By Gideon Cross
Daily Bruin Contributor
Ian Moore’s fourth full-length album, “and all the
colors “¦” features a sound that could be best described
as, well “¦ Ian Moore.
After spending much of his career being billed by his
then-record company ““ against his wishes ““ as the
heir-apparent to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s blues guitar throne,
Moore finds himself happier making the kind of music he wants and
not having to worry about anyone’s preconceptions.
“Anything that you do that has any relevance at all
probably doesn’t fit into a mold,” the
singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist said in a recent phone
interview. “If you’re doing something that fits pretty
neatly into a package, it probably sucks.”
Moore, who performs Wednesday at The Mint, started playing
instruments at age 5. He never really decided to become a
musician.
“Life kind of decided for me. I was surrounded by so many
musical instruments that it was pretty natural.”
Moore’s father, an Eastern Studies and Linguistics
scholar, exposed his son to a diverse array of musical influences
and the Austin, Texas-based musician credits that experience as an
important influence on his sometimes unconventional approach to
songcraft.
“There are songs on my record that don’t really have
a verse-chorus feel, and that’s probably from growing up
around a lot of Eastern music,” he said.
A fixture in the Austin music scene in the early ’90s, a
buzz began to build around Moore, ultimately leading to his signing
by Capricorn records. His first, self-titled album spawned three
top-20 modern rock hits and before he turned 25, Moore went on tour
as the opening act for Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.
Since he was already very familiar with both acts, Moore found
the experience important not so much as an influence on his music,
but more “in terms of just being around that and getting the
opportunity to see those shows for free every night.”
“Those bands are two of the greatest rock bands of all
time,” Moore said. “Bob Dylan is arguably the most
important person in the history of rock “˜n’ roll.
There’s been arguments made by some of the best music critics
in the world that Bob Dylan is more important than Elvis Presley or
anyone. If there hadn’t been a Bob Dylan, there
wouldn’t have been a Beatles; there wouldn’t have been
a Jimi Hendrix. He changed the face of music.”
Despite a promising start to his career, Moore parted ways with
Capricorn in 1997, determined not to conform to anyone’s
musical vision but his own; so far, he’s been satisfied with
the results.
“I have a lot more control now, so the production’s
more along the lines of where I would focus and also I’m
getting quite a bit better at what I’ve done,” he said.
“If you listen to the records in order of when they were put
out, it makes a lot more sense. The transition to where I’m
at now “¦ it doesn’t sound so much like a change as an
evolution.”
Moore’s evolution seems to be pointing him toward success,
with widespread critical acclaim greeting “and all the colors
“¦” and with radio warming up to the current single
“Float Away,” which begs the question of whether
large-scale commercial success is really what Moore wants. Is it
better to keep a mid-sized, loyal fan base and a relatively normal
life or to ascend to super-stardom?
Moore said that he enjoys his current status, but also finds it
frustrating “when it feels like what I do is something
that’s pretty universal and it doesn’t feel like what
I’m doing is really super-challenging, but obviously it is,
because a lot of people don’t get it.”
“I’m comfortable with the level I’m at, but
it’s in my nature to always strive to be more
successful,” he said.
MUSIC: Moore will be playing at The Mint on Wednesday at 10 p.m.
Tickets are $8, $21 and up. For more information, call (323)
954-9630.