Total Brutal is the new indie pop solo project from Los Angeles based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emily Moore. Moore is known as a professional touring musician, having shared the stage with the likes of Grammy award-winning artists including Taylor Swift, FUN, Dua Lipa, X Ambassadors and many more.
With the goal of spreading positivity and self-empowerment, Total Brutal has an ethos of standing up for yourself in order to be heard and seen, facing fears head on and being comfortable in your own skin.
Inspired by strong female artists, Total Brutal is determined to help other young women make their worth known and their voices heard. She shares, “It took me a really long time to understand that I am allowed to speak up, have opinions and speak directly. I’m starting to realize that I can be myself and be liked and professional all the same. I want to help foster that adventurous spirit and confidence in young women!”
Who is Total Brutal?
Total Brutal was a pandemic baby! Before Total Brutal, I spent most of my creative energy and time playing for other bands. I love being a hired musician but because of the pandemic I wasn’t able to tour. I had idle hands and needed somewhere to focus my energy. In the beginning it was mostly just problem solving… How do I stay inspired when I can’t leave my house? How do I program drums in Logic, how do I record my vocals so that they sound good, and how do I use Distrokid? But I learned a lot and became very self-sufficient! I asked a lot of questions and favors of friends and a year later here we are! I have four original songs out and am planning an EP by the end of the year.
What do you love the most about being an artist?
I really enjoy writing guitar melodies and vocal harmonies for my songs. When I first started writing for Total Brutal I had no idea where I wanted to take the music. I let myself try anything and everything. I found that each song I released consistently had stacked vocal harmonies and quirky guitar lines throughout and realized this was going to be my sound. I also really enjoyed learning how to use Final Cut Pro for video making. Coming up with creative visual aspects to each song is really fun for me.
Who are your all time musical icons?
To name a few, Otis Redding, Fleetwood Mac, Brittany Howard, Phoenix, Buzzcocks. There are truly so many. Those are just off the top of my head. I love soul and punk and attitude.
What is your creative process like?
In order for me to start the creative process I need a lot of space and quiet. It’s never been easy for me to write with other people around (though I recognize how amazing that can be now). I start most of my songs on guitar or piano and work through lyrics, chords and melodies at the same time. Sometimes I’ll go back and tweak lyrics later but more often than not I like to write them in the beginning of the song. And from there I just build! I like trying out melodies on different instruments and sounds to see if anything sparks the A-HA moment.
What inspires your lyrics?
I try to clear my mind so that when I sit down to write, the lyrics just come out. A lot of times I’ll complete a song and have to look back to see what I was writing about! I use my own life and emotions to help me find something that is hopefully relatable and universal. My next big endeavor is to try writing lyrics with a topic in mind. I think you can get beautiful poetry when you try to fully understand a topic inside and out. It’s new to me though and might take some time!
What inspires your creative flow besides music?
I’m a huge reader. I like reading about all kinds of things because it helps me stay engaged and in learning mode. I feel most inspired when I’m learning about something new. Last month I read “Seeing Voices” by Oliver Sacks. It’s about sign language and how intricate and demonstrative the visual voice can be. I felt so inspired by the stories in that book. I also really value my friends and their talents. It’s inspiring to see someone you care about doing something they love!
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
“Had A Feeling” was the first song I recorded outside of my home as Total Brutal. I reached out to Jon Joseph who produced Genesis by Misty Boyce (one of my favorite albums right now). We scheduled two days in his incredible studio and had so much fun. It was special because I got to experience recording one of my own songs with other people for the first time. Jon’s studio is overflowing with vintage synths and pedals which makes the process very real and at your fingertips rather than through a plug-in in the computer. And it was a dream to have Kristen Gleeson-Prata come to the studio to record drums. She’s one of my best friends and brings such a positive vibe to the room. I’m happy I got to share that with her! Needless to say, the whole process felt much more alive and exciting than sitting at home by myself recording into my laptop.
What inspires the aesthetics of this new project?
The best part of an artist project is playing dress up and changing your look and style. Each song brings out something new in me. I used to wear jeans and a tee shirt everywhere but lately it’s been fun to try new colors and styles. “Had A Feeling” felt very organic and hippie to me so when I put together my mood board for photos and artwork I referenced fashion and color schemes from the 1970’s.
What song of yours are you the most proud of?
I’m most proud of my first song “Willow.” I’m proud of it because it was the first step into something I never thought I’d do. Total Brutal started as an experiment for me. I just wanted to see if I could make it happen. I hadn’t written music in years and had no idea how to use Logic or put together videos or self-release music.
But I did it! And I’m so proud of myself for figuring everything out along the way. I’m inspired by all the artists out there that were able to just get started. It’s hard releasing music and being vulnerable in front of the world but it’s so important and I admire those that are putting themselves out there.
What is your advice for other artists who are also starting out like you?
Just get started! I can talk myself out of anything but ultimately all you have to do is start and do one thing at a time. Also, reach out to friends and people you respect. We all want to help each other navigate things we found difficult and overcame. I had the best guides (and still do as I discover new facets of being an artist everyday). You can do it!
