Words: Jovana Joksimović
Canterbury’s Moose Blood released their third album ‘I Don’t Think I Can Do This Anymore’ and we couldn’t wait to talk to the guitarist Mark E. Osborne about his personal track, stories behind the songs, his biggest influence, tours, and many other things. Check it out!
Ever since you first started, back in 2012, what has made you change and grow both personally and musically speaking?
Mark: I guess every experience we’ve had since then has changed us in both ways. We came from a hardcore background really, so playing and writing the Moose Blood stuff definitely helped us grow musically. It was really nice to change things up for ourselves and do something a little different. We’ve also been through a lot since then in all our personal lives which definitely makes you grow up and change your perspective on things.
What else has changed on the way from ‘Moving Home’ your first EP to ‘I Don’t Think I Can Do This Anymore’ a record that was released in March this year?
Mark: The way we write songs has definitely changed. I think we learnt to write songs properly, and we paid a lot of attention to song structures and writing actual choruses. We’ve also done so much touring during that time, almost relentlessly, which adds to your confidence and ability. We all left our jobs to be able to tour full-time, which was a very surreal experience, and it’s something we have always felt so lucky to be able to do.
So, what’s your personal favorite track on ‘I Don’t Think I Can Do This Anymore,’ what are your thoughts about it and are you satisfied with the general feedbacks you were receiving?
Mark: My personal favourite track on the album is probably ‘All the Time.’ It’s written from quite a difficult perspective of some things I have struggled with. I am immensely proud of the record, mainly because of the topics we have covered on it, and how hard we worked on it. Feedback to the record and the singles we put out has been so lovely, and we’re hugely thankful for that.
In your opinion what would be the main difference between the Hopeless Records and the No Sleep Records?
Mark: Both labels have always worked very closely together and have been fantastic to us. The main difference would be the size of both labels, rosters, and their resources. Without No Sleep, we wouldn’t be on Hopeless, and we owe Chris [Hansen] at No Sleep a lot. He made our dreams come true. He gave us the opportunity to go to LA and make our first record. We could never thank him and Ray [Harkins] enough.
Who would you say was your own big influence to start listening to punk and emo music at first and then start playing guitar? Did you ever dream of getting where you are today?
Mark: My biggest influence to want to play guitar was Nirvana. They were my first real obsession musically. I never thought I’d be in this position ever! To be able to pay your bills and afford food from playing music is unreal to us. It’s something we always wanted but never thought would happen.
I would like to go back a little. I love the stories behind some songs on ‘Blush’ album, would you be willing to share with us some background stories that inspired this recent record? And what’s the writing process like in general between you guys?
Mark: Thank you… A lot of the influence behind the songs on ‘Blush’ basically came from our relationships between our loved ones and how touring had impacted that. Not every song is obviously about that, but it was definitely the biggest influence behind that record. The writing process usually starts with Eddy [Brewerton] and me sitting around with a couple of guitars and we start demoing things on a laptop, then we turn those into actual songs in a practice room or in a studio.
Are you excited about the upcoming tours, and which one is the one you’re looking forward to the most? Since you’ve been on the road for a while now, what bands do you like playing and touring with the most? What’s the most satisfying and the most discouraging thing about touring?
Mark: Looking forward to going back to Australia. It’s amazing there and it’s full of incredible people. It’s a place I never thought I’d get to go to, so to have the opportunity to go back for a third time because of music is mind-blowing, really. We’ve had some of the best times on tour with The Dangerous Summer, Lydia, Luca Brasi, Boston Manor, Creeper, Mallory Knox, and Lower Than Atlantis. The most satisfying things about touring are having really good shows and seeing some many different places. The most discouraging part is obviously being away from home and missing the people you love.
Like I said, you toured with a lot of bands, but it seems like there is one you have a special bond with – A Day To Remember. Actually, the first time I saw you live was with them in Vienna. How would you explain your relationship with them?
Mike: They’ve been great to us. They took us on an arena tour of the UK which was insane! We’re so thankful to them for giving us that opportunity. We couldn’t believe we were playing those rooms and it was all because of them. That tour went to so many other great places in Europe too, and then later on in the same year, they took us out on a full US tour. They’re great, humble guys.
Apart from touring with them, you were part of their festival – Self Help Festival where I also had a chance to see you live. In your opinion, how important is to use music and music events to speak about mental health, especially in music that speaks to a lot of young people?
Mark: It’s a great thing to do. It raises more awareness of the issue in a way that is so relatable and in a really enjoyable environment. It’s a fantastic festival that’s doing really great things.
Follow Moose Blood:
Website: mooseblooduk.com
Facebook: facebook.com/MooseBlood
Instagram: instagram.com/mooseblooduk
Twitter: twitter.com/mooseblooduk
*Interview edited for length and clarity