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10 Questions with ... Josh Kennedy of The Black Moods
August 11, 2020
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Rock radio has been very good to us and we are extremely grateful. It’s not an easy thing to do, play shows at night, be at the radio at 7 a.m., sometimes 5 a.m., play a show and do it all over again. In doing so, we have made some great friends and relationships and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
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L-R: Chico Diaz-Drums, Josh Kennedy- Lead Singer/Guitar, Jordan Hoffman-Bass
1. Where does this interview find the band right now?
2. Right now we are currently in the Ozarks, where I was raised, and we just started working on music for our next album with Johnny K, who also produced our current release ‘Sunshine.’ So far we’ve got three songs tracked!
2. Let’s start at the beginning. Give us the scoop on when, where and how the band formed?
3. The Black Moods started when I moved to Phoenix, Arizona from Missouri. I was working at Mayberry Studios, which was the Gin Blossom’s place. I soon met our drummer Chico after that and we started demoing songs and playing locally in all the bars, clubs and anywhere that would have us. We went through a cycle of bass players until we met Jordan, who was playing with another band out of L.A. that opened for us and we knew he WAS the guy…so we kidnapped him.
3. Why the name The Black Moods?
I read a book about the Doors called “No One Here Gets Out Alive”. In the book, the band would refer to Jim Morrison as being in a ‘black mood’ when he would go off in a weird direction or be despondent from the band. Seemed like a cool way of putting it. Not long after that, while watching the Beatles Anthology, McCartney referred to Lennon in the same way. That was it for me. I knew I had to use it.
4. What bands have inspired you and you’d list as major influences?
Having grown up in Southwest Missouri, REAL country music was a big thing. Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson were very prominent. Clapton, CCR, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and ZZ Top were staples as well. Once I started playing guitar and really getting into bands that inspired me to write is when the 90’s bands came into play. The ones that really influenced my writing were bands like Gin Blossoms, Counting Crows, Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana and Our Lady Peace. Jordan grew up in Ohio, so he had similar influences to some respect. Both our fathers were musicians so that’s also where a lot of it came from.
5. Now let’s talk about your latest single “Sunshine.” What can you tell us about the meaning behind that song?
“Sunshine” is about the struggles of being in a relationship while having to be constantly out on the road and not being able to share the fun you have on tour or of just being in a band with that person. It’s not an easy life for everyone to deal with. It’s meant to be a positive spin on a tough situation.
6. You’re latest LP “Sunshine” came out a few months back. What can you tell us about it?
We are very proud of it. A little over two years in the making, but well worth it because Johnny K. came in and really worked us into shape. The album was recorded three or four songs at a time in between tours. So, it was definitely a labor of love.
7. The Black Moods has had some nice early success stories at Radio. What’s your take on Rock Radio?
Rock radio has been very good to us and we are extremely grateful. It’s not an easy thing to do, play shows at night, be at the radio at 7 a.m., sometimes 5 a.m., play a show and do it all over again. In doing so, we have made some great friends and relationships and wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s hard work though.
8. With the state of the world now during the Coronavirus pandemic, tours have been put on the back burner for the time being. What are your future tour plans in support of the new album at this point?
Right now, with the world like it is, we are keeping in as much contact with our fans as possible, playing live streams and the occasional social distancing show when we can. However, we are locked and loaded for when this whole thing is over to get out and play shows again.
9. I’ve asked this question many times to Rock artists. There’s a definite difference between making a record and going out and playing it live in front of an audience. Many feel that the real work is making the record, and the fun part is playing it live. What’s your take on both of these processes?
They are two different animals completely. We are a live band without a doubt, and with no touring happening the live streams shows are the way to play for people right now. They are much more nerve racking then driving to a town playing a show and then going on to the next town. That is what we love, playing for people. That’s kind of our reward, ya know? Now the studio and recording are something that you learn from album to album. The recording process, especially for myself, is emotionally exhausting. When you bring an outsider in and show him your songs and they are there to help and make them better, sometimes it feels just the opposite. Sometimes it’s as if they are ripping your babies apart and getting away from the original idea of where the song came from. Dealing with that is exhausting. In the end though, it’s all for the greater good of the song, which is what it’s all about.
10. Finally, what do you and other members of your band like to do for fun (hobbies etc.) when you’re not in “Rock Band” mode?
For us, we are always in “Rock Band” mode. We are one of the few bands that come from the old school rock mentality. We live, breathe, eat and sleep it. We pretty much live together on and off touring. We live together when we are making records. We are all outdoors men so to speak. We love hitting the creek to crawdad, hike and swim. We are big fans of taking the boats out on the lake and being in the sun. We do all these things with acoustic guitars in hand of course. We don’t really do much where we can’t still sit down and play if we want.
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