Meet The Mosers, the Latest Buzz Band from The Boardwalk
Words by Bill Romba
New Jersey might be best known for its beaches and boardwalks, but it should also be recognized for its bands. The Garden State has a great reputation for turning out incredible musical talent, and Asbury Park has played host to a great deal of those groups. This shore town, while small in size, has an enormous amount of meaning to locals, as well as those in the music business.
The Mosers is one such band, trying to become the latest Asbury Park group to knock the rock world on its ear. The group’s first single, “Cold Hearted Girl”, has been making the rounds, showcasing the same driving back-beat and roaring guitar licks that made bands like Soundgarden and Foo Fighters so popular. They recently released their debut EP, Ticonderoga, a few weeks ago, bringing back that 90’s-era grunge sound that defined a generation of music.
They might be flying under the radar now, but if their Jersey roots are any indication, The Mosers could be well on their way to rock stardom. We check in with Dave Ryan from the road, as The Mosers dig into their Let the Kids Riot Tour along with Night Riots and Young Rising Sons…
Are you all from the same part of New Jersey?
Dave Ryan: We’ve all been in the same scene for a long time, New Jersey has a tightly knit music scene and we have all known each other from different projects. Rick, Matt and I were in a band for about four years that broke up. We ended up running into each other at a show and decided to start it back up, and conveniently Mike’s band had just ended, so we asked him if he wanted to jam, and the rest is history as they say.
How did you come up with the name The Mosers?
DR: We were all really into the show Dexter (except for that awful finale) and one day at practice Mike mentioned how Dexter’s original name is Dexter Moser. So we named ourselves “The Mosers” after Dexter’s messed up serial killer family.
Would you say that your music represents the great Garden State? Or Asbury Park in particular? How so?
DR: I think it’s impossible to write music and not have it represent your home town in some fashion. We definitely draw a lot of influences from our surroundings.
Your love of rock and roll really comes through in “Cold Hearted Girl”. Who were some of your favorite bands growing up? Have any of those bands influenced the sound and style of The Mosers?
DR: We are all influenced by different bands but I think collectively we were all pretty inspired by the New Jersey punk scene growing up, that scene really is what sparked all of us to play music. I think as far as musical influences we really draw a lot from 90’s rock bands. We are all obsessed with that era in music.
Tell us about the Ticonderoga EP…can you share any highlights from the recording process?
DR: We basically spent a year shaping the sound of the band and trying to figure out who we are as a band. We spent probably 1,000 hours in the studio writing and demoing ideas until we felt like we had something that represented us. I think what we are most proud of; at least I know I am most proud that we produced the EP ourselves. There’s so many people behind the scenes in music today, but when you listen to “Ticonderoga” that’s truly us, which is a pretty cool thing.
Now that the Let the Kids Riot Tour has just kicked off, what can fans expect? Anything special planned for when you come home to Jersey to wrap up the tour?
DR: We are so lucky to be on tour with Night Riots and Young Rising Sons, every night we get to watch those guys kill it. Fans can expect an awesome rock show. All the bands hang out and meet everyone after the shows, so it’s a great vibe, everyone is really down to earth, and I think that’s the biggest thing fans leave with, everyone feels like they are a part of our family after the show. That’s always been the goal.
What’s next for The Mosers? Are there any plans for a debut album in the near future?
DR: There will be more music released, but nothing is concrete just yet. We are always writing.
The Mosers are currently touring with Young Rising Sons and Night Riots. Any local fans can catch them on their last stop on November 24th at Brighton Bar in Long Branch, New Jersey.
