Some people are just born to rock, and the young lady known as Moscow is living proof. Of Russian descent, the vocalist, once known as Elizaveta Tursunova, has spent much of her life following her musical dreams. Coming from a well-to-do background, rather than follow the trend, Moscow fled the Pop music dominated circle of her homeland out to seeking her own way. Now ready to take the next big step in her career, Moscow recently dropped her electrifying Hard Rock single “Queen of Sin” back in January with her eyes set on bigger plans. Recently we caught up with the aspiring musician to talk her passion for music, her life experiences, future plans, and much more.
CrypticRock.com – As a young musician, first tell us, what inspired you to want to pursue a career in Rock-n-Roll?
Moscow – I was raised in a very different circle. A young girl with a good education surrounded by wealthy boys, but I knew there was something missing. At the age of 15, I accidentally ended up at a space where Rock bands rehearsed. That’s where I knew I found the place where I belong. Step by step, I started learning the culture of Rock music and the Rock scene. The freedom, the attitude, the sex, drugs, and Rock-n-Roll. Reading about Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin, I knew I was gonna be there one day. I knew I was gonna be one of them. While all the girls wanted to be Pamela Anderson, I wanted to be Tommy Lee.
CrypticRock.com – Very interesting. Well sometimes we just have a calling to do something, and there is no denying it. You have lived in various cities around the world ranging from London, to Paris, to New York, and Los Angeles. Would you say these experiences help shape your view on music as well as life perspective?
Moscow – I would say every set I took, every decision I made, shaped who I am today. My music priorities always change, but at the same time, I always stay faithful to the roots of Rock. From Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters to Slade and New York Dolls, from Mötley Crüe to Red Hot Chili Peppers, I know the history of music and the history of Rock, and you’ll find full discographies of each of those bands in my playlist. My hunger for new music is never satisfied.
CrypticRock.com – It sounds like you are very well-versed in music. Your sound could be described as heavy Rock-n-Roll, with a strong sense of melody. That said, your vocals are very diverse, ranging from powerful singing to a heavier scream. When did you discover you had a talent for singing, and how have you developed your voice?
Moscow – I’ve been singing since early childhood. If I like a song, I’ll drive everyone crazy singing it 24/7. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – a 2002 Dreamworks cartoon – has a soundtrack recorded by Brian Adams, and my God, have I watched it over a million times, always mimicking the songs. It’s still one of my favorite movies to this day. Growls and screams were something new to me. After meeting and becoming friends with bands like Asking Alexandria and Falling In Reverse, I couldn’t live with the thought that someone could do something I could not. You see, I’m very competitive, so I just tried to produce the same sound, and apparently I’m good at it. So, watch out for some new collaborations to come.
CrypticRock.com – Very cool. In early 2017, you released the music video for “Queen of Sin.” What was the inspiration behind the song and music video?
Moscow – “Queen of Sin” is sort of my greeting song to the world to meet Moscow. But behind all that, the original meaning is that you are your own god and your own devil, there’s no higher power to be afraid when making your life decisions. Listen to yourself, at the end of the day, that is all that matters.
CrypticRock.com – That is a good message to follow. Now that the video is out and getting exposure, what can people expect next from you musically?
Moscow – Our first EP is dropping soon! Stay tuned for that! We also have some more surprises in our pocket for you. I promise, I’m not going anywhere.
CrypticRock.com – That will be something to look forward to. The Rock scene is certainly saturated with so many new acts nowadays. As an artist making your way, do you find it a challenge to rise above all the noise, and how do you approach the task?
Moscow – Honestly, I don’t care how cynical I sound, the competition is not as big as people say. You see, I believe to succeed, you need a combination of many things – the look, work ethic, good material, charisma, connections, a good team, a message, etc. Take one thing out and your chances drop. I’ve been in Los Angeles for over 3 years, and I can count on my fingers the number of acts who have all of it together – and all of them are now winning.
CrypticRock.com – Also, one needs to have a positive, confident attitude, which you seem to. It would be exciting to see you partake in some national touring. Could this be on the horizon soon?
Moscow – Of course! Touring, writing new material, recording – that’s the vicious circle that I’m in from now on. I absolutely love it.
CrypticRock.com – Well it seems like a lot of good things are on the horizon. What would be your dream touring bill to be a part of, given the chance?
Moscow – I have a whole ‘to do list’ when it comes to collaborating with other artists, whether it’s touring together, doing a feature, etc. If I could go back in time, my dream tour would be Mötley Crüe of the Shout At The Devil era. That’d be one hell of a ride. If we speak of Contemporary artists – Papa Roach, Asking Alexandria, and Fall Out Boy.
CrypticRock.com – The Shout At The Devil era of Mötley Crüe is arguably the best of their lengthy career. You seem to really love Rock-n-Roll, as we have been speaking about. That said, what are your personal musical influences?
Moscow – Oh, my life is music. I have a tattoo of my wedding ring that represents the fact that I’m married to music. Of course Rock will always be my priority. Slade, Buddy Holly, New York Dolls, KISS, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Led Zeppelin, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, you name it. My musical taste is pretty wide-ranged. Disney? Yes. Hercules (1997) and The Lion King (1994) are some of my favorites. I also love musical theatre. Every time I’m in New York, Broadway is a must. Eminem and Yelawolf are always in my iTunes too. Of course, Michael Jackson left a huge imprint on my soul.
CrypticRock.com – What a fantastic and diverse mix of influences. My last question for you is pertaining to films. CrypticRock.com covers music and Horror/Sci-Fi films. If you are a fan of the genres, what are some of your favorites?
Moscow – Are Marvel movies considered to be Sci-Fi? If yes, I’m a huge nerd. I’m the one who’ll dig deep into the history of each character, pull up theories from physics books to see how accurate it was, etc. I mean I go crazy on those. Apart from Marvel, I love movies like The Matrix (1999), the ones that challenge you to think outside the box.
Out of the last ones I saw, the one that left me thinking (which is my main criteria to judge whether the movie was good or not) was The Belko Experiment. It was interesting to see how we go back to our primary instincts when in an emergency situation. Society became too tolerant, we’ve learned to cure diseases, save weak born children, we’ve tricked the natural selection. But alpha will always be alpha. By the way, Barry Norris should’ve won.
No comment