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Kevin
Michael Moyles |
Biography
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“The Kevin Moyles Interview” I
recently had the privilege of sitting down with Kevin to chat about
his musical career and talk about his latest release “Until We
Meet Again”. - GG When did you realize you wanted to be a songwriter? “I was about five when I began singing along to Elvis songs from my dad's record collection. I used to stand on my bed gazing out the bedroom window, pretending there were crowds of people listening to me. I couldn't shake my hips like "The King" but I did do a mean upper lip and “I Need Your Love Tonight” imitation. I’d belt it out for everyone that would listen!” When did you get your first instrument? "I picked up my first guitar at the age of 12. A friend of mine had a Kaye Guitar with no case and never played it, so I convinced him to sell it to me. I believe I paid about $20.00 for it. It sat in my bedroom for a year after a couple of initial "guitar lessons". Then I heard about Bob Dylan and haven't looked back since." How did you get turned on to Dylan? “There was a very cute girl in my class named Pauline Cecere and somehow we got on the subject of music. I mentioned that I heard a great song on the radio that I think is called "Like A Rolling Stone", but that I don’t know who sings it. She tells me that it's Bob Dylan and loans me his groundbreaking "Highway 61 Revisited" album for a listen. So it’s thanks to Pauline that I discovered my passion.” Any other early influences? “On the rock/folk side The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Beatles, Moby Grape the list goes on… In the early years
unto forever my love of a song probably did and still does revolve
around the original Byrds sound. That is not to say that I didn’t
care for the later Byrds songs but find me a song that can beat the
likes of “Wild Mountain Thyme”, “Chimes of Freedom”,
“John Riley”, “Time Between”, Goin Back”…. I stop
because to continue I would only end up mentioning just about every
tune on every album. When The Byrds released one of their all
time classic albums titled “Sweetheart of the Rodeo”; I really
got “The Bug” and wore that album out. It’s also around
this time that I began to gain an much deeper appreciation for
country music through folks like George Jones, Merle Haggard, the
“Killer” Jerry Lee, and Conway Twitty.” Many aspiring artists have friends that they jam with that provide sources of inspiration. Were there people like that in your life? "My best friend at the time was a kid named Bill Benedict. His parents had just gotten him a Fender acoustic for Christmas and he was already starting to write songs. We always tried to have some level of competitiveness between us so it really put the pressure on me to come up with something original." When & where was your first gig. “My first live performance was when I was 15 years old, with a band called “Beethoven’s Dream Group”. There was a place called the “Tryst” which was a sort of a “coffee house for the younger crowd, in Batavia, New York. Lead guitarist, Paul Tyedelski, asked if I would help sing background on a song by a Canadian band known as the Paupers entitled "You and Me". Having no stage expertise whatsoever and not really sure what my vocal parts actually were, I was doubtful of my ability. But I also loved the experience and how I felt connected with the audience. I knew right then that’s what I wanted to do with my life.” When did you write
your first song and what was it about?
“I was 17, when
I wrote my first song. It was a "Neil Young" type
song titled "Fallin'". There's something about me, girls
and rain and this song covered it all.” I know you've
played thousands of gigs over the years. Can you tell me
about some of your bands and give the reader some insights about
your performance career?. "My first real band was called “Burlington Fields” in my hometown of Batavia, New York. The band influences were mostly the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Cream and believe it or not, John Sebastian and Moby Grape. Living in my hometown was always a fun time. There were a lot of great people and a lot of great musicians namely Bill McDonald, Bobbie Delson, the Catino Brothers, Brian Graziaplena, Paul Tydelski, Steve Holnbeck and Steve Huff, Mike Murray and the Houseknect Brothers-from Corfu, NY just to name a few from this wonderful place. Later I started
“Diamond Reo” which was my first band that actually performed
originals. We did a lot of Springfield, Byrds, CSNY along with our
own tunes. The band was basically Steve Holnbeck and myself on
vocals and guitar, Brian Graz on lead guitar and background vocals,
and Jeff Houseknect on drums and vocals. I don’t remember who
played bass or maybe we were like TJ and the Shondels- just didn’t
have one. But there came a
time when my singer-songwriter buddy Steve Holnbeck and I took a
vacation trip to Loveland Colorado, spent about 10 days. I
fell in love with the place and became hooked. Steve was heading off
to school, and without him around I knew that things probably
wouldn’t be as musically fruitful as they had been for the last
three years. So I decided to head out for the Mountain State
and ended up living there for five joyous years. There I thought I
would have ample opportunity to perform as much as I would like and
pretty much did. I had a couple of bands while living in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. One band was named “Eddy”, like the current. The other more successful band was called “Red Feather” after Red Feather Lakes. The core of both bands was John Pedley, a good friend from Chicago and myself. We did a lot rock & roll stuff along with some blues. Played all over the eastern slopes of Colorado and Wyoming. One funny story
comes to mind, however it wasn’t very funny at the time. The band
was playing at a great venue called the Mishauwaka Inn up the Poudre
Canyon. It was Saturday night and I had this huge fight with my
girlfriend that afternoon. She ended up punching a hole in my guitar
after telling me it had come between us one too many times. I
didn’t know how to tell John and the rest of the boys what
happened. As you can imagine the razzing I would have gotten. So I
made up this big story that I was hitch hiking to the gig after my
car stalled and these guys picked me and attempted to steal my
guitar. The guitar busted under severe impact. I confessed
about a week later! Then one day out
of the blue I got a call from one of Batavia’s best-Paul Tyedelski.
He asked me if I would be interested in joining a band called
“Sierra” with Bobby Delson on drums and guitarist/pedal steel/
banjo player Michael Murray. I was to be their new lead singer. I
went back to western New York, spent 3 weeks singing with the band.
They told me I “passed the audition” and I told them that’s
great but I’m not staying here, you’ll have to come to Colorado
if you want me. Well they did eventually move to Colorado and we
played and we sang, but it was short lived. While everyone from my
vantage point was enjoying life in Colorado, Paul Tydelski received
a job offer to move to San Diego to work at UCSD in the Mandeville
Studios and though reluctantly, eventually most of us followed.
After moving to
the San Diego area I was determined to make it in the music biz and
was very active in the local scene. One particular band I
started along with Tom Quinn was called “The Procrastinators” we
basically did Petty, Beatles, Stones, Eagles, Bryan Adams, John
Mellencamp, Dire Strait, Plymsouls… After that I put together
“Who Cares” which won best Rock & Roll band in San Diego
County in 1988! The music was typically the same type of Rock
& Roll as the ”Nators”. One interesting tidbit was the night
that Eddie Van Halen sat in with the band at the Del Mar Café. The
guy is certainly incredible. Right after “Who
Cares” won the best band award, I once again changed directions
and went back to my roots. I started a country-folk-rock band
named “Ruthless” with my buddy/guitarist Michael Murray. We
played and performed for the next 4 to 5 years all over Southern
California. We created a flexible rhythm section made up of
local artists that we would pull in for a particular gig’s
requirements. In my music
escapades I jammed with and befriended some of the best live and
session players in Southern Cal. Many of which told me they
loved the “originals and suggested that I should record an album.
So, after years of doing covers, some originals and friend’s
stuff, I decided it was time to get into the studio and fulfill a
dream…the result of which is the new CD. " Tell me about “Until We Meet Again” “There are
people in my musical and personal life who have seen me at my best
and sometimes at my worst. Most of them are involved in this
project one way or another. This project has
been a dream come true. One that any musician, or
singer-songwriter would love to see come to fruition. It has been a
vision I have carried in my heart for such a long, long time. To do a
project like this with the caliber of musicians in the studio and
the professionalism on the other side of the glass was unbelievable.
The finished mixes went way beyond what I was hoping for…the CD
speaks for itself!” Who are your co-writers? "Steve
Holnbeck, well let’s see!! Deans list in junior college; Deans
list at MSU (Montana State University) he needed a guy like me
around to prove that he is a regular guy. Seriously, Steve
could/does give Steve Stills a run for his money vocally and on
guitar technically. He was never afraid to try and conquer the
latest guitar lick that Stills might be coming up with.
We’ve written so many songs, sang so many songs, drank too many
beers, (never) laughed about something, sometimes about nothin’
yet I can call him after all this time and although it may have been
a while we never seem to miss a beat. Steve Huff, let me
just spill it all. Long before we ever ventured into song
collaboration, Steve showed me and taught me what it meant to not
only sing from the heart, but write from the heart. My love for
music continues because of the Steve Huff’s and Steve Holnbeck’s
in the world. Thomas Michael
Quinn III (The PantomQ) the author of “Hold On” is a long time
friend and confidant. Tom is also one of San Diego’s premiere
guitarists both electrically and acoustically. Tom has yet to expose
his more than capable ability at songwriting. But hopefully through
time we will pull more of those gems out of him. Bill McDonald is a
guy who I believe is the epitome of the “blue collar” musician.
From what I understand he is just as enthusiastic about his music
now as he was when I first heard him years ago. In my humble
opinion, he is one of the best songwriters ever to come out of
Western New York. Al Robinson,
singer-songwriter, excellent guitarist and dear friend. Al has
played in different parts of the world and no matter where he may be
performing, you get the same great musician night after night. Al is
another guy who needs to get his songs out to the masses. He’s a
wonderful human being. Gregory Michael
Houseknect (Gridder), another singer-songwriter, guitarist from my
hometown. I didn’t know Gridder back in Batavia-we met out here on
the left coast. He is a good friend and a constant source for new
ideas. He is an excellent guitar player and harmonica player as
well. We have played together off and on for long, long time. The
Gridder just keeps on going." Who the heck is the “The Vitamin T Choir”? “The background
singers I was fortunate enough to procure for this very special
project have a long and illustrious career of doing what they do
best. In my heart I have no doubt that there is no one who could do
what “Vitamin T” was able to accomplish each and every night in
the studio. The way they were able to consume that what was put in
front of them and yet somehow still achieve such awesome
performances is beyond me.” What are you doing now? "I’ve put
together a band that’s made up of the nucleus of the recording
sessions folks. We’re hard at work rehearsing our live show
and putting together a tour to support the CD. It’s really great
to work with such a great group of talented and positive
individuals. I can’t wait to get out and spread the word." Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I’m sure I’m not the only one who can’t wait for the next CD and chance to see your show. “You’re quite welcome and we look forward to seeing you and the readers out there in the smiling sea of faces!”
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