We are absolutely delighted to be able to feature an exclusive interview with Chuck Mosley. The former Faith No More singer is releasing a new demo shortly and speaks to us about joining Faith No More on stage at their Detroit show last month and about Faith No More’s new material.
How are things going for you? You looked to be in good shape onstage in Detroit.
Chuck Mosley: Doing okay. Still fighting through the same old personal issues with money and trying to plug along. On the VUA side, still without a label or distribution or booking or merchandising, so if you’re reading this and need a band to work with, email us now: [email protected]. We are demoing new songs and want to get on the road in front of crowds, so help us make money for you.
Were you surprised by the outpouring of support earlier this year, when you made your difficult plea for help?
Yeah, me and my family were overwhelmed by the support. Even people who weren’t in a position to give, donated or emailed and called just to let me know we were in their thoughts. Brian Paone, an author from Japan reached out and got me involved in a short story collection, “A Matter of Words” that’s being released later this year by ScoutMedia. Doug [Esper] and I wrote an essay about the song, “Mark Bowen” which will appear in the book. Sean Franklin, an audio engineer who works with some big name people, offered some mastering and production work on future music, Ben Brown made a huge donation and offered feedback on some of the new demos. Donn Wobser and Christopher Juhl helped me keep a positive attitude and offered support up in Detroit. Indoria, a band that I had recently recorded with, are donating 100% of all downloads of the song I sang on, “What I feel” to me and my family. It’s linked at www.chuckmosley.bandcamp.com
All that being said, it’s day to day and I hope it’s not too late. We moved into a much smaller apartment because Sophie, my youngest daughter, just graduated High school and is getting prepped for college. I’m trying to make ends meet to pay for that, so it’s sorta scary, right now. We have 2 albums available for download for donations. Any amount is a huge help. We have CDs for sale at cdbaby.
It’s been several years since the VUA disc came out and two years since you released the demo version. Do you have any plans to revisit older tunes?
The only solid thing on the docket right now is to release another demo of upcoming material. For those that don’t know, we did release another demo song a few months back titled, “Ericalution” it is a very different sound than other VUA songs and it is also available at the bandcamp site. Hope you dig it, but if you don’t, hey you’re only out a buck. Maybe 10,000 people will rush out and download our stuff, give us a chance, and everything will work out.
The other tune, which we will release this week is a lot more VUA sounding, like a hard rock tune.
[We’ve heard this and love it and hope to share it soon]
Are you working on anything outside of VUA?
I’ve been writing songs on my acoustic, but I’m not sure yet if the material is fitting VUA or maybe something totally different. I just want to follow the path of my heroes like Iggy Pop and Johnny Cash. Play music my whole life and eke out a meager living. I don’t have any grand dreams of becoming rich. I just want to play and take care of my family. I also had an idea about an old school hip-hop project…
You recently took the stage during an encore at a Faith No More concert in Detroit. How did that come about and what can you tell us about the experience?
Well, I had texted back and forth with Roddy that I wanted to come see them. Detroit was the closest show. I wanted to bring my family, but my daughter’s prom was that night, so I drove up with friends. On the way, I half-jokingly texted Roddy that I’d come up and sing an old tune. One of the ones I knew pretty well. He shot back and said how about ‘Mark Bowen’. After I got through the “what was I thinking?” nerves, I just remembered how fun it was to perform with them. This is the second time I’ve done it since they reformed. I’ve had a recurring nightmare, ever since they fired me, that they would invite me back to perform and I would hide in the shadows, cower under the speakers, and just do really bad. I’ve woken up from that dream countless times over the last 20 years, but I think it worked out well. I mean, yeah I fucked up a couple of lines, but I got good feedback from the people that were there in the crowd and in the moment that said it was a thrill for them.
We didn’t do a sound-check or practice at all and people enjoyed it, but due to the joys of YouTube and Yahoo [the show was broadcast live on Yahoo] you can go watch it over and over and analyze every second of it.
Bottom line it was a lot of fun. Roddy and me were talking and he mentioned that it’s always emotional when we get onstage again together. We had our rough patch after the break up, you know, after our divorce. Especially with me and Billy and Mike Bordin, but since then VUA has played shows with Billy’s band The Talking Book and he got onstage with us. It’s really good to just hang with him and Mike. It really warms the cockles of my heart to get along with them. Billy and I go way back to our first band The Animated and even before that just going to shows.
Before you took the stage, Mike Patton gave you a really nice and respectful introduction. How did it make you feel to hear that?
To be honest, I didn’t hear it. I was backstage all freaked out and nervous. I couldn’t even get dressed into the white outfit properly. Michele noticed I had my pants on backwards just a few seconds before I was supposed to go up there. Mike has always given me props and had words of encouragement every time I see him. He’s always been really nice. It seems sincere and cool and I have nothing but props for him. One thing I always admit is he has a great voice and is a strong singer. He is a better singer than me. I tell him that but he is always humble about it. When I started as a singer, I took pride in my originality and have developed to the point that I have a good tone.
Did you bring your own white outfit to match the band?
No, and when I was going to leave, I had it stuffed in my bag. Tim’s [Moss] assistant asked me “Did you put your outfit back?” and I tried to tell her I did as she is eyeballing the sleeves hanging out of my bag. I would’ve loved to have those to use as my new pajamas. It’s a cool look. The whole stage set up was a real neat look.
It seemed like you had a great reaction from the fans before, during, and after the show, where you surprised by the reaction?
It certainly isn’t something that happens to me every day on the street, but if you get a concentrated group of Faith No More fans together, there’s a good chance at least half of them are bound to know who I am. It’s an ego boost for sure. It’s a really nice feeling.
Have you had a chance to hear the new Faith No More album yet?
Only the two singles and what they played live that night, though again, I was deep in my own head trying to remember lyrics. I’m a vinyl guy and it was delayed in the States. I don’t do the whole iTunes thing or collect music that way. I’ll give it a listen soon. I want to hear the full album in order.
What did you think of Roddy’s verses on the lead single, Motherfucker?
I’m a big fan of Imperial Teen so I’m used to him singing. I thought it was cool. He’s been singing since I’ve been in bands. I think it’s always better to have more than one person in a band that can sing because it adds more dimensions to the band. They should do more of it.
Do you have any messages to the fans overseas in Europe, South America, Asia, Australia etc. that haven’t seen you live on their soil in over two decades that Faith No More2.0 can send out for you?
If there are any fans of mine out there in 2.0-land I want to say thank you for any support you’ve thrown my way. I hope you enjoy the new single coming out. We are calling it, “Hard drivin’ rock tune, the untimely death of a loved one.” Reach out to me and VUA on Facebook and say hi. We are trying, trying, trying to make it to your neck of the woods. We want to play everywhere and we are looking for support to help make it happen. I totally appreciate all of your appreciation and I love you all.
Thanks to Douglas Esper – and of course to Chuck.
Shawn, I think Chuck had 2 other “Sean”s in Cement, so your spelling probably threw him off! Your post on here reminded me of the fact that his single Hard Drivin’ Rock Tune….which is fan-fucking-tastic….thank you for your work on it!….seemed to get almost no attention when it was released. I wish there was a way to help independent artists better promote their work. Seriously….I’ve been listening to this song of his more than Sol Invictus (which of course I love).
I am honored to work with Chuck. Spelled my name wrong though, I am not Sean hahaha.
I wish Chuck all the best and hope that we can rip some stuff this year.
I feel honored to be mentioned as a support. I am truly a big fan and I would love to hear more new music by Chuck. He has been very kind to me the couple of times I’ve met him. Douglas Esper has become a friend and everyone in Chuck-world has been great!
I get frustrated at the way some of the (mostly younger) FNM fans have so much bad to say about Chuck. Comparing Chuck to Mike is unfair because they are so extremely different. You cannot compare the two (songs and singers) side by side and get a same view of a song. We Care A Lot and Introduce Yourself were pure and true Faith No More even without Mike Patton at the Helm. They are both great albums and I have nothing but huge respect for Chuck and his talents. Those who dismiss Chuck and his work on those albums out of hand are doing themselves a huge disservice. They are just as much a part of FNM’s greatness as all of the other albums. Listen to them both all the way through each a handful of times and try and tell me it’s not Great FNM music. Just like any of their albums the more you listen the more you will love them. I still listen to those almost as much as any of the FNM albums and Still love CEMENT and their albums. Thanks for your work Chuck!
So I can’t wait for this Chuck single to come out…I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people. But something else on my mind….Jim Martin had said that he was going to explore music a little more or something to that effect when he played with Infectious Grooves a few years ago. Anybody know if he’s still thinking of doing something? I’ve been listening to some Milk and Blood tracks a lot more recently and was hoping to hear more from Jim. Of course I would also love a Jon Hudson solo album…I love all the guys who’ve played in FNM. While VUA’s guitarist Tim is an incredibly good guitarist, I think it would be cool if Jim Martin played on a VUA song in the future, like how Roddy did on the Will Rap album. I would prefer it to be an original track though, not a re-recording of a FNM song again. Maybe that would be a cool way for Jim to get his feet wet in the studio again.
I wish….I also don’t have that answer, but pretty good speculation. I think it is a mutually shared believe on all sides that at least Kool Arrow isn’t a good fit for VUA, it being a more world music label, but I’ve heard that Bill has offered a lot of advice and help in other ways. As far as Ipecac…Patton and Greg probably love lots of music, but I think they have a business goal of at least always breaking even from a cost perspective. VUA’s album has already been put out but then that label went under. There is probably a cost associated with getting back all of those rights, and I don’t think there would be that big of a reaction to a re-release…I think most fans already have it, plus it’s available on iTunes and such. As far as new music, VUA doesn’t have a full album ready yet anyway, they all work several jobs and other bands, including Chuck. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to put all that front end money into a studio and making an album on their own unless they can book shows and get people buying tickets. So you’re not just talking about an album, you’re talking about a tour. I would guess that the money is not there to put all that up front and expect the return….at least not in America. I would argue that anyone interested in picking up VUA do so with plans to take them to the UK for a bunch of clubs, and maybe again to South America. Again a large cost, but I think you could fill clubs in those locations whereas American fans would probably only fill half a club given promotion. It’s just not that kind of a world any more in America and hasn’t been for a long time. Plus, Chuck appears to like to sit with decisions a while before feeling out the right way to go with a song or aspects of a song or the cover, etc. I think Ipecac works more with people who get all their work done like the room is on fire. Both approaches bring good creativity…Will Rap is a beautiful album with some really great touches so the gestation time worked out well for it. I know that I get real creative when I’m under the gun and not so much when I have all the time in the world. I’d rather Chuck do things on his time and not rush anything.
if Patton loves Chucks voice and music so much, then why not sign his Chuck and his band to Ipecac lol
Whoa! Chuck thanked me in an interview! It was pleasure to give when I did. I think of it as payback for the million times I’ve listened to all of his albums, yet only paid $10 or so for them back in the day. I’m so glad I got those Cement CDs, they’re pretty hard to find now and it’s probably his best vocal work, although the production was lacking.
Chuck’s voice on the demo that he had me listen to…it’s really emotional…going to the heights of Faster Disco, Crying, Killing An Angel, etc. And musically it’s a juggernaugt. I’ve been dying to hear it again since when I got to give feedback on it. His voice is definitely an acquired taste, and it is on this song too, but it’s pretty incredible. Very punk rock, no holds barred.
Great interview too! I hung out with him and Patton after this show…they are both really kind, humble people. When Patton was talking to me after Chuck had left, he told how great he thought his album was and how he wished more people appreciated his style. Then later, I went to an early breakfast with Chuck and Doug & Michelle of Indoria…and they had all great things to say about the FNM guys. Just a great group of people all around who fit in at a rock show and a family picnic just fine.
I feel for Chuck, but his voice was shot in Detroit. Hopefully he can find a way to make a living.