Meet NazThe Moon, is an indie artist from Memphis, TN. She is a cool artist who shares her mental health struggles through her music while doing it all from her bedroom. Listen to her latest track “Local Freak Act” where live guitar meets post-hardcore rock.
Naz tells us how she got her stage name and talks about her musical journey. From jamming with post-hardcore and rock bands like Dream State to using music as an escape from mental health battles, Naz holds nothing back.
Discover how she comes up with her songs, what influences her and how the sound has changed over time. She’s honest about the struggles especially the constant comparison game in the music industry. Also, she has a message for fans –
“a big thank you for the love and support – She says. She’s doing it all for you and hopes to make you proud. Much love folks! ❤️
Listen to Local Freak Act
Follow NazThe Moon below
What is your stage name?
My stage name as of right now is NazTheMoon or just Naz! It may change to Naz in the future, but right now, NazTheMoon is my brand.
Is there a story behind your stage name?
It’s quite funny actually, I got inspiration from the song Nazareth by Sleep Token. I had made NazTheMoon my username on Twitter and it just stuck, it became my brand unintentionally.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in many different musicians as well as my personal life experiences. My sound is heavily inspired by post-hardcore, rock, & metal bands such as Dream State or Glass Heart. I write all of my songs about my personal life experiences and struggles and draw inspiration lyrically from the bands mentioned previously.
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
Music has always been something that has helped me feel alone in my struggles with mental health. I grew up listening to music as an escape and decided that when I started pursuing this career I would give back what I was given from music. I want people to feel less alone in their struggles and I hope I can do that with my music.
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
My family isn’t super musical, although my parents did play instruments/sing in their youth. I’m the youngest of my six siblings, and I just so happened to be the odd one out! I’m the only one who thought, “Man, music is the one thing that truly makes me happy. Guess that’ll be my career now!”
Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
In all honesty, my friends were 100% of the reason why I wanted to get into this industry. I used to never be confident in my voice, and then one day I decided to share my cover of a Sleep Token song with a few close friends who pushed me to write and release music.
I’m not friends with a couple of these people anymore, but I believe they’ll always be the people who made such a big impact on my career.
How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
I grew up playing any instrument I could find. I learned to play guitar by searching YouTube tutorials and then self-taught myself from there. I learned how to improve my singing & songwriting at a local place called The Song Shack. The Song Shack taught me to push my limits and my teacher, Ashton, really helped me gain confidence both as a writer and a singer.
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
The first concert I ever went to was Twenty One Pilots back in 2018 or 2019, right after their album Trench was released. I was incredibly hyper-fixated on Twenty One Pilots back then, and even though I could barely see (because I didn’t have glasses), it was still the best experience of my life.
How could you describe your music?
I describe my music as a mix of some post-hardcore & rock. My songs have deep lyrics that truly delve deep into struggles with mental health and learning to love yourself, combined with live instrumentals to truly create a unique experience for my fans.
Describe your creative process.
A lot of my creative process is done in my room, on my bed, with nothing but a guitar and a notebook. I sit for hours, and the songwriting process can sometimes take days on end. I’ll listen to musicians who inspire me, analyze their songwriting or chord progressions, and draw inspiration from there.
From then on, I just play chords and sing along. If a lyric comes to me, I write it down and workshop it later. When a song is done writing, I bring it to my producer and we work on recording and touching up any empty spots. This process can take a few days to months! It truly just depends on how inspired I am to sit down and finish a song.
What is your main inspiration?
My main inspiration is probably my own life experiences & mental health. Mental health struggles are something that has affected me for a long time, and writing about it truly helps me understand my feelings and create songs that are beautiful and unique to me.
What musician do you admire most and why?
Jessie Powell of Dream State. Easy question. Jessie has truly inspired me with her lyricism as well as her story as a musician. The fact that she almost quit music and now she is in a band as successful as Dream State has truly inspired me to continue pursuing my dream and she’s taught me it is never too late to do what you love.
Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
Very much so. In the beginning, my sound was more folk-pop or even jazzy sounding. I later learned that those sounds were just… Not my thing. I enjoy myself the most when there are hard instrumentals and find it easier to write a rock song than I do with any other genre. My clothing style has seemed to have shifted as well, which is a little odd to me. But is it me if I’m not changing aesthetics monthly?
Who do you see as your main competitor?
Honestly, I don’t see anyone as my competitor. I do music for others to hear and think, “Man, she understands me.” If someone likes my music and is a fan, then great! I’m doing exactly what I set out to do.
What are your interests outside of music?
I love photography and I’m doing it as a hobby on the side! Concert photography is always something I’ve loved and I decided to pursue it for fun. Other than that, I also enjoy gaming every so often. Baldur’s Gate 3 has truly distracted me from writing music.
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
I couldn’t tell you. I’ve always struggled to know what I wanted to do in life until I realized that music is what I have to pursue. If I wasn’t a musician, I’d likely still be in the music industry somewhere. I’ve considered being a tour manager at times. No matter the situation, I think I’d always be in the music industry.
What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
Comparing myself to others, that’s the biggest thing. Going into the music industry and releasing my first single, I’ve constantly been comparing myself to others. I’ll see their engagement and wonder if I’m not doing enough. I’ve caught myself doing that and trying to teach myself that I’m doing good where I am and that things will get better.
If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
I would likely change the lack of support for small/independent musicians. It can be very hard to come across venues or blogs that truly wish to support small musicians, and I’d like to change that. Many of us are looking to make a true career from this, but the lack of support can be very discouraging at times. That first step into the door of the music industry is always the hardest.
Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
Local Freak Act is truly representative of what the song is supposed to be about. This song is supposed to represent me changing my name and truly focusing on my artist self. Some people may think of it as running away and joining the circus.
Getting that support to pursue what you love isn’t easy, and at times it can feel like you’re nothing but a clown to other people. I wanted to represent that in my title and cover art.
What are your plans for the coming months?
I’m in the process of writing and recording my first EP currently, and I have another single coming out within the next couple of months (no spoilers for the exact date yet, I gotta leave some things a surprise)! I’m also working on writing an album that’ll hopefully come out late in the year.
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans?
At the moment, I don’t have any collaboration plans. I’d love to work with artists like Jessie from Dream State or Princess Liv, but right now I’m focusing on my career and getting my foot into the door first.
What message would you like to give to your fans?
Thank you so much for the overwhelming love and support, I never would’ve thought I’d be getting so many DMs and love. Thank you for being fans, and I hope to make you all so proud. You’re the reason I’m doing this, I love you <3
