Perhaps best known for his work in renowned indie act Bowerbirds, Phil Moore’s solo side recording project Tuskha, along with the material comprising his self-titled solo debut as Tushka can trace its origins to humble origins — during the middle of a year of relentless year of touring with a different project, in a van and through headphones. And initially Moore began crafting songs without ever releasing them; in fact, the plan was to record songs with the a sense of invention and experimentation — without considering what the music should or shouldn’t be and just to see wherever the music take shape. As Phil Moore explains in press notes “I was feeling stifled by living as this caricature of a songwriter who seemed to have many similarities to me, but was lacking the actual nuance of being a human. I wanted to ignore that guy for a while and figure out what else was inside, and so I spent countless hours with headphones, in the dark, lit by a screen, staying up later than everyone. It took me three years to figure out what I was supposed to be doing, working piecemeal in only the stolen moments of my increasingly busy, scattered days. Coming home and having this music consume me became a way to escape the guts of my daily life.”
“First Date,” Moore’s first Tuskha single pairs his aching and tender vocals with gently undulating synths, skittering drum programming and twinkling keys in a song that captures both a sense of melancholy and hope, while reminding the listener that not only are both necessary, that both inform each other in rather profound ways –in some way the song feels as though it’s mourning over the end of a relationship while being grateful that it had happened. Sonically speaking, the song manages to effortlessly mesh the intimacy and earnestness of a singer/songwriter confessional, slickly produced electro pop and jazz; and interestingly, it’s also a song that gains slightly different interpretations with increased plays.
As the video’s director Elise Tyler explains in press notes “When I heard ‘First Date,’ I was struck by how sweetly melancholy it was- hopeful but somewhat reserved. I wanted the imagery to possess the same qualities, a balance between simplicity and depth. We filmed at the nearly-abandoned Hickory Hollow Mall in Nashville, which was once a bustling spot like any other mall in America. It is still open, but what remains is a strange coming together of no-name stores and a food court with three Salvadorian restaurants. Dustin Lane did a fantastic job building on quiet moments and allowing the performance to shine through. We shot on 35mm and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product.” And as a result, the video possesses an eerie, post apocalyptic feel.
You can catch Moore on tour, check out tour dates below.
7/7 – Albuquerque, NM – Low Spirits*
7/8 – Denver, CO – Bluebird*
7/9 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge*
7/10 – Boise, ID – The Olympic*
7/11 – Spokane, WA – The Bartlett*
7/12 – Seattle, WA – Neumos*
7/13 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge*
7/15 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall*
7/16 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram*
7/17 – San Diego, CA – Irenic*
7/18 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom*
7/29 – Norman, OK – The Opolis*
7/30 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar*
7/31 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Café*
8/2 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall*
8/3 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall*
8/4 – Detroit, MI – Loving Touch*
8/5 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace*
8/6 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café*
8/7 – Cincinnati, OH – Southgate Revival*
8/9 – Houston, TX – The Raven Tower*
8/10 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada*
8/11 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk*
8/13 – Eau Claire, WI – Eaux Claires Music Festival
9/10 – Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Music Festival #
* with Wye Oak
# with Sylvan Esso & Vince Staples
