N2KY is out now!
Image: Josh Hourigan.
Melbourne-based creative MOSSY recently unveiled his superb debut album N2KY. We caught up with the musician to unpack the release and more!
The musical project of Jamie Timon, introspective and conversational lyricism navigate the darker sides of a relationship, exploring the toxicity that arises from a possessive and jealous nature. Soundtracked by ambient and genre-defying soundscapes, Timon's captivating vocals float above intricately woven sonic threads of dance, post-punk and pop, working together to create atmospheric and captivating compositions.
To celebrate the release, MOSSY will take to the Orange Room at Colour Club in Carlton tomorrow night, performing tracks from N2KY for the first time. The musician has also curated a night that showcases Melbourne-based talent, with performances from Teether & Kuya Neil and Acopia, as well as DJ sets from Lex Deluxe and Nenagh
Could you tell us a bit about your background in music and what led you to pursuing a career in music?
I always just felt super connected to music as a kid, and wanted to be able to make songs that made me feel the way I felt when I listened to my favourite songs. I started learning the keyboard at age 6 just so I could play Kiss From a Rose and the theme song from Titanic and it all stemmed from there. Eventually I got bored of doing lessons and theory and stuff but when I discovered that I could write my own songs I knew that that was what I wanted to do.
Congratulations on your superb body of work N2KY! Across the record, you offer up a dissection of relationships, with a particular focus on the possessiveness and jealousy that can cause toxicity within a relationship. What prompted this conceptual exploration across the album?
Thank you! I didn’t plan to make the album about that, or anything for that matter—it’s just what came out. I think that the thing I value or aspire to most in life is the freedom to be myself. Generally speaking, everyone who has been in a relationship has experienced jealousy or possessiveness, or made themselves smaller for someone else—I have certainly experienced these things and it feels awful on either side of the fence. I’ve always been fascinated by this idea that two people meet as individuals, and become entwined, and all of a sudden, they are placing all these rules, expectations and restrictions upon one another, until both feel the need to lie, cheat, and present a completely dishonest version of themselves to their partner. The album title N2KY (which stands for Nice 2 Know Ya) is about rejecting that. 'Nice 2 Know Ya' is like saying, see ya later.
The collection of songs effortlessly weaves together sonic threads of dance, post-punk and pop, woven with ambient textures that create atmospheric and captivating soundscapes. How did you arrive at this exploration of sound for the body of work?
I’m a big fan of a lot of music from Scandinavia—Lust for Youth, First Hate, Croation Amor, Yung Lean, Bladee, Ecco2k etc. These artists were super inspiring to me in terms of how they blended all these sounds together to make something that sounded fresh and new.
You spent two years working on N2KY. How did the album evolve throughout its creation, from initial ideas to the body of work we hear today?
The early demos of the album were a lot more acoustic sounding—real instruments and no auto-tune etc. I was listening to a lot of 70s soul and pop balladry at the time. Over the course of working on the album my musical interests changed quite drastically and I was listening to a lot of that Scandinavian new-wave, post-punk, ambient and cloud rap that I mentioned earlier. I started mucking around with auto-tune and slowly sort of started re-composing the songs with more synths and sequencers and drum machines.
You’ve shared some great visuals throughout the albums rollout. How important are the visuals to you in terms of capturing the visual identity of your music?
I think music videos are a great opportunity to help people connect the dots in terms of style and aesthetic. And I always love watching the music videos of my favorite artists, so I feel it’s necessary to do videos for the singles. I gotta say though, I do find directing my own music videos quite challenging! I decided to direct these ones with my brother just so we could really drill down on exactly what we wanted and not be at the mercy of anybody else’s visual style or interpretations of the music.
Which three songs off the record would you pick to play to someone who had never heard your music, to make them an instant fan and why?
Ooh. I think the album opener Shade, for sure. That was the first song that we fully realised the direction we were taking the album in, and so from there kinda re-worked the others with that as the style guide or reference point. Shade is up-beat, colourful and uplifting. I would then show them Broke Again. That’s my favorite track on the album I think. It’s got these beautiful crystalline synths and that bass sequencer kinda puts me in a trance. Third would be Why Can’t You See? because I think it’s probably the most pop-forward song on the record and I’m really proud of the chorus featuring the vocals of Melbourne electronic producer, Purient.
Is there a particular line or lyric from the album you’re most proud of, or one that you return to more often than the rest?
That’s such a nice question. I really like the line in the last song on the album, Unfazed, that says “You never looked so ordinary”. It only says it once in the song and I find it a really sad line. I also like “Blessed and cursed within the same body” in Where Does the Time Go?. Think it sums up life quite well haha.
If N2KY was a piece of pre-existing visual art, which artwork would it be?
Another great question. I think it would be some kind of marble bath house with the greek pillars and iridescent baby blue water or something. That’s what I originally wanted the cover to be.
You’ll be taking to the stage at Melbourne’s Colour Club next month. What can audiences expect from the performance?
No live instruments!
Will you be hitting the road in the near future?
I really hope so. I’m going to try and tour later this year for sure.
RAPID FIRE
Biggest influences?
Bowie, Lust For Youth, Phil Collins, Bladee, Leonard Cohen.
Dream collaboration?
Bladee.
Album that has had the most impact on you?
In the last decade or so probably Lust For Youth - International or Bladee - 333.
How do you define your musical style in 3 words?
Electronic, Pop, Auto-tune.
Best song of 2022 so far?
Acopia - For You I Try.
If you could create the soundtrack for any film, which one would it be?
Probably The Wrestler cos it’s my fave film of all time.
Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus?
Miley for sure!
What was the first song you loved to sing?
Probably a Phil Collins or John Farnham song (my Mum loves), but it could well have been Waterfalls by TLC—loved that song.
A song you would love to cover on tour?
I’ve always wanted to cover True Love Leaves No Traces by Leonard Cohen. Stella Donnelly and I were actually talking about covering it together years ago…Hmmm…
Album you would listen to on repeat on a road trip?
Can’t do an album on repeat!!!! Once only then change!
First concert you went to?
Missy Elliot.
Best concert you have been to?
Iceage at Goodgod Small Club in Sydney 2014. Unbelievable. They played their entire third album (which was unreleased) and NO old songs and it was incredible.
First album you ever bought?
TLC - CrazySexyCool.
Would you rather be a Spice Girl or a Backstreet Boy?
I owned all the Spice Girls albums as a kid, and none of the Backstreet Boys albums, so I guess that speaks for itself!
If you were a Spice Girl, what would your spice nickname be?
Freckly Spice
Most memorable show you’ve ever performed?
My first tour as MOSSY was in 2016 with Future Islands, I was pretty into them at the time, so those shows felt pretty special.
Guilty music pleasure?
Been singing a bit of Robbie Williams around the house recently haha.
If you could tour with any artist on tour, who would it be?
Lust for Youth!
An artist you think has had the most influence on the music industry.
Probably Sophie or Lil Nas X in recent times. RIP Sophie.
What advice would your current self, give your future self, for a year from now?
I think, to turn the question on it’s head a bit, my future self would be saying to my current self: “organise a fucking tour NOW!”.
The moment you knew you wanted to be a musician?
I think it was literally when I heard Kiss from a Rose LOL.
N2KY is out now!
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