10 Questions with…Joanna Mosca

12 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on 10 Questions with…Joanna Mosca

Joanna Mosca‘s recent country single ‘Where Does Good Love Go,’ a duet with Richie McDonald, received lots of country radio praise. It was reason enough to sit down with the friendly singer-songwriter for a quick Q&A.

1. How did the duet with Richie come about?
It was originally going to be a duet with Bryan White but at the last minute he wasn’t able to do it. He suggested Richie McDonald. After Richie listened to my stuff and the song, he really wanted to do it, and that’s how it came to be. Bryan wanted to stay involved in the project so he produced it and played drums on the track.

2. What was it like working with Bryan as a producer?
He is so down to earth, real and nice, and he is so unaffected. He had huge success and is now pursuing different directions as well like producing, but all the awards and celebrity didn’t affect him. He is just a gracious human being.

3. What is your favorite musical memory?
Touring with Martin Sexton. I did a 16-city tour with him earlier this year. He is John Mayer‘s idol. When Mayer was an up-and-coming guitartist he used to go see Martin. He is the best live performer I ever heard. Then I read a quote from Mayer saying the same thing! So when I opened for Sexton I was just like ‘Oh my God!’ When he plays guitar it sounds like he has 10 pieces with him. Plus, he sings falsetto, his voice is music. It’s not mainstream, he hasn’t had big radio hits, but he has a huge following. He sold out every venue we went to, up to 3000 seats. It was probably the best musical experience I’ve had.

4. Who were you earliest influences?
Patsy Cline. I grew up in West Hartford, CT. There was nobody listening to Patsy Cline there. She was already gone by that pint but my dad loved country music so that’s how it all began. He loved to sing but never pursued it himself. He introduced me to her music and it stayed with me. When I started thinking about doing this as a career, even though I’m an northern girl, my stuff always had a lot of country in it.

5. Given where you grew up, did you ever consider an easier career in folk or pop rather than country?
Well, you know, my stuff is a blend of pop, country and rock. We had quite a bit of success on AC radio with my first three singles. They made Top 10 on the FMQB Charts and it was exciting. Then we got some interest from people in Nashville and we decided to release the songs to country radio. The single ‘Keep on Going’ had also made the Top 30 in the Billboard Charts in AC music. Once I came down here [to Nashville] I realized I was comfortable here and if country radio liked my music, I was going to roll with that.

6. What do you think of Nashville so far?
I love Nashville! I started visiting her a few years back, writing, doing the publisher rounds, you know, the usual stuff. I like that people are courteous and respectful, and they treat you with kindness. And I like that they talk slow! *laughs* I am always going so fast so being here is relaxing.

7. You had a full career in administration. How did that help you in your music career?
I think it helped a lot. It helps with songwriting to have life experiences to draw from, and it helps with discipline. It’s also helped me to surround myself with the right people. It can be tricky in this business, and I can imagine if you’re 16 or 18 it’s very hard. There are a lot of people out there making big promises.

8. What is your songwriting process like?
I usually come up with a title or a hook and it starts from there. I have three or four people I work with regularly and sometimes I will bring them some half-finished lyrics. When I write, it’s usually something I’ve been through. I know there’s writers in this town with whom you can open a book, point to any word, and they can write a song around it. That’s not me, I have to feel it, it has to be something I went through. I think a lot of women relate to my lyrics because I mainly write from the female perspective.

9. With Christmas coming up, what is your favorite holiday tradition?
My favorite tradition is watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ with my kids. We started that quite a few years back, as soon as they were old enough to understand the movie. I make home-made cookies, we light the fire and then we watch the movie.

10. How can people connect with you and find out more about your music?
There’s my website www.joannamosca.com. I also have a facebook page and I use Twitter. I’m tweeting like a maniac! *laughs*

 

Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

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