Betty Moon prefers to mix her intimate interpretations of pop with a contemporary rock to create results that beam with an anthemic culmination.
Based out of Southern California, the singer/songwriter has a propensity for exploring her sound and advancing in her search for the most potent outcomes. Across two albums, she has swiveled continually in her evolving character; from the laid-back daydream-like states found in 'Without You' to the sass-fist rock of 'Crazy (What You Make Me),' a synth-wave amalgamation that presents as the last animated flutterings of a robot cyborg, as it eats up its remaining battery charges.
After a year of meticulous and persistent work in the studio, Betty Moon has reached a breakthrough. On this new record, she has stepped away from her restraints in her 2019 album 'HELLUCINATION.' She advances guns blazing with an all-encompassing talent she holds in the practices of creating electronic, indie, funk, and dance energy in her catalogs.
Here, Moon—who was signed to a major label in the '90s—performs under a distinct silhouette titled 'the queen of DIY work ethic,' having since self-released nine full-length studio albums through her label "Evolver Music, Inc."
Continuing to record in the studios with professional session bands, the L.A. based artist's newest full length, 'Little Miss Hollywood,' presents like a taste-tester for all the pop-alternative sounds Moon has to offer—complimented by her alluring, robust and internationally recognized voice throughout.
She didn't neglect to bring her vibrant character with her this time. It comes to life throughout these ten tracks; from the way she employs electrically charged harmonies and quick rendezvous between her topline wizardry, and lyrics. 'Little Miss Hollywood,' feels at last like Betty Moon's real breakthrough discovery—expressing songs of melancholy and frustration, but rendering them with the quiver and clarity of someone like Sharon Van Etten. This second album suggests it's not just a passing phase, but the beginnings of a new chapter in her ever-expanding grips over her genre amalgamating boundaries.
The sensual tension on 'Your Dirty Love,' presents with a counter-swaying measure pronounced through ethereal like hymns as the mix holds us tight in a rhythm and vibe reminiscent of Chet Faker's Gold—with all its delicious fusion-pop goodness. On 'How Do You Like Me,' Moon reveals a more stout edge in her character with a heavy-rock track engulfed in gritty and distorted guitar riffs, her own Axl Rose evocative howls, and a thundering '80s nostalgic rhythmic backing. She accosts this track with a sassy candor, looking less to avoid a fight and more in the way of instigating one. "How do you like me now?" she sings with a stand-off-ish demeanor in the main hooking points before her voice swells from side to side in a trance-like haze for the bridge.
Slipping in and out of musical forms with supernatural ease, Betty Moon remains a shapeshifting chameleon as she evaporates from one color to the next with every pass. She jabs with some compelling grungy alternative-rock mixes in an electro vibed "Don't Stop Now" and wafts through languid Pop-soul steam for "Monsters In My Head," an easy-going classic that finds excellent relevance through its addicting laid-back groove and compelling modulating topline effects. The saturated vocals of "The Liar" glides on comparable deep-house sails of some of the Top '40s most trending, with a synth beast-mode attitude engraving its presence all over our pre-frontal lobe, and spreading throughout our central nervous system with an alarmingly warming embrace, relaxing the state of our mind as it settles in.
There is seldom a long-lasting cohesion in uniformity and flow found in the record, as her frameshifts perpetually from one song to the next. But that's not what she was aiming for, to begin with. Here, much of 'Little Miss Holywood' hinges how independently distinguished and complete each cut from this record presents separately. A song like "All He Is," is dripping with enough of the 2000s most tantalizing vibes: a barbed keys-centric escapade that served as a cornerstone in Betty's record. It's fitted with crispy pressed drums and deeply saturated keys. Then there's "Find A Love," which is reserved, and more contemporary with its use of samples, proving an outlier as one of the more house qualifying notes on 'Little Miss Hollywood.' An amalgamating soup for her soulful effect-driven vocals on, "Take Me Downtown" conjures the candlelit majesty of a galloping pop-anthem that levels with each downbeat and inject with some much-needed dopamine. Moon's rousing voice swiftly articulates like an antiquated recording from the future and synergizing with the duplicates of her modern gloss as the track draws a check-mark over the boxes of dance music. "All the life in me, all the death in me," she jeers, "all the darkness makes me feel alive," as though ready immerse herself into the unknown.
For the most part, Betty Moon handles heaviness with inevitable danceability, finding new flexibility with every rebounding shapeshift. She's unusual, extroverted, and potent, distorted enough to feel authentic with each tinge her music impersonates. Even "Little Miss Hollywood,"—the title track—where she opens the record with 80's provoking vibes that venture out and survey over the enormous pop and rock landscapes that Moon is known for. The album elevates us to higher limits with her topline hook as it lifts us above ground and onto a more even playing field to experience this journey on. And, that's the chief delight of settling into 'Little Miss Hollywood': you never know what you're going to discover, but you're sure to find some escape in it.
What was your headspace and mindset like when writing this record, and the upcoming months prior to its release?
I started on Little Miss Hollywood and many of the songs before the pandemic and a handful of those ended up on my EP Translucent that was released in June. I tend to just write ideas every day, which means one day may have one energy which varies from the next. I think once things started getting weird I found myself having enough time to not only finish that EP but also get everything together for the album. There was something oddly exciting about that, as we have so many distractions in life that take us outside of the house almost daily. In the month or two leading up to the release, I was really hoping things would have been better but I went with the flow and set the release date. People need music more than ever, so why not give it to them as often as possible? What proved to be the most challenging part of the recording and releasing this record?
I know this isn't the worst problem to have, but honestly, it was just choosing the final tracks to mix/master. I had at least 20 tracks in the hopper and wanted to just make a decision. For us creative types, we all know that calling something "final" is a huge deal. I would just try and avoid the news and focus on getting this music done as my biggest priority. I would have others help me choose the best tracks to sort of reinforcing what I thought was best for the album. Your music sometimes feels reminiscent of well-known artists from the past and present, but who has had the most significant influence on your life musically thus far?
I would have my debt to Soundgarden for introducing me to next level rock n' roll and live shows. I have so many influences from early years across so many genres, but it's hard to pinpoint to one artist specifically. I'd rather thank my cassette, vinyl, and CD booklets over the years that got more use than anything else in life. Soundgarden though, I'd have to say still gives me all the feels and I soaked in their energy more than I can imagine. They instilled a sense of taste and lifestyle that I wanted to achieve in my own unique way as a musician and artist. What can we expect from your latest releases later this year, and are you planning on serving in any new directions for 2020 artistically? What has been keeping you inspired throughout 2020?
Since Little Miss Hollywood just dropped I'm going to focus on singles and music videos from that album for at least a couple of months. I have a ton of other songs finished though, and will probably piece together another EP or a series of singles for Q4 2020. I'm keeping motivated by just appreciating what I have, not focusing on the negative aspects of things in the world, and staying in the studio as much as possible. The great thing is if you have one of those days, writing a song and recording some ideas can really make things better. As far as new directions go, I'm sure I'll continue doing the electronic/guitar rock thing but trying out new ideas that I've been inspired by lately. I go down the Spotify rabbit hole almost daily especially going way back from songwriters of the seventies. I've been listening to a lot of rare groove and old soul lately which truly is the ultimate for inspiration that you can count on will lift you up, make you dance, or bring you to tears. I find those old songs and crank them as loud as I can get away with.