HomeInterviewsINTERVIEW: Moriah Formica
INTERVIEW: Moriah Formica
July 18, 2019 Kim Comer Interviews 0
Moriah Formica performs at one of NBC's The Voice episodes.
BY KIM COMER | Go Venue Magazine
On July 10, 2019, Go Venue Magazine had the opportunity to have a phone interview with Moriah Formica. Moriah was 16 when she auditioned for Season 13 of The Voice (2017). She turned four chairs in the blind auditions, making it to the top 20. She than auditioned on American Idol Season 17 which aired March 3, 2019. Moriah made it to the top 70, but was sent home in the Hollywood week episode.
Talking with Moriah she is not only down to earth and sincere but this eighteen year old is focused. The determination Moriah has will no doubt take her far. On an average day you can usually find her writing, creating songs, band practice, doing interviews, shows and taking care of her pets. She has two dogs, two cats, two lizards and three snakes. As an ice breaker I jokingly asked her what Blake Shelton smelled like.
Go Venue: Your single 'I Don't Care What You Think' comes out July 19th. They sent me a copy and I have to say that I was seriously impressed and amazed with how your voice shreds. I was blown away.
Moriah: Thank you so much, I appreciate that.
GV: With your song 'I Don't Care What You Think' what's your inspiration behind it?
Moriah: There was so many people in my life at that time, telling me what they think I should do or you know the fact that you aren't going to college because you want to be musician is unrealistic and stupid and whatever. It really pissed me off to be honest, sorry for my language. But it did, It just really made me mad. And I came to a point where I was like you know what, I know I'm meant to do this and I really don't care. So it was just a message to all the people who were saying things like that. One of the biggest messages I want to push to people is like especially kids my age or younger kids. This society and especially in school you are brought up to think that your not going to be anything if you don't have an education. If you don't go to college forget it your not going to be anything. Don't even bother. I'm just sick of that mentality. Yes for most people college is great, but not for everybody. Don't make somebody feel like a low life because they chose to go a different route if you work hard enough you can still get to success.
GV: With this single would you say that this is your favorite one yet that you've released?
Photo Courtesy Of Moriah Formica
Moriah: Yes, definitely. Without hesitation. I love this song because it's completely 100% me. It's the first song I'm releasing after my post in February. For a little bit I was going through a time where I was trying to write music people like. I was writing a lot of pop music and I'm so not pop like at all and it's super obvious. I'm just excited for the world to hear who I truly am and this the first song I'm releasing since I came back to rock fully. I had a realization in February after playing the NAMM show with my band that I'm just meant to be a rocker. People can smell fake from miles and miles away and not only do they turn from it but they run from it. I'm just all about being as genuine as you could possibly be.
GV: Do you feel that you chose your passion? Or do you feel like it chose you?
Moriah: It definitely chose me. Ever since I was little, there was never a moment of oh ya I want to be a musician. It just was kind of obvious always. Even from the time I was seven it was just that, music and animals were always the obvious things that I was meant to do and music just completely chose me.
GV: What's your creative process when you write?
Moriah: It varies honestly from many different things. But lately I come up with a riff on a guitar that's one of the big ones. For 'I don't care what you think' that's how I wrote it. I came up with this really cool riff on my guitar, the opening riff it was kind of very hooky. And I was like, you know, I love that. And so I wrote a song with it. Other times I'll be on pro tool or something fooling around with all the different sounds and stuff. And I come up with a chord progression or if there's a line or some words that pop into my head and it just kind of goes from there.
GV: Having written 'Lovestrong' when you were eleven years old do you find it difficult to co-write?
Moriah: Actually no, cause I really really like co-writes. It gives insight on things maybe you didn't think of and your like woah I didn't even approach the song that way but somebody else did and it's awesome whenever you put your ideas together with other creators. It makes the song a whole different meaning to you. It has to be a certain song it can't be a song to personal to me. Because a lot of the time when I'm writing a song it's very personal and I have a very clear vision of what I want it to sound like. I don't think for the most part it's hard but there are some songs where I'm like wow I really don't want to give that to anyone else or let them have a part of it.
GV: With future songs coming out can we expect to hear any collaborations?
Moriah: Not as of right now but maybe in the future. I definitely love collabs I think there amazing especially when you find the person that your voice mixes with the best. I would love to do a collab actually, one of my best friends Maddison Vanderburg. We were talking about writing a song together its something we've been talking about since we were like twelve.
GV: I heard you sing Demi Lovato's 'Stone Cold.' If you were to perform any pop song and give it your flare what song would you choose and why?
Moriah: Oh man that's so hard. There are a lot of pop songs I would love to cover. Definitely Lady Gaga. She's literally one of my favorite musicians me and my brother are obsessed with her. Probably Born this way. I did an acoustic version with my younger brother but I would like to do it full band. Mainly Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and anything Demi Lovato. I would love to cover and put my own twist on it.
GV: I did read I believe that you were seven when your dad introduced you to rock music.
Moriah: Ya I grew up on rock music. Actually around five was the age I kinda fell in love with the music. Five or six I picked up a guitar because I just loved all the eighties guys, the big hair and metal bands. I'd watch all the guys with guitars and I'm like that's so cool, their so cool I want to do that. I just love music. When I was seven, I'd eventually lock myself in my room and I wouldn't come out until I knew one new Aerosmith song everyday.
GV: Do you remember how Aerosmith made you feel when you were that young? Did that help you know that this is what you wanted to do?
Moriah: Ya, at that age it's super super important when you have people that you look up to who are almost like a part of you when you're that young. Whenever I would listen to their music with my headphones on I would just completely zone out and be in my own world and listen to all the different parts of the instruments. Which I didn't realize at the time that it wasn't normal for the average person. I just thought every person could pick out that oh ya listen to that bass line or listen to that drum fill.
GV: Your dad is who got you into music, have you been to a concert with him?
Moriah: Oh ya, my dad would take me to a lot of concerts, but the one that's most memorable is when we went to go see Aerosmith together in New Jersey and Sammy Hagar opened for them actually. It was a great show it was honestly life changing. It was just something about watching them on stage, I just knew that was going to be me one day.
GV: What's been your favorite concert?
Moriah: My first Halestorm show, that was my favorite concert at upstate concert hall. I just remember I was so taken, because I was in a little kid band at the time. I sang and I played guitar and I had never seen a front woman of a band do the same thing that I was doing. I was like oh my gosh, somebody I have to look up to and to learn from. Seeing Lzzy Hale up there completely helped me and gave me a guide on how to be a front woman.
GV: If I were to look at your playlist right now, which 5 artists or songs would I see on your recently played?
Moriah: Definitely the band Red. It's a Christian metal band. I really love their music a lot. Definitely Korn because they're one of my favorite bands. The Butcher Babies, Arch Enemy, and Evanescence.
Gv: Would you have any song or artist that would surprise your fans?
Moriah: Yes, probably the song Blood Stream by Stateless. I don't think a lot of people would think I would listen to that. I love the album with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, I listen to that all the time. I actually love Jazz too, and I have a couple Beyonce songs. I think a lot of people expect me not to love pop but there are some pop songs that I absolutely love.
GV: What are five things you can't live without?
Moriah: I would say obviously music, coffee, reptiles, my family and God. Those are Definitely things I can't live without.
GV: Do you have a crush on any other musician or celebrity?
Moriah: I would say Maria Brink for a while. I did have a crush on Lzzy Hale but not anymore. I'm definitely in love with Lady Gaga, but my main celebrity crush right now is Ashley Benson from Pretty Little Liars.
This is Kim Comer for Go Venue Magazine. I'd like to Thank again, Moriah Formica for talking with me. Be sure to check out Moriah's single 'I Don't Care What You Think' which drops July 19, 2019 and is currently available for pre-order on iTunes and Google Play.
08/04/19 – Clifton Commons Music Series (Clifton Park, NY)
09/01/19 – Columbia County Fair (Chatham, NY)
09/08/19 – Powers Park Music Series (Lansingburgh, NY)
Moriah Formica Online:
I Don't Care What You Think
Moriah Formica
About Kim Comer	7 Articles
I love music, movies, sailor moon, photography, but most of all I love animals. Especially my cats & dogs. #adoptdontshop
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