Exclusive Interview with GAV MORAN

Irish composer & producer Gav Moran has earned a reputation as an emotive storyteller through his melancholic neo classical works such as his debut album Broken Pieces released on the Blue Spiral Records label in May 2023. Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?

GAV MORAN: I come from a musical family, My father worked singing in Dublin and both my parents were avid music listeners and always had music playing at home growing up, A vinyl record player was a centre piece in our family home and everything from The Beatles to Elvis and Buddy Holly would be played along with everything else from the 60’s and 70’s. Artistic output was always encouraged at home and it definitely led me to a path of musical exploration.

2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?

GAV MORAN: I began with formal piano training and built upon this foundation teaching myself guitar and ultimately incorporating technology such as synths and effects into what I was creating. I enjoy learning about the technical aspects of the process as much as I do the music creation and working with others always bring something new as ideas get bounced around, I always try to learn something from everyone I work with.

3. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?

GAV MORAN: I think my music invokes emotion, It’s what I strive for when creating and it is very important to me to make that human connection through music. Lately my sound has taken a more meditative or spiritual course where I am using minimal elements evolving over time to create a story in the listeners mind.

4. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as Neo CLASSICAL?

GAV MORAN: Neoclassical is such a wide and varied genre with many different styles formed around a base structure of orchestral elements. As a piano player first there was a steep learning curve as technology and sound synthesis became part of my own sound, This constant learning very much becomes part of the creative process as it leads to discovery of new elements that may have been otherwise untapped.

5. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment you’re still seeking?

GAV MORAN: For me the fulfilment of musical creation comes from within – If noon was listening wouldn’t I still be making it? Yes! Although having people who choose to listen every day to what I created is a great honour for me and it gives the inner drive to keep on coming up with new music they too can enjoy.

6. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, what’s the most essential part of your process, and how do external influences shape your work?

GAV MORAN:

I’m constantly noodling ideas on the piano, I don’t watch television and so any spare time is spent either formulating a piece I have been working on or playing around with a chord progression or musical motif, If I feel a musical idea is drawing an emotion from me then I will expand on that idea and develop into a more coherent piece. I can be influenced from anywhere, maybe even just where you head is at on a given day can guide a piece in a different direction. I tend to go with the flow of a piece and sometimes I do end up in quite a different place with a piece than I had originally intended.

7. What’s been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?

GAV MORAN: One of the most difficult things for me was the transition from a 9-5 job and working as a creative in my spare time to moving exclusively into making music everyday, We all have bills to pay so it’s not always easy to work on our art while the hours in the day must be used to earn for normal day to day life. I’m in a very lucky position to be able to create for a living and I feel blessed to be here with the support of those who take the time to listen to the works I create.

8. Let’s talk about your latest release…

GAV MORAN: My latest release is my “Requiem EP” – It’s my attempt to tell the tale of what happens during the emotional rollercoaster of grief when people get struck by tragedy, Inspired after the death of a friend last year I was putting myself in the mindset of those left behind and the changes that occur from the initial shock and madness that surrounds events like these to the acceptance and tranquility that comes after some healing has occurred and a perpetual change in life persists.

9. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

GAV MORAN: Social media can bring out the best in some and the worst in others, There’s a quote that says “If you’re picking up haters you’re doing something right” and so I took it as a right of passage when I would get the negative comments the more popular my music became. I completely blank it and it makes me wonder why some feel the need to tear others down. For the most part I receive wonderful messages of support and I value every one of them.

10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

GAV MORAN: For me music is all about story telling. It’s not important that the listener shares or understands the story in my mind as I was creating a piece but through the emotion that comes from listening they can interpret and create whatever story relates to them and there own life experiences, Much in the same way as a when reading a book an image is created in the mind of the reader which may vary from the author but is nonetheless real to each person as they move there own way through the story.