Kill Your Scene

It is highly likely that you haven’t heard of Moovalya from the United States, because the band has been around for just about three years and it is a typical independent DIY band. And they deserve some attention from people that like fast and melodic punk rock. So check out this interview and more importantly Moovalya’s music. Happy independence day, dear American friends!

When did you start this band and what’s the go with the name?

From about 1997-2001 Ben and I (Sean) had played in a band in high school and after parting ways, went on to start new bands of our own. Moovalya was formed on New Years Eve 2008-09’ in Laughlin, NV at the Tropicana hotel bar. I had convinced Ben to drive up to Laughlin from our hometown, Parker, AZ to come party and after a few drinks and reminiscing about old shows we had played, Ben decided he was going to move out to Phoenix and we’d start up a new band. (Lake) Moovalya is the name of the body of water in the small town we grew up in. We feel it has personal meaning to us, and that it would be cool to represent our hometown everywhere we went. Since it’s pronounced ‘move all ya’ it seemed like a perfect name.

 

How are you different from any other melodic punk rock band?

It would probably be that we definitely have our own sound. We always hear from fans that we sound like a mash up of several different bands but they can’t quite put their finger on exactly who. We had originally set out to do exactly this by playing what we like, and over time it has created our own sound.

 

What was your motivation to start the band?

We all grew up playing in bands. Motivation comes from playing great shows, the close family of friends we’ve made over the years, traveling, and writing new songs. It would be weird to not play in a band.

I’ve watched a Vans Warped Tour documentary just yesterday. And I saw that you played there last year and promoted the band this year. From what I saw from other bands, I guess this is a tough job.

 

How hard is it to promote Moovalya for you guys?

It can sometimes be difficult, but we always push on. Promotion is part of the job, especially being an independent band, so we don’t get down on ourselves. This year at Warped Tour, even though we weren’t playing, we were still out there in 110 degree weather, talking to tons of people, handing out free CDs, stickers, and shirts, and just having a good time.

 

You’ve released an album and some E.P. so far and a new record is due to be released. Tell us more about how it’s going with the record. How did the recording/production go and what can the audience expect?

Our 2012 Self-Titled record MOOVALYA is now complete and available through mail order and digitally online. We are really happy how this record turned out. We can tell that we’ve been maturing as artists over the years and this CD is by far our favorite. We worked with Larry Elyea from Mind’s Eye Digital here in Phoenix. We had to travel to record our last two releases so it was really cool being able to record so close to home. People can expect to hear a powerful new sound from us, and momentum that doesn’t quit.

 

What are your expectations for the band for, let’s say, the next 5 years?

We will continue to write music, release several more records, and have fun doing it. A US tour is definitely in our scope, and we have always dreamed about playing overseas, especially Australia!

 

Thinking about people saying that the Vans Warped Tour is a sell-out festival, what is your opinion on that?

We felt really lucky to be able to play Warped Tour. For smaller punk bands starting out, you can’t ask for a better gig. After saying that, I can’t say that I quite agree with some of the lineup these days, compared to what it used to be…

 

If you would rich and famous at some stage, is there anything in particular you dream of doing (as a band)?

Being able to tour year round would be perfect.

 

Being from the States and currently focusing on increasing your fan circle over there (I guess), how do you see the music scene (bands,
concerts, festivals, music industry in general) in Europe? Is it any different from the US?

We can’t speak from experience quite yet, however from what I’ve heard from other bands, the music scene in Europe is an entirely different animal, and much more alive. We try to get our music to people all over the world because we believe different countries will each perceive our music in different ways. To focus mainly on the US seems so minimal.

 

And of course we are interested in your opinion about the Australian (punk) music scene…do you know bands from here, apart from AC/DC?

Frenzal Rhomb is an awesome band! The Living End is really good too.

 

Could you imagine touring here?

Yes! I read great things about Australia’s music scene. Punk bands from the states are always touring over there. I was just reading about Cobra Skulls and Dead To Me doing a run of shows in Australia earlier this year.

 

What’s your favorite song from Moovalya and why?

“Fuct Up” is a great song. It’s about playing in a band, and how it seems like a horrible career choice, but how much fun we have doing it, our appreciation for the people that support us, and that we’ll keep doing it for as long as we can because we have nothing to lose.

 

What is “To The Throne” about?

This was a song written with personal meaning to Ben. To put it shortly, it is about conquering hardships in life. Perseverance in everything you do holds great importance, and you can never give up, no matter how hard you get hit.

“Take my money, take my home, take the one’s I love the most, standing naked and alone, I still fucking stand.”

 

Is there another band you would like to work with (producing a song together, go on tour together or so)?

That’s a tough one, there are so many good bands out there! To tour with any of the greats like NOFX, Strung Out, Lagwagon, or Rancid would be a dream come true. Aside from punk bands, Bloodhound Gang would be awesome to work with.

 

Can you please share a funny or embarrassing story that you’ve experienced as band (from a tour, show or rehearsals for example)?

We were filming our first music video at our house, and there was a scene where Mitch is dreaming about getting it on with a girl. We had the living room set up with a bed, curtains all around, dim lighting, candles, and a giant camera setup. We had ordered pizza earlier and right in the middle of the scene the pizza guy came over and totally thought we were shooting a porno. We had a pretty good laugh over that.

 

What’s your plan for the rest of the year?

We will be promoting the hell out of our record, hopefully get some good reviews and some more airplay. Our music video for “Fuct Up” is almost complete and we will be writing more music for our next record and getting back out on the road!

 

Is there any sub-genre of punk (or, if not, maybe rock in general) that you don’t like at all?

No, we’re not very close minded. We will pretty much listen to anything.

 

And finally: What message would you like to get out there to the people?

Thank you Kill Your Scene, and for those reading, listen to Moovalya. If you like what you hear, please share our music with a friend. We’re an independent band and in today’s music industry, the underground prevails. See you in the pit!

 

Moovalya is:

Ben – Guitar/Vocals
Sean – Bass/Vocals
Mitch – Drums

 

https://www.facebook.com/Moovalya