THE ART OF
ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Mission Makers are joined this week for the season finale by the duo behind the critically acclaimed electronic band Bob Moses, Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance. The pair sat down to discuss the meaning behind their names, the cathartic qualities of songwriting, and the misconceptions people have about success. Tom and Jimmy also go on to share how their perspectives on life have changed in the last 18 months and what they envisage music will look like post-pandemic.

 

It's early and the sun has barely had the chance to rise when Mission Makers finally sits down to speak to both Tom and Jimmy who are bunkered down in L.A. Knowing that perhaps they’ve yet to have their morning coffee, we kick off the interview explaining to them the meaning behind their names, an exploration that has become somewhat of a recurring theme for us this season. We have found that this fills our guests with heaps of energy, whether due to bemusement or shock. Thankfully this time was no different. Somewhat taken aback by the question, the pair can’t help but begin reflecting upon how their names may have gone on to shape the people they are today. The irony in all this is that many people will know the pair simply as Bob Moses, a name which unsurprisingly also has its own unique origins and encapsulates what Tom and Jimmy mean very well.

 

Incidentally the conversation quickly turns towards the subject of how the pair got their start. Despite both being Canadian and attending the same high school, it wasn’t until a serendipitous encounter in Brooklyn, New York, where the duo came together to create music. Some may put their subsequent success down to this chance meeting but not Jimmy because as he explains, “whatever it was we wanted to do, I feel like we would have found a way to figure it out.” Figuring it out is an understatement. Since coming together in 2012 the pair has released 9 studio albums, headlined at a number of festivals around the world, won a grammy and collaborated with some of the best artists in the electronic music scene.

 

Not that this success has made writing music any easier. As the pair are keen to point out, the difficulty in being creative starts every time you try to produce a new song, “for every song that gets released we have written 10 that never see the light of day,” Tom says. Now this would dishearten many creatives, but not the pair who see the process of songwriting as a way of better understanding the world around them.

 

It is a good job that this is the case, because never before has the world and the events that surround it needed to be explained. The last year and a half have decimated the music scene but unsurprisingly for such creative minds, the pair have been able to adapt using this time as an opportunity to release an album and a feature length concert film, titled Falling Into Focus. Ironically it is on the topic of focus where our interview ends. Both Tom and Jimmy’s life has seemingly changed since the start of the pandemic and whilst they now have a different perspective on life, they are not losing focus on their true love, which is to continue to connect with people through music.

 

The full interview with Bob Moses can be found on the video below and on Spotify and iTunes. 

 

Be sure to like and subscribe to the Mission Makers podcast to never miss an episode.