Interview: Getting to Know David Moore and Westridge
Striding out of Texas with a classic rock influenced sound, David Moore returns with his monumental new single ‘Mysteries of Life’! In this interview, we get to know the artist a little better.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
Thank you for having me. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. When I was 16 years old my sister gave me an acoustic guitar. I got a chord book and started learning chords. While practicing switching chords I would have melodies pop into my head and soon followed lyrics…so I started writing them down and soon had a collection of songs. At the time I was playing soccer and athletics was my first love. After graduating from high school I was offered a full scholarship for soccer at a small university in Texas, however as fate would have it I declined the scholarship and attended a different university which had a nationally ranked soccer program. I injured my ankles my freshman year and that was the end of my future as a soccer player. During this time I was introduced to a guy who lived in the same apartment complex, who turned out to be a very gifted musician. We started jamming on acoustic guitars together which eventually morphed into writing songs together. We eventually moved back to Dallas, formed a band and started playing at nightclubs in the area.
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
I guess you would say I am pretty much rooted in classic rock, however I also write folk-rock, blues, funk-rock, progressive country and even a little ambient instrumental.
3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?
Currently I am working on a project I began a year ago. The friend I mentioned previously, passed away in 2013. His name is Jim Patterson and he was a very gifted guitarist as well as musician. I’ve had the idea of recording a tribute album made up of some of the songs we worked on together in the back of my mind for some time now. The fly in the ointment was that I am nowhere near the guitar player Jim was. In September of 2023 I was introduced to the members of the band called The Speaker Wars which includes Stan Lynch who was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Of course he has got a group of world class guys playing with him, including the guitar player Jay Michael Smith. I contacted Michael to see if he would be interested in helping me put together this project I wanted to do. He agreed and now the problem of a guitar player was solved. After deciding which songs to include, the process of recording the tracks ensued. Currently 5 singles from the album have been released. I will release 2 more singles and then will release the finished album sometime late spring/early summer with a total of 14 songs.
4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?
Having the opportunity to put together this tribute album to my late friend and working with the various other musicians who are involved with the project has been extraordinarily gratifying. Not only having Jay Michael Smith laying down some excellent guitar tracks which capture Jim’s style and abilities perfectly; Brian Patterson also of The Speaker Wars has recorded some great bass tracks for the album. I have also brought in a couple of vocalists for some of the tracks I could not do justice to which include Ralph Galetti and Fred Sullivan. I have also talked to Sofia Upton of the band Tribu Oro about doing some backup harmonies. Also a friend of mine Hollan Holmes has done some synthesizer work…a number of talented people coming together to help me make a dream come true.
5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.
It has been quite a labor of love….many, many hours in the studio recording tracks, producing and mixing the tracks and coordinating with the others involved; as well as getting the final mixes to Jeff Lowes of OTR Mastering for the final product. Some of the tunes were songs from our set list back in our club days, so I even went so far as to recreate drum parts that our drummer Wayne Jarvis played. In essence Wayne, who passed away in 2014, has been included in the lineup of musicians taking part in the project.
6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?
(chuckling) When I spend hours on a small thing such as how an instrument sounds or how to make something fit in the mix, I am not so sure those moments of frustration are beneficial to my mental health. HOWEVER, music is like any other human endeavor I think. Whether building a fence or painting a picture…it begins with an initial concept and once that concept reaches fruition through hard work and dogged persistence, the satisfaction and confidence gained is so very rewarding.
7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?
I think one of the biggest hurdles to overcome these days is trying to get your music heard. With all the music being released daily it can be a somewhat monumental task to confront. I spend countless hours at the beginning of each day just doing what I call “admin work”…promos, cover art, social media content, answering correspondence, investigating what strategies are working and what are not, etc. I know a lot of people say “I just want to make music”, and I fully understand that feeling. However, part of being an independent artist when you don’t have unlimited funds is doing the work yourself.
8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?
I think my answer to that is, although I am doing the “admin wok” daily, the actual fulfillment I get from music has not changed…and that is the creative aspect of it. I do it because I enjoy it. It is always nice if someone hears it and enjoys it or can relate to it, but I just enjoy the creative process myself. I think the reason I am into the “admin” side of it is because it is a challenge, and being an athlete at heart I enjoy a good challenge.
9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?
I think the competitive nature I have makes the “admin work” not so much of a grind but more of a challenge. I don’t necessarily enjoy it…actually far from it. But I don’t want to look back someday in the future and think I didn’t give it my best. And as long as I know I have given my all, the numbers…the likes and follows, are just that, numbers. The real currency comes with the music. If I work hard and make the best music I can then all else is a distant second.
10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?
I think the first thing I would say is something most people do anyway, and that is if you hear something you like then please spread the word. After that I would say if you can even purchase a downloadable single, that will help support the artist. I don’t know if many listeners out there understand how little artists get paid by the streaming services. The purchase of a downloaded song at $1 is about what the artist would make with between 300 and 400 streams on average. Most artists have their own websites which is one way to purchase music. Also iTunes or Bandcamp are some other ways to help support the artist. On Bandcamp you can in most cases pay what you want.
11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?
Spend time with my cats. We rescue cats and currently have 19. I also go storm chasing in the spring. I have been co-driving for a tour group led by a friend of my from New Zealand since 2018…although I couldn’t take the time off this spring to drive on the tours, he and I plan to spend a few days chasing when he arrives before the tours start up. I also have a large HO scale train layout I work on. I have some videos on Youtube of the layout and some storm chasing examples as well.
12. Where can people find you?
