Liela Moss (The Duke Spirit) "My Name Is Safe In Your Mouth

Liela Moss the voice of The Duke Spirit

Interview conducted on February 15, 2019

by Daniel Locke

Liela Moss

“The act of making this record has felt truly exotic for me by way of its minimalism,” says Liela Moss of her debut solo album. My Name Is Safe in Your Mouth more than lives up to Moss’s promise of fresh, bold adventure.

Sonically spare yet sumptuous in its emotions, elemental power and expansive melodies, My Name Is Safe in Your Mouth is a richly felt, vividly-realized trip into the interior from the Duke Spirit singer. A serene-to-stormy series of deep dream-pop meditations on devotion and selfhood, creativity and parenthood, it treats unknown territory not as something to fear but as a seed-bed of possibility.

As Liela puts it, “I was in my own modest studio, surrounded by deep rural Somerset, and building the album bit by bit over a year with just my producer and partner Toby Butler – with whom I co-wrote all the music. We worked to our own schedule and across all seasons. Staring out of the window singing, I would watch the changing natural phenomena around me and sing to the forms outside. My window-view outside was like an umbilical cord; I was receiving little messages from the nature beyond and the songs were growing inside the studio, transmitting back.”

That poetic exchange between exteriors and interiors assumes first focus on “Memories and Faces”, an exploration of devotion where Moss likens herself to an animal, a storm and a river over the spacious backing of a reverberant piano; throughout, every arrangement is impeccably, sensitively judged to give Moss’s lyrics maximum breathing room. Set to images of storms and mountains, the percussive “Subequal” maintains the intensity for a moody reverie on emotional rescue and resilience, the warm elasticity of Moss’s voice more than a match for its introspective verses and ecstatic, soaring refrain.

Multi-tracked voices and mellifluous synths create cushioning backdrops for “Into the Flesh”, an almost Kate Bush-like lullaby for someone (a child?) or something (a song?) coaxed into being; Moss’s emphasis on the word “softly” speaks quiet volumes about how these songs are nurtured into life. Meanwhile, “Above You, Around You” meditates on selfhood while all around is in flux, exploring, as Moss puts it, “What it could be to nurture, change and grow, and not be afraid of the unknown, but make friends with it.”

Unrated Dan: You were raised in London England. Tell me about your upbringing.

Lisa Moss: I remember feeling pretty anxious a lot of the time when I was really young.My teenage years were way more fun, as my school friends and life just got more interesting and funnier.

My mum brought me up on her own and worked full time as a school teacher. I did visit my Dad fairly regularly for a while, then we had a weird break in contact. Sometimes things felt fraught. I traveled across London regularly to visit my Dad in Hackney (an area that is now mostly regenerated and kinda fashionable. In the mid 80's it was grubby, a bit of a shit hole but I found it fascinating and intense to be there).

Music was always a positive force - it soundtracked happier times like singing around a piano with my aunts and uncles at Christmas or singing along loudly in the car on a long journey. It helped me develop a lasting friendship with my step-brother and step-mum too, it was the 'way in' to something good, something promising when the background scenario was not so harmonious.  We bonded over tunes on pub jukeboxes, selecting tracks and asking for them to get turned up; really just a device my Dad was enjoying to keep me occupied whilst he could sink of few more beers on the sly.

How did you discover music?

My mum was a music teacher; so she played piano in our first house and I went to see

Liela Moss (credit: Dan Locke)

the musicals she put on at her work. We sang around the house and in the car, all the time. She was great at encouraging me to embrace all genres and styles of music when I was really very young - buying me the 7" singles that I seemed to like from watching Top Of The Pops (!) but also getting me to listen to weirder modern classical composers. All sorts of shit, and always presented to me with equal enthusiasm and value. My mum bought be 'Pass The Duchie' on 7" single when I was bout 5, then Thriller a year or so later.

How do you define your music?

Ooh. Kind of Electroblankety Mantragrunge

What bands did you listen to growing up?

From about 7 years old it was Michael Jackson and Queen non-stop, until I was given a Motown Classics Boxset on cassette. I learned every single word of that collection, adored it. Neneh Cherry's 'Raw Like Sushi' made a massive dent in my ears, I got so into her delivery and phrasing and must have understood something was different with her attitude compared to the 80s schlock pop that was pouring out of the radio. I thought she was, and still is, massively cool and smart.

From about 13 - I got into indie radio and understanding some 60's and 70's icons from a pub jukebox. I liked the guitar drones. I liked the character voices. Howling Wolf, Nina Simone, Sly Stone then obviously Beatles Stones but The Velvet Underground, too, JAMC, The Pixies, Nirvana, Hole, Dinosaur Jr. A British band called The Wonder Stuff - via them I got into The Ramones then The Clash and a side step into Jane's Addiction. Then Brit Pop happened and I found so much of it annoying I was glad to fall in love with Bjork, and have The Beastie's Ill Communication to hang on to. Supergrass were great tho. When I was 19 Spiritualized put out 'Ladies and Gentleman', which was a watershed moment for me.

Being in London did you get a chance to see any big-name bands in small clubs?

I saw Primal Scream in a tiny club in the daytime, they were filming something for Japan or something like that. It was fabulous. Bjork, I saw a lot, she played a theatre in '97 that I guess was small compared to the stratospheric success she had shortly after that year.

Do you remember the first time you performed?

Yep, I sat down on a stool and sung in a bar, and was so nervous I couldn't think straight.

Liela Moss (credit: Dan Locke)

But whilst actually singing along with the guitars, it dawned on me that when you do something you enjoy you can do it with a kind of automatic flow. It was a weird dialogue I must have been having with myself, with very obsessive thoughts. But I liked it. Then the second show we did was at a cool little club that is still going now, Heavenly Social in west London. A basement club, that was sufficiently cool that you'd drive yourself nuts worrying about how good you were going to be. Again though, the experience of hearing the words of the song emanating across a room so loudly and reaching out into the distant corners of the room was so strange and satisfying that the nerves fell away.

How did you start The Duke Spirit?

Sharing a flat with my first lovely fella, he encouraged me to sing. We hauled in other friends to accompany us. Moved flats a couple of times, invited new collaborators. Started with acoustic guitars, gradually got bored, plugged guitars in, got into a harder sound. Enjoyed it, got into the idea of having that gang, that tribe to rely on. Enjoyed feeling like a 'band' was a kind of tight family. Good times.

As far as I can tell your first show was Chicago’s Rilo Kiley at the Camden Assembly. How was it playing in clubs back then?

I'm not sure if we played with Rilo Riley? Maybe we did, shit I've no recollection. And maybe Camden's Barfly. High stage, felt quite powerful. Loud as fuck. Exhilarating.

What was Leapalooza?

Its Leopalooza - a fella called LEO runs it out of his village in Cornwall, in the South West Coastal area of England. Cute little festival. Feels like a secret little happening

I see over the years you have played with the Duke Spirit at a lot of big music fests.  The first one I saw which give the band its first big break was Coachella 2006.  Do you remember playing that fest and what are some of your favorite memories from that show?

It was exceptionally fucking fun! and difficult as Toby on bass had broken his elbow 3 days before. We thought we were going to have to ask 3 different friends who were on the road with us, including a tour manager, to learn a few songs each. Which would have been really hard and tricky to organize live? But in the end, Toby just upped the painkillers he was on and played the whole set. It was a united front and we loved it

What is different from music fests in the United States and Europe?

I don't see much that’s different. Except for Glastonbury which exists in a mystical and untouchable scene of its own that can never be replicated.

In 2009 your music” The Duke Spirit” was used for Guitar Hero video game.  How did it make you feel?

I thought it was a novelty, gimmicky kinda of thing but needed to earn the money and was more than happy to have a track on it. Never played it myself.

Liela Moss (credit: Dan Locke)

What is the difference between your solo recording and The Duke Spirit?

That's your job to listen and write about isn't it?

Tell me about your new album “My Name Is Safe In Your Mouth”?

It’s a thing of beauty that I am proud of. It has intensely spared delicate moments which I hope arrest the senses and weaves electronica with organic tones in a very groovy way. I like my record, it is evocative and makes me feel expansive

How did you come up with the title?

A meditation teacher once said that phrase I n relation to the notion of true respect - that if you keep someone's name safe in your mouth, you are acting respectfully and are genuine caring for the other human being.

Any plans to tour the United States? 

Not yet but I wish I could get out to the USA - I've got friends I want to catch up with and venues I want to see again!

You play Piano, harmonica, and Percussion.  Who is your favorite keyboard, harmonica player and percussion player? And why?

I love to listen to piano pieces by Phillip Glass. Erik Satie. I love how Thom Yorke plays the piano. Little Walter was the man on harmonica. I don't really know of many solo percussion players - but hold on, I watched a great drumming documentary recently and the percussionist who played on 'Inner City Blues' (goes to look)

...Here she is, Bobbye Jean Hall. I can't play congos or bongos at all, I should mention.

What brand harmonica and key do you play? 

HOHNER

How do you see yourself in five years? I love a bit of mystery

Anything in closing? That was a loooooong interview! Very thorough XO

Photo Gallery from a show in Chicago 2008

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