itunes and Amazon and what not. I never expected any of it to ever be available to the public, I had really started to make electronic music just to fulfill the need to make music, it was just a personal thing for me to do, a creative outlet that helps ground me that I wasn’t able to get with my current guitar work. It has become much more now though, as I have become involved in recording and engineering for other people, and have been able to broaden my horizons and not be stuck in one genre with so few people to work with.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Elk The Moose was actually given to me as a nickname a long time ago after a party with some friends. I guess someone thought Elk sounded close to my name, Elton. I can’t recall how “The Moose” got thrown in there, but I took it and I’m proud of it.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
I think it is absolutely essential for artists at my level to be able to share music online, especially for free. In these days, that is the best and most efficient way to get heard. Most people aren’t going to spend the the 99 cents or whatever to listen to something that they find out they don’t like within the first 30 seconds. That excuse doesn’t exist if it’s free, all the listener has to give at that point is 3 or 4 minutes of their time for something that took weeks, months, maybe even years, of our time to make. My music is available for streaming free on a few different sites; Reverbnation, Last.fm, Spotify and Soundcloud, but is also available for purchase on ITunes, AmazonMP3 and Google Play in the event that you like it enough. Even with the option to buy singles or the whole album, I would prefer to keep it up for free somewhere. I know I don’t have 10 bucks every time something I like comes out, but I don’t feel like that should stop someone from being able to enjoy it. I will always attempt to have a free option, I’m just as poor as you all, you know.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
I’m still a start up so I don’t think I really have any good advice here other than just don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. You would be amazed what happens if you just reach out to someone and ask. Find an online radio channel that plays your style and ask to get in the rotation. Hand out some physical CD’s at a related show, get in with the other local guys playing that music, they may help you out. They understand the struggles too.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
I don’t perform any of the Elk The Moose stuff live, I would just push play and drink. I have had stage experience with guitar though and you just have to keep going, the show doesn’t stop if you screw up, and I doubt anyone but you and your band mates notice anyways. You may even find out a cooler way to play something by screwing up like that. Everyone makes mistakes, no matter how many times you have played something it can always happen.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
I’ve never had a full blown tour, but I’ve played locally and regionally enough in metal bands. Most of it is pretty generic metal band stuff though, like the ritual of downing a bottle of Jagermeister with the band before a show, drinking too much before the show, getting payed in booze, partying after every practice, or finally getting a paying gig, then drinking before and during the show so much that you end up owing the bar after you drank through your pay. Nothing like trashing hotel rooms or any of that rock star stuff though.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
For electronic stuff I get my inspiration from space. I take elements of space and try to give them a voice, personalities, that kind of thing. Each song has some basis in actual astrophysics, actual planets or stars, or scientific concepts or events that have a certain feel about them. I give them emotion, based on how I perceive them, and that dictates the tone and content of the song, then I can begin to create a base of drums and a bass line that sets that tone. Then from there it is just playing with sounds and fitting it all together in a structured way. For other projects the inspiration can come from just life and experiences, joy, heartbreak, love, pain and all that, all the way to just a great riff that sounds so good you keep playing it and building on it. For me, sometimes creating the song is the inspiration all on its own, it may not have any particular message other than just making and enjoying music. You have to be able to have fun with it sometimes, I love hearing a band that just makes a fun song, you can tell that they just enjoy what they are doing, and that is what it’s about.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
I don’t have a dedicated website, no. But here is a list of some of the free and paid options for hearing Elk The Moose:
Reverbnation – http://www.reverbnation.com/elkthemoose?profile_view_source=profile_box
Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/elk-the-moose-1
ITunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/transient-solar-phenomena/id830661160
Amazon MP3 – http://www.amazon.com/Transient-Solar-Phenomena-Elk-Moose/dp/B00IPGEKT8
Spotify – https://play.spotify.com/artist/34pqppLJTYJiG5Au24BUWE
Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/search?q=elk%20the%20moose&c=music
Last.FM – http://www.last.fm/music/Elk+the+Moose
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
I’ve got a few of them, I went through a bunch of different musical phases. John Meyer and Ray J are the ones I get the most shit for from the band mates though.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
I would do pretty boring stuff with it really, pay off student loans, mortgage, cars, that kind of thing. Whatever was left after that though, I’d take a vacation with the family, then be back to work. I can’t not work, I start to feel useless after about 2 weeks.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
I have plans on getting a DI Box for better guitar sound and a Power Center but other than that I’m ok with what I have now. Here is my current list of gear:
Ableton Live 9 Suite
Presonus Studio One
Akai MPK49
Tascam 1800 8 port Interface
2 JBL LSR305 Studio Monitors
MXL 990991 Condenser Mics
Shure SM57 Mic
CAD Pro-7 Drum Mics
ESP LTD H-351NT
ESP LTD M-401
Fender Mustang V Amplifier
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Mostly just through Reverbnation, Soundcloud, Twitter and Facebook.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
That’s a pretty big list. I don’t really care where I would perform with them, but Pantera, Slayer, Black Dahlia Murder, Aborted, At The Gates, Mayhem, Jimi Hendrix, Death just to name a few.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
I have a new project I have been working on with a good friend called Rats of Santa Fe. It’s an indie, folksy, bluesy electronic thing. We’re working hard on it, we put in 3 or 4 hours a session a week and we’re hoping to have some feelers out soon. I’ve been in the works for some time with fellow Indie Rex labeler Profzillaon a project, so that may happen as well.If you get a chance, check him out, great hip hop artist.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
What I already do, IT work. But I would hate it a lot more.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
I think the first album I ever really bought for myself was The Black Dahlia Murder’s Unhallowed CD. I saw them on Headbangers Ball back when MTV played music. It was pretty late when the Funeral Thirst video played, so the very next day I ran to the mall and got it. It was great. I had been into metal since hearing Pantera in the 5th grade, but this was a different level, it blew my mind how heavy but melodic it was. They are still one of my favorite bands.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
I try to have certain times set aside throughout the week where I can focus on music and only on music, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mostly, but there are the odd sessions on a Saturday or something when there is nothing else going on. Any other time I’m busy with everyday life and cant really focus on it with all the other things going on. Music is important to me, but I try to make sure it is not overtaking my duty to my family. I have an amazing wife that is supportive of the time I spend doing this, and children who understand it, and I can’t take them for granted. I wouldn’t have what I have if not for them, so that balance is important. If I spend too much time in the studio I tend to get too critical of what I’m doing, so not being in there everyday is helpful to clear my head and come back to it at a later time with a clean slate.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2015?
Definitely the Rats of Santa Fe tracks. Maybe some more Elk The Moose? If I can ever find a drummer, you can expect to hear from Punish and Enslave as well.
