Music, Words and Photography by John Moran
John Moran melds passions to create a world of his own, which he invites you to explore. Enter the mind of this LA-based creative and discover a perspective developed with lens, pen, amplifier and loving intention.
What do you they call you?
John Moran (Mad Mad Mad)
Favorite color at the moment?
I've been shooting a lot of ektar (film). I like what it does to the colors blue and green, but I’ve also been gravitating towards a lot of black and white photography. It’s so interesting to shoot in, partly because we don’t see in black and white, so whatever photos you take are already very different from whatever moment you experienced in reality. You need to learn how to see a moment in a way that is different from how it is actually happening, and to take advantage of any dramatic value differences to create a strong shot.
Describe your happy place.
In a music studio with great musicians. I love working with talented people who have great ideas. You can spend a lot of time trying to make something sound like what you hear in your head, but there’s a magic moment that happens now and then, when everybody in the room realizes you’ve just done it - you’ve just hit upon the exact thing you've all been hearing without being able to express. That’s usually when time starts to feel less stable, and an hour can disappear in a handful of seconds. I could live in that moment.
What is your art?
I'm a musician and producer, but I’ve always loved taking photos. Right now, I’m working on a new set of releases under the name Mad Mad Mad. I’ve just released the first song, called “Don’t Take My Mind.” It’s a low key indie groove, with chorused out guitars, mellow vocals, and a full string section. It’s one of the most ambitious arrangements I’ve ever recorded, with dense layers of violins, violas, cellos, grand pianos, synths, and a full rock band. It sounds like a modern Beatles track, psychedelic 60s mixed with modern recording methods. It took a lot of time and collaborators to bring this track to completion, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
Is there an overall message, feeling or theme that your art is meant to evoke?
I wouldn’t say so. Each song is different from the next, and each photograph is different. I would say my most frequent challenge is trying to contain the greatest amount of depth in the smallest amount of time. A photograph is a little tiny slice of time, but it can mean so much. Working with film, you need to know your medium very well, paying attention to the type of film you have loaded into your camera, your camera settings, the lens, the light… All of those little tools help you manage how your photograph turns out, and, in the moment you shoot, can help you shape the moment as you will remember it from now on. Often, the photographs that are most well done will supplant your memories of the event entirely. It’s so challenging and rewarding trying to make a photograph resemble your impression of a moment.
In music I take the same approach. A standard three minute song leaves little time to explain context, depth, and history, so every little choice is vital. Ultimately, your goal is to make the song feel like something, whether that’s elation or heartbreak, love or jealousy, triumph or isolation, it doesn’t matter. What matters is knowing that feeling, and getting as close to it as you can. Like camera settings, every little decision in recording will shape the outcome of your song. Is this a word I would use if I felt broken, or is it too complicated? Does this sound feel like falling in love? Does this cheap old ribbon mic make the vocal feel more ragged and heartbroken than the expensive one we rented the studio to use? Does the arrangement get in the way of this great song? Lately I’ve been trying harder to trust the feeling a sound gives me in the studio. If it feels right, it should stay. Anything that makes me laugh in the moment is something I want to keep. I had a session recently where I found a keyboard patch that was so strange it sounded almost like a clucking chicken. It was so delightful in the moment, and that delight reflected in the playing that was recorded.
Where do you create?
Wherever I can! I work out of my home studio for the most part, but I love going to friend’s studios to write and record. There's something special about spending time in a different space, with different people, instruments, and equipment. Every place you go to and person you work with will have their own set of freedoms and limitations. You learn a lot about how to use different synths and pieces of outboard gear, about how to work with different personality types, and how to get the exact right sound you want out of a song. Lately I’ve been working most frequently out of a mixed medium photo/music studio in the arts district, but I've had a great time working out of Madera studios in Silverlake, Fourth Street Studios in Santa Monica, and Sun King studios in Highland Park.
Who or what have you been inspired by recently?
Books: Deacon King Kong - James McBride; On Photography - Susan Sontag; How to Write One Song - Jeff Tweedy
Music: Mama's Gun - Erykah Badu; Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me - The Cure; Leave The Door Open - Silk Sonic
Photography: Magnum Contact Sheets, Ralph Gibson, Henrik Purienne, Herb Ritts
I've been doing daily free-writes, and have been buying some strange books to give myself ideas and inspiration. Recently, I bought a book of 'master characters,' archetypes of protagonists and antagonists that have existed over the course of literary history. If I’m ever in a jam, I just put two of those characters in a room together and start writing. I’ve been pushing myself to write more interesting lyrics, especially in trying to write outside of the typical narrative of ‘I am singing this song to you because you broke my heart, now let’s dance.’ I’m reconsidering who the narrators are and who they are talking to, and that has helped to open up a lot of topics and ideas that were unavailable to me, playing myself, singing to you.
I’ve been making a lot of playlists lately as well, new and old tracks, things that came out last week and things that came out sixty years ago, and I’ve been trying hard to add a lot of songs by artists I’ve never heard before. It's keeping me fresh. If anybody wants to exchange some playlists, hit me up at any of the links at the bottom, I’d love to be in touch and share music.
What are you working towards now?
I'm finishing up an EP this month that I'm really excited about. Some hi-fi pop jams that secretly have downer lyrics, recorded entirely during quarantine. For a long time I've been a perfectionist without the necessary skillset to complete my ideas. That's been a really great way to not get anything done. I've spent the past year studying and practicing my craft every day, and I finally feel capable of completing the things I set out to do. I'm getting ready to earn my masters in music production, and now I'm working towards finding my audience. I'm really excited about this music I'm starting to put out, and I am even more excited to find and build a community of people who vibe with these songs. I’ve been making music I’m exceptionally proud of, and now I need to work hard to make sure the people who will like it will actually hear it. It’s a new challenge.
Why do you do what you do?
With music, I can’t not do it. I love it, it makes me happy, and it’s what I’ve always loved. Even as a little kid, I was writing music and recording it into a plastic toy tape recorder. Making music feels so good to me, even when the topics don't. As for photography, I love shaping a moment through a camera, dropping film off at the lab and waiting for the delivery to see how well the photos match up with my memories. It gives me something to look forward to at the end of the week.
Where can we view your work / find you online?:
https://linktr.ee/jawnmo
And hmu on instagram if you want to share some playlists!
instagram.com/jawnmo
Fellow artists/creatives to recommend?
Man, there are so many people I'm proud of in my life. I know a lot of people who have gotten so much better at what they do in the past year, making improvements in leaps and bounds. My friend Rachael Burke just sent me a great pilot for a show she's writing. Rafael Vidal is doing dope things on drums, Charlie Maynard is making some really vibey electronic music, and my girlfriend Lottie Bertello is designing some amazing dresses out of up-cycled materials for her brand Loti.
