Mote is an American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic and edgy electronica flavoured post-pop sounds like his adopted home of Berlin: deep introspective lyrics meeting irresistibly gloomy melodies over flowing synthetic textures. A self-proclaimed introvert with a love of humanity, Mote takes nods from quintessential pop oddballs like Bjork and Cocteau Twins and is endlessly in pursuit of self-discovery. Originally from the musical mecca of Nashville, Tennessee, Mote grew up around many talented musicians, and he himself began writing songs and playing bands as young as seven years old.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Mote, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hi Kamil, Likewise, cheers. I have just always been mesmerised by it. It has been an obsession for me since I can remember. I started getting exposed to music by my parents, and then when I was a little older, around 10, I had a best friend who was also playing guitar and we started to play together.
What instruments can you play?
Well, I’ll start with the ones I feel comfortable playing onstage. Really I feel most like a bass player and a singer. That’s what I do when I play live. I also write music on guitar and piano/ keys. I love drums and want to learn to play more, because I program them for my work, and I am fascinated with grooves and patterns. I did play trumpet in middle school, I could make a sound still, but haven’t played in years.
Your latest song is 'Industrial Love'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Sure. It was a really fast song to write. For some unknown reason I had a lot of clarity about it from the beginning. I wanted to make an industrial punk song. Then I was watching a movie called “Symphonie Der Großstadt,” a German movie about rebuilding Berlin after the first war. It sent me down a path of thinking about how the world is put together, specifically by humans through history. I thought about how though I relish the idea of being an individual, everything you have to work with in life comes from constructs of the past. Then I thought about how things like love come to a person, and it seemed to me that they don’t have very much to do with it. There are so many forces at play. That’s basically where the song comes from.
When you are working through problems in your work, who do you talk to?
If I’m having a hard time in life in general, I’d talk to my girlfriend, or my family, or friends. Sometimes though these people don’t have answers to those kind of things. So say, I’ll like listen to a David Bowie interview, or Miles Davis or some great musician. It’s those heroes of mine that seem to have answers for
problems making art. It’s usually a broad concept too, like letting a bunch of ideas out and then judging them later. Miles taught me that there are no mistakes, they are opportunities. Listening to people’s own approach to life usually gets me through the stickier moments in creating the work.
How do you recall your childhood? How did it influence you as an artist?
Big time. In fact the name Mote comes from a nickname I had as a kid. I had an interesting dichotomy of a childhood. Lot’s of nice normal things, and then some bad illness personally, and some bad addictions around me. So I was no stranger to some real shit, but it made me super grateful for everything, and it led me to find a means of expression. For a long time I didn’t have a way to express myself in words. So music has always been my salvation. For real. It has given me my life, and I don’t think I would be here without it.
If you had not become involved in music, what profession would you have
chosen?
The way I am, I am drawn most to creative work. If I wasn’t a musician, then I would like to act, and make films. Movies are a big source of inspiration for me in my music anyway.
In your opinion, what mood do your songs set?
The new stuff is dramatic. These songs tell stories, so the have highs and lows, they have odd characters. They’re thought provoking. Hopefully they are fun to listen to, but they can be serious as well as playful. Like life.
What motivates you to grow and seek new challenges?
I always have been. I guess because I am trying to understand myself. I have learned a lot, but I think there is much more to know than I have uncovered so far. I honestly feel like a completely different person than I was even two years ago. Life opens up so much when you are open to it, and open to change.
Who is your favourite musician?
Probably too hard to answer. Since I moved to Berlin though, my most constant go to is Bowie. I would like to have a lifelong career like him and even at the end still be making my best work.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
I’d really like to grow as much as possible as an artist and person. I have a big dream of headlining Glastonbury. Playing all the big festivals really. I just love the way people are at festivals. The community, it’s so incredible what happens when people hang up their lives for a few days, or hours even, and go harmonize with their neighbours. We are all sort of at our best in those moments. I intend to travel the world making this rock n roll for my whole life. Anything else that happens is a bonus. I know it’s a tall order, but I’m following my heart, and believe in this work with everything I got.