Moana In The Allure Interview

In The Allure

Moana, the creative project of artist Moana Mayatrix, once described by Triple J's Gemma Pike as one of Australia's fiercest front women has released the debut album In The Allure via Mysteria Maxima Music.

Since the group's inception in 2013, countless words have been written about the avant garde art rock outfit, all edging around the idea that there is something otherworldly, verging on genuinely dangerous, about this act.

Combining the shamanic stream-of-consciousness poetry of peak- era Patti Smith with psychedelic melodies, heavy guitar licks, and propulsive rhythms, Moana doesn't so much craft songs as pagan prayers set to the heartbeat of the world.

In The Allure featured FOUR incredible singles all with their own unique and captivating music videos. Check out first single Dracula, the haunting Sister Winter the exotic Scarab and the mystical, explosive and downright sexy, The Cultess

Moana transgresses the boundaries of form and genre, incorporating experimental art, theatre, spoken word performance, poetry, costuming, and more in a cross- media syncresis that engages all the senses physical and beyond, in a kind of ecstatic reverie. A singular approach to music and art has gathered to them a fiercely loyal tribe of fans, who have engaged with the project to successfully crowdfund not only their sophomore EP, but part of their upcoming debut album.

A regular and welcome fixture on the local live scene in their native Perth, Australia, Moana have played stellar local festival slots including RTRFM's In the Pines, State of the Art Festival, Dali Land 2019, Beaufort Street Festival, Norfolk Lanes Youth Festival, Rottofest and have supported the likes of Tim Rogers, Abbe May, and Ocean Alley. Their recorded works have received rave reviews including a slot in "Top 20 Albums of 2014" from X- Press Magazine and their music video The Killer, My Girl was a finalist in "Best Music Video" for the 2014 WAM Awards, while Vader was a Best Music Video finalist at the 2016 WA Screen Awards.

Interview with Moana

Question: Can you tell us about 'In The Allure' ?

Moana: In The Allure I went like a dream. Following mystery downstream. Off the edge of the world I fell, transfixed in some kind of spell. They fed on my love but I offered by blood. Willingly. In The Allure is full of mystery, mythic creatures, lovers and monsters, pagan poetry, trances and dream-states, inner turmoil and frustrations through the metamorphosis of the growing pains of existence, or the threat of the insect invasion of humanity onto itself in this time of earthly chaos. The Allure is met by the Goddess, divine feminine sensuality and warrior energy. It's a powerful sound, powerful in it's strength and in its fragility. You could say it's an 'art-rock' album, there's some bangers and some more experimental stuff too.


Question: How would you describe your music?

Moana: Heavy, experimental, psychedelic, witchy, ethereal, trance, art-rock. How's that for a mouthful?


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Moana: They are such different modes and I love them both! If I had to choose I'd say performing live though. I love the unpredictability of performing live. You're walking a tightrope of chaos and order and that's exciting. In every performance you are truly living in the moment and you will never capture that same moment again. I enjoy feeding off the audience, to take in the energy. I never really know what creature may come forth in that performance trance and that's thrilling. Sometimes it's wild and raw, sometimes it's soft and more vulnerable. Feeling through the spirit realm to intuit those energies is something magical. Not to mention the fun of costumes, of embodying the music with your body, the theatre and story-telling of it all. It's one of the purest ways I've experienced truly being 'in the moment' of life.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Moana: At the moment, E LIX A. I love it's different moods from the angelic beginning to the dirty and weird electronic dance beat to the grimy and sultry verses to the explosive choruses and the manic vocal ending.. There's something primal and wild about the guitar sound I got for it and it feels powerful to play it in contrast to the high and seductive kind of vocals. it's a lot of fun on all levels.


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend your show, who would it be?

Moana: The Dead Weather gang.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Moana: I have this compulsive energy to create. Give birth to it, explore it, finish it and do it full-power to the best of my ability. I'd say the motivation is to create art, to express a feeling/emotion/story, to play as a child would without worry about the end-result, to be liberated through the process, to touch the deepest part of myself and to reach that state of satisfaction to compete something the best I could.


Question: What music/artists are you currently listening to?

Moana: My music taste is very varied and often changes. Lately I've been enjoying a lot of old school hip-hop. De La Soul, The Roots, 2pac, Frankenstein, Tricky (I just finished performing in a hip-hop based theatre show, hence why). Also I've been loving tuning into ABC Classic FM. They have a programme that is strictly movie and video game soundtracks. It's epic.

Question: What or who was your inspiration to get into the music industry?

Moana: I don't think I consciously made a decision to go there, it just intuitively flowed that way through each step. First it was writing my own songs, then gigging, then forming a band, gigging more, writing more, recording, releasing stuff, making videos and each time it just levelled up and up until here I am with a first album. I just love making music and art and I'm very driven to make shit happen, so here we are. But if I could contribute it to any person I would say my mother - she is a musician and she was gigging when I was growing up, which inspired me a lot.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist who would it be?

Moana: Nick Cave.


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Moana: The other creatives I've got to meet, make friends with and collaborate with. To feel such a beautiful sense of community around me and what I do is an overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude, plus the creative zing of working with others to bring a vision to life. In the same way, the "fans" I've got to meet - especially young women - who feel inspired to express themselves and unleash their wild woman more often after seeing me do my thing, that's very humbling.


Question: Can you share your socials?

Moana: www.facebook.com/moanamusic
Instagram @moanamuseic
Twitter @moanamuseic

Interview by Brooke Hunter