The Moffatts Take Manhattan!
...and bits of America too!

MAX March 1999

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MAX catches up with The Moffatts on their USA tour.

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First in on the spotlight is SCOTT who turns
16 this year. At six, he bought his first guitar with
the money he earned from making TV commercial. He
started writing songs at seven ("I've written over 100 now!")
and likes art and poetry "but I hate drawing portraits."
Scott thinks he's "independant, shy, insecure and very
sensitive", but says his brothers probably call him "bossy".

Are you keen to be back in America?
It's great to see the reaction in the rest of the world, but to come back to the US and also to actually get our first release in the UK is great because these are the two biggest markets in the world. We'd love to see things happen here!
What's the Moffatt song you love that no one in America has heard yet?
Right now, it's 'Misery'. It's a song I wrote that's really powerful, really emotional. I wrote it about a girl that I was seeing at the time. Actually, I went on one date and I really was crazy about her and I wrote the song about her, because that's how I felt!
How did your guys get involved with 'Let The Music Heal Your Soul'?
It was supposed to be, at the very beginning, just us to sing it. Then [the record company] said, "Instead of just you guys, we're going to put in other lead acts. And put other lead vocals in different areas of the song and basically keep your harmonies." Because that is what we really worked on - the harmonies and the chorus.

CLINT, 15, is the oldest triplet ("two minutes before Bob,
and four minutes before Dave") and -get this- he likes shopping!
"Although it may sound weird... I think it's cool buying clothes,"
he told Top Of The Pops. He doesn't like people biting
their nails, and thinks he's shy. "People say I'm hardworking,
but I like having fun. I wish I didn't get embarrassed easily
but hopefully that won't last forever!"

What are your favourite subjects?
Either science or social history. I love reading about way back when, you know, when Christopher Columbus was discovering the US, and the cowboys were fighting. If I could have one wish, I would go back in time and see what it was like. I find it pretty intriguing. As for science, it's cool to experiment and read about all the people that did a lot for the world.
How do you feel when you see a magazine with your face on the cover?
When you see yourself on the 100th cover, it's still just exciting!
What makes you happiest?
Just to make people happy through our music. If we can make people smile because of our music, that would be an incredible thing. Over in the Philippines, we just got an honour for "the nicest band." Out of anything that we have ever recieved, that has been a great part of our career.

BOB is the backbone of the band as he's the drummer,
but he's not as rigid as his job sounds. He's the most calm,
preferring to go "fishing, 'cos it's really relaxing and...
I'm very laid-back and casual." According to TOTP Bob's
"cautious but spontaneous, and a perfectionist when it comes
to music - but not much else!"

When does the album come out?
We just finished up some tracks with Glen Ballard, who produced Alanis Morrisette, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson... So we can't wait to see what the tracks turn out to be.
What do you think the response is going to be?
We did like three concerts in Michigan and all of our fans seemed to enjoy the type of music that we are playing now, so I think that that is a good sign.

DAVE started playing the keyboards when he was seven.
His hobbies include collecting coins from all over the world,
playing soccer and reading horror stories. "If I had to choose
a different career I'd probably be an artist," Dave told TOTP
"I suppose you could say that my weak spot is that I don't listen
well - I have a short attention span."

You are the youngest of all the family. How does it feel?
It doesn't really make a difference, since I am only two minutes younger.
What would you say is your favourite kind of food?
I would have to say Chinese, is my favourite kind of food. And I like Mexican too, and Spanish is right up there.
What about being in The Moffatts do you love?
Just to see the fans up there. And they are there to watch you play. It's great!
Were you worried that fans wouldn't like the change from country to pop?
We weren't worried about it. Hopefully, we gained some fans. And I think that the fans from the country market will hopefully appreciate this music too.

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