Can you tell us a bit about your early life and how you first got into music? What drew you to it initially?
I grew up in a tiny town in Wisconsin called Prairie Farm. Despite the fact there wasn’t much opportunity for pursuing music in such a small town, I always found myself drawn to punk rock and hip hop music. I was a huge Green Day fan when I was a kid and then as I got older, I found the Twin Cities hip hop scene with Rhymesayers-Atmosphere and Eyedea, Aesop Rock, etc. I happened to find those guys in my teens, which inspired me to start kicking around the idea of writing my own songs. I would write songs with my high school best friend and we would send lyrics back and forth. That’s about as far as we got, but once I got into my mid 20s, I finally got the courage to start recording my own songs and sharing them with the world. I had no idea what I was doing, had no equipment to use to record other than two external plug-in speakers, and a shitty laptop. But I would hit the record button on my laptop and try and make it through songs on one take, as I had no editing equipment. Those early songs and that early style of recording were pretty awful, but my friends told me they sounded good and they laid the foundation for an entire career in music.
What inspired you to choose the name “Bleed Moxie”? Is there a special meaning behind it?
When I first make music that I shared with my friends (that shitty music I referenced above), I needed a stage name. People used to tell me I had some moxie to my personality, so I chose that as my alias. That name stayed with me through the growth of my career, until 2015, when I put out my last solo album. From there I put out music as part of a different project and a few living room recorded projects under the MJ FLAWS name during the pandemic. Once I decided to actually put out another true studio album, I realized the Moxie character no longer fit who I am at this point in my life or the music that I was trying to make. It was like that part of me had bled out over the years as I’ve gotten older. So I came up with the bleed moxie character, an acknowledgement of the fact that I’ve grown older and the Moxie character is not as big a part of who I am, yet parts of that youthful part of my being are still there in some ways. bleed moxie is an acknowledgement and appreciation of my younger past melded with my current being.
How did your upbringing influence your musical style and the themes you explore in your songs?
I write songs that tell stories about my life, the world around me, and things that I’ve both experienced and seen. I earned the label of “emo rapper” well before that became its own subgenre of hip hop. I’ve always written songs that tend to be a little on the sadder side, it’s the inner emo kid in me that usually comes through in my music. I’ve had challenging situations to deal with in life that have knocked me down, just like everyone else. I’ve had wonderful relationships that have failed, I’ve had experiences with people that have made me who I am, and I’ve been through and seen some of the most hurt and pain that life can throw at a person. I’ve also lived an incredible life with the best humans ever who are on the journey with me and those people and those experiences are something I value very much and are central to who I am. And I’m always observing the world, the people, the interactions and relationships, of those around me. I take in a lot of info from the world around me at all times. I write about all of that and because those themes are so central to the human experience, my music resonates with people.
Was there a specific moment or turning point in your career when you realized that music was your true calling?
My whole goal when I started actually sharing my songs with people way back in 2009 was to burn my songs onto a CD and listen to them in my car and play them for my friends. That was the ultimate goal. Once I was able to do that, and people started to give positive feedback to the songs I had made in my basement, I wanted more. I realized I could make some moves in this industry. Once I started playing shows, I knew music was always going to be a part of my life. Writing music and sharing that with others means being incredibly vulnerable and as scary as that can be, I enjoy pushing myself into those spaces.
Can you share a memorable experience or a challenge you faced during your early days in the music industry?
Like most artists, I’ve played a million shows with nobody in the crowd except for the other artists on the bill. Anybody who has put their time and effort into making music and putting together a show and then has zero people show up recognizes how disappointing it can be. I think most of us make a mental note of those disappointments and use them as motivation to continue on- or it shuts us down completely and we never try again. I’ve been there and done that with some of the most talented musicians I’ve ever seen, but those early days of playing shows to tiny crowds wasn’t something that was going to stop me from pushing forward. It’s hard to build momentum and get people to follow and support independent, local music. So while the dream is to always grow and reach as many people as possible with my music, I learned quickly to define what matters to me in terms of “success” and stick to that– I don’t need world tours or sold out arenas. Give me a decent crowd of 100 people who truly enjoy my music and a fun little venue with some cold beers and I’ll be a super happy musician forever.
What inspired you to create “Women’s Society”? Is there a particular story or moment that sparked the idea for the album?
women’s society really came together as a concept as I got into the writing process and had a few songs in development. I wasn’t expecting to write an album at all, ever again. But I heard a new beat from my friend DJ Hayes that sparked a little creativity so I wrote that song, which turned out to be “i know who i ain’t”. From there, the energy of writing again took over and the album started to form and like many of my records, one of the central themes that emerged was the beauty and power and influence of women in my life– from successful relationships like the one I have now with my girlfriend to failed relationships to the influence of my Mom and sisters and a whole lot more, I just felt that theme very strongly. So I wrote the song ‘women’s society’ and it felt like it all came together, an ode to the women who are a major part of my life or have been a major part of my life in some way.
What are the central themes of “Women’s Society”? What message do you hope to convey to your listeners through this album?
There are my themes on this album. This album is a reflection on times long gone, it’s a peek into the future and the fears and anxieties that come with that once you turn 40. It’s a reminder of our mortality, it’s a motivation to want to soak up as many experiences with the people I love the most before I’m out of time. It’s an apology letter, it’s a love note, it’s a diary of a man who feels like there’s so much left to do but such little time with which to do it.
Are there any particular tracks on the album that you feel especially connected to?
I really connect with let me say my hellos, simply because that track is a reintroduction to the listeners after so many years away. women’s society is my favorite track on the album, i’m a little bit is pure exploration of the dichotomies of my being. Kate Fern kills it on bad at (this) love, and we ain’t got too much left is as raw and vulnerable as I can be. It’s hard to pick just one.
What was the most challenging aspect of producing this album, and how did you overcome it?
Patience. I very much obsess about things once I dive into them and creating an album brings that out to the max. I get excited, I want to share it with people immediately, and the patience to let the process play out to create the best absolute album possible is not my strong suit. I give all the credit to Hayden Hallatt, the producer of this album and co-collaborator, he’s the one who helped me be patient with the understanding that this album had the potential to be one of the best to come out of Colorado this year, regardless of genre. He was right, I think we got there.
Looking back on your journey so far, what’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in your career?
Decide who you are and who you want to be and stay true to that forever.
How do you see your music and career evolving in the next few years? What goals do you have for the future?
Right now, I want to take some time to enjoy this album. I spent 10 months creating this record, it was so much work and time and energy and money, it’s time to relax and let it have its moment. I’ll play some shows (album release show on 7.25 in Denver at HQ!) but mostly, I want to enjoy this. If the last song everyone ever hears from me is “we aint got too much left”, the last song on this album, I’ll be fine with that. I’ve said all I need to say for now.
