MOORE KISMET - Bringing Fresh Energy To The Bass Music Scene

At only 19 years old, Moore Kismet has become a much needed breath of fresh air in the bass music scene. Not only as a non-binary person of color, but as a seasoned music producer who continues to push the boundaries of their art and is always seeking out new ways of doing things.

In this episode we talk about their approach to music production, how art can truly change people's lives, resistance to social media, the financial challenges of being a young full-time artist and more.

Follow Moore here:
https://www.instagram.com/moorekismet

Follow Nik Cherwink here:
https://www.instagram.com/nikcherwink

And visit my site to join the mailing list or book a free coaching call:
https://www.nikcherwink.com

Transcript

Moore Kismet: 0:00

Art has the ability to Change people's lives. And that I think is the most important thing for me, is if I can create something that somebody can resonate with or can connect you in the same way that I did as I was working on it, then that just means more to me than anything,

Nik: 0:30

What's up everybody, welcome to the Headliner Mindset Podcast. Today's guest is a true child prodigy in the electronic music industry, starting to produce when they were just 7 years old, and going on to become the youngest person ever to play EDC at just 14. They've since been touring with some of the biggest artists in the bass music scene, and releasing on sought after labels like UKF and Sable Valley. This is More Kismet. All right. What's up? Welcome to the show. So stoked to have you. here.

Moore Kismet: 0:59

Yes. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

Nik: 1:02

literally just before we got on, I was thinking about your name, more Kismet. Where did that name come from? What's the story behind the name?

Moore Kismet: 1:13

yeah. So my mom actually came up with it in Bible study. Um, I had come up with like multiple different project names before that. And like absolutely nothing stuck. Some of it sounded weird. Some of it sounded like stripper names. So like we were just, we were just, I was kind of striking out too. I was like really trying to figure out. What exactly it was I wanted to do for an artist project at that time. And none of it was really clicking the way that I was hoping it would. But we were in Bible study. And we were, uh, watching, a DVD recording of somebody giving a lecture talking about the word kismet. And the scripture readers in Bible study, um, they had pulled up the word in a thesaurus. And we kind of just, it immediately struck her, because, you know, my mom, my mom is like my rock. She loves me very, very dearly. And, um, it was kind of, for her, it was like a representation of, you know, It being fate or destiny, which is the definition of the word kismet, that I came into her life. And so it was kind of more of a, like a physical representation of that, turning it also into kind of like a fun, like wordplay type thing, like actually including the actual name more, making it like personifying it rather than just making it that. Um, and so it's just stuck with me ever since. Yeah,

Nik: 2:50

some spiritual depth behind that. And also, it's so cool just to hear the story about like, you know, that coming from your mom and just, you know, having her be, be your rock, like, That's powerful. I'm glad I asked that question. It just like literally just, it literally just popped into my head like two seconds before we started. I was like, wait a minute, where does this name come from? So thank you for sharing that with me. Very, very cool. Now. Okay. I have kind of just seen you from the sidelines. I've seen you pop up in the scene and I was like, yo, there is some vibe and some energy and some swag about this person bringing this like very just like fresh sound and energy to, you know, Uh,, and so I'm just like, so excited to kind of dig in and really get to know who you are. Now, one, one thing I do know is, you were like the youngest person to play EDC, I believe was what I was, what I read. Right.

Moore Kismet: 3:43

yep, I was like right there, I think I, I think I was like a couple months younger than Villager, who also was one of the youngest people to play at the time. But like for me, it was like, I think I was, I was 15, 16 when it happened. Uh, cause it was, I think it was like right after like things started letting up after the second lockdown.

Nik: 4:11

Oh, wow. Okay.

Moore Kismet: 4:12

and so it was, it was that EDC in October of, I believe it was 2021 where like everything was just, it was like, EDC was in the fall, it was in October,

Nik: 4:27

yeah, yeah,

Moore Kismet: 4:28

like trying, yeah, we were like all trying to adjust, and I was in this skin tight iridescent bodysuit and gigantic like spaceman boots I got from this shop on Melrose, because I was just like, I need to step out for this, and that, at the time at least for me, was my definition of stepping out for like one of my first big like dream festivals, and doing that. So young, I was like, that was kind of, that was the move for me at that time. Um,

Nik: 4:58

a statement,

Moore Kismet: 4:59

absolutely. And that, that was a statement.

Nik: 5:02

yeah. Okay, so if you're already, I wanna know, you're already playing 16 years old, then when did you get into making music? You must have started really young. Tell me about, like, where did that initial spark come from, that desire to just start nerding out on a laptop and making music, like, at such a young age, how did that happen?

Moore Kismet: 5:22

So it kind of like officially started when I was about seven or eight years old. Um, I got my, this next part might be a little bit more shocking than that. Um, I got my first laptop when I was like four or five years old. It started at that point because prior to me ever wanting to pursue music or any, anything within that realm, I wanted to be a screenwriter and designer for animation. And so I was using my computer at that time to kind of like edit like little home videos and like stuff like that, that like never made it onto YouTube or Vimeo or like anything. Like they were not like A24 quality like experimental films. No, this is some shit that I was just trying to throw together with some Pond5 stock footage with the watermark still on. Um, and just like kind of going with the flow from there. Um, but I, I feel like. That was kind of like the precursor to it. And then I just started messing around with it when I was younger, but never really took it as seriously until I decided to start doing more Kismet in middle school.

Nik: 6:31

Hmm.

Moore Kismet: 6:32

And so that was kind of just like, that was the, that was the kicker for me. I was like, I was in my computer science class and I had finished all my work early and I was starting to kind of like, look up songs on the internet to listen to while I was practicing screenwriting and researching like jobs and animation to apply to when I get older and like, like stuff like that. And I found the song Wayfarer and Hindsight by Audion.

Nik: 7:01

Hmm.

Moore Kismet: 7:02

And those were like, like super early Anjuna Beats releases. And it just resonated with me in such a deep way that I immediately was just like, I need to try and do this myself. And so at that time I was very inspired by a lot of like progressive house and like house electronic DJs. I hadn't really like dipped my toe into bass music yet until later on in my life. of course I knew about Skrillex cause everyone knows about Skrillex. But like I was into like at the time Calvin Harris, Above and Beyond, Audien, Artie, Like a lot of the like progressive house pioneers and like legends in the space. That was kind of what I started off listening to.

Nik: 7:48

Yeah.

Moore Kismet: 7:48

And it just naturally gravitated into something bigger over the course of time as I got older and my tastes developed. Yeah.

Nik: 8:00

person and I, the fun, the funny thing is I'm, I'm really, like, I I, I used to teach at Icon Collective, so we had so many bass music artists come out of there. So I'm like homies with all the bass guys. I'm starting to find the kind of styles that I like and that I love. It's. But I've been around it for so long and I'm like, uh, you know, it never, it never necessarily grabbed me. I'm curious, I think I'm starting maybe, and I'm not gonna say it's a transition, but I'm starting to get pulled more into that world. What was it for you that took you from the, you know, the very like poppy main stage, you know, house music? What started bringing you over to the dark side

Moore Kismet: 8:38

Ha ha ha ha ha ha

Nik: 8:40

I, I just, I wanna know that part of the story because I'm like, I think I'm going through that moment right now.

Moore Kismet: 8:45

Right, uh, I think for me, for me it was hearing stuff on Never Say Die that wasn't cookie cutter dubstep or like, just like, it, at the time and even like, towards the end of their run a couple years ago, it was like, they just constantly continued to put out things that set the bar. Above the standard for what bass music and, like, heavier electronic music could be. The very first song that I ever listened to that came out on Never Say Die was Not A Real Thing by Far Too Loud, Beardy Man, and JFB. And that song so seamlessly meshed, like, electro house and dubstep and so many different pieces of styles that I had never heard of before. And that was my first introduction to it all, and I was just like, I need to know more about this label. I need to know more about these artists. I need to release on this label someday. And so I just kind of started gravitating into more artists within that realm. And now I'm fortunate enough where I could probably like confidently say that a lot of the artists that like used to or I guess at the time had presently released on Never Say Die, I know now and in some capacity I can call them friends because like And they genuinely inspired me to kind of reach a point in my music listening journey where I wasn't just listening to like the, the Calvin Harris's and the audience and like that kind of like more simplistic and audience friendly stuff all the time. And I was listening to things that were more unique and that challenged the norm and really pushed the limits of what electronic music could be within the context of what it can. And

Nik: 10:34

yeah. yeah, and that's my experience of your music as well. Is it it's intelligent They're they're like there's there's nothing it is like there's nothing basic about it. You know, it's like

Moore Kismet: 10:45

I appreciate that.

Nik: 10:46

It's just got these these textures and these tones and like all of it and like are you are you singing on it? Also, is that you that's that do you

Moore Kismet: 10:54

Sometimes, sometimes I am. Other times I'm not. Yeah, sometimes I am like, I am like doing like little background vocals and stuff to kind of chop up. Other times I am just behind the scenes writing. Um, I have been singing pretty much my whole life though. And I know it's something that my family like very much so strongly encourages me to kind of, you know, flex more on my work. I've just never really seen, like, much of a gravitation to it because I have not really been fully comfortable with the way my voice sounds on recording.

Nik: 11:25

Mm.

Moore Kismet: 11:26

Like, even, even just me talking, it's like, it's very strange to, like, be talking for such a huge period of time, because even with headphones blocking out most of the annoying sibilance, I, it's the tone of my voice. It's the way my voice drags out. It's the way that I talk and I can't change nor would I like to change the way that I talk but it's just an ongoing, you know, insecurity that I have about just the way that I sound to the people that I talk to because I feel like, I know I sound fucking annoying as hell to people when I speak and it's just, it's just the god honest truth and like I, I can accept that because It makes me irate sometimes too, but it's just it's the way I am. It's the way that my voice sounds. I can't control it so it's just this is just where i'm at with it, but

Nik: 12:18

I can't help but have the life coach come out of me that, that, that, that wants to come out right now and just point out that like, if it makes you uncomfortable, that's probably the reason why you should do it. So, I'm with your fam. Tell mom I agree. We wanna see you, we wanna see you on, on more, more vocals. Lean into the, lean into the discomfort.

Moore Kismet: 12:42

I know It's it's it's so crazy because every every I have so many friends whose live shows i've been to and they've like sung on their sung like while performing and Like my mom while i'm on tour with them. Like my mom legit just goes and asks them and so now it's like porter robinson Madion and like a whole bunch of other people all in some capacity have encouraged me to start

Nik: 13:07

Oh yeah.

Moore Kismet: 13:08

so like that's just I was just like I know I have to bite the bullet and do it at some point, but Yeah,

Nik: 13:17

Well, it's okay. So I want to, I want to bring it back to you as a producer. You're, you know, You're, saying at one moment, you're looking up to all these artists, having your mind blown with the, the, the music that they're making. And now really just kind of a few years later, like, And you're kind of on the same level as them and probably releasing on a lot of the same labels. So how did you get so good at producing is what I want to know. It seems like you, you, it just grabbed you and you just really went with it. Like kind of tricks and tips can you give to people out there that are, you know, burying themselves in their laptop every day, trying, trying to figure this out. Like, what would you say to them?

Moore Kismet: 13:55

I mean, for me, like, I really, I really did just like bury myself in front of my laptop every single day. I was trying to do this while also juggling school at the same time. And so, whenever I finished homework, whenever I finished essays or projects or anything of that nature, Immediately it was, okay, let's try to come up with an idea or something else of this nature. And when I met my best friend in middle school, we both had made enough money to split an FL license at the time. And so him and I both like used FL licenses because you can run it on up to two computers simultaneously. So he had it on his, I had it on mine. And we were just cooking and like I was just trying to grind things out. I was trying to come up with new ideas as often as I possibly could. And for me, I really wanted to learn about the inner machinations of the software that I was using first, because I'm eight years into doing this as more Kismet, but. Almost 12, 13 years doing this professional, like, like doing this in general, like making music. And in that time that I have been using FL, I have not once like used, I've started this using FL and I'm here now using FL and there are still things that I'm learning every single day working in that program. And it's crazy because I have been working in it for so long that I am just learning new things about. How I can continue to create new things and create new sounds and try to find ways to implement them into my work. Um, so I think one major tip I would really want to give to people is learn your software first, because like that, I think is going to be the most major help of anything is like learning the way that the software works first, so that you can just kind of catapult into creating ideas with. no immense confusion because you're trying to jump into it immediately rather than taking the time to kind of learn the way things work and experimenting with it to see what works for you, what's best, and actively developing a workflow for yourself. Um, cause I work the way I work now because I've taken the time to learn the software and now I know my way around it like that. So it's just, it's easier for me now to go into it and create ideas. The execution part is the difficult part sometimes because I'm always kind of trying to outdo myself with everything that I create regardless of genre. But I think just being able to have a deeper understanding of what you're using to create your art is only going to help you more in the long run. So

Nik: 16:52

Yeah. There's a couple pieces in there that I hear that I think are really great and this piece around Just really taking the time to learn your tools. I think for a lot of people that were so anxious to be like, I want to make a song and I want to put it out. I want to, and I want to build my audience and I want to get on stage. And it's like, if you're rushing the mastery of your skill set, it's going to be, it's going to be hard. You know, it's going to be

Moore Kismet: 17:14

absolutely everything else is going to be harder for you. If like, if you're not happy with what you're creating.

Nik: 17:21

Yeah.

Moore Kismet: 17:21

no one else is going to be happy with what you're creating. That's just, that's unfortunately like the truth. It's like you have to, you have to feel confident enough in your work and if you are making something in the moment and you're just immediately trying to rush to get it out, that's not always like the best thing. Like especially if you're making a genre of music that isn't electronic music because it's like more often than not like, You're, you're constantly trying to find something within a piece of work that actually stands out to you and makes it make the most sense. That's the biggest way I feel for me people discover and listen to new artists. It's like they're trying to actively seek out something new, something fresh, and something that revitalizes their love for a space that maybe other artists have not provided for them in a decent amount of time. And If in their search they listen to something and they just don't resonate with it, and you didn't take enough time to kind of put your all into it and really learn about what you were doing first, it's not going to resonate with the people you want it to resonate with.

Nik: 18:37

Yeah.

Moore Kismet: 18:37

And I kind of learned that the hard way, because like the first few things I put out were just really abysmal festival trap edits of like other songs, so like it was It was an audience, my first upload ever was a remix of an audience song and it was when it was like during audience like pop era. And so I, I did a remix of that. That kind of blew up at the time for like what a new project was for me. It was like, I had like only like 200, 300 followers on soundcloud, but the, actual like upload got over 27, 000 likes. It was cool for me in the moment. Then I did a remix of All Night by Beyonce, which was up for almost a year, and then got striked on Halloween one year. Um, but that also blew up, because, of course, everyone fucking loves Beyonce. So, like, obviously they were gonna, like, seek out remixes to see who's doing their interpretation. But it's like, I did those things, and I can go back and listen to it now and be like, Oh wow, that's ass. But, back then, I was proud of that, because it sounded good to me at the time, and I was confident enough to put something out that I did invest so much time into making sure it sounded good.

Nik: 19:57

Yeah. Yeah.

Moore Kismet: 19:59

So.

Nik: 20:01

The other piece that you mentioned that I wanted to point out is you said that you're still discovering new ways of doing things. You're still discovering new parts of FL Studio, or as I used to call it, Fruity Loops. I don't know if anyone calls it Fruity Loops anymore,

Moore Kismet: 20:18

mom still calls it Fruity Loops. Everyone, everyone I know over the age of 35 still calls it Fruity Loops. And I'm

Nik: 20:26

a real OG,

Moore Kismet: 20:27

right. You know it's Fruity Loops. That's where the FL comes from. It's not Florida. It's not Fort Lauderdale.

Nik: 20:34

You're still, you're still discovering new ways of doing things and, and, and seeking that out. And I think that that is, I think that there's really two different types of producers because I, I think there's another kind of mindset that I see a lot, which is trying to figure out the formula. Like I'm trying to find my sound or I'm trying to find like, you know, I'm trying to crack the code. And once I, once I figure it out, then I can just kind of churn and burn. And it's like, well, You know, I see these other producers that I've heard interviews as well, where they're like, yeah, once I've done things a certain way, I never do it that way again. Like, I'm always seeking, like, what's the new way to, to record, you know, even in, like, in the, in the live studio sessions, it's like, cool, what kind of ways can we, like, turn the amp upside down or hang it from the ceiling or like, you know, like, try, like, let's try some crazy shit, you know, like, let's, let's, let's, Let's get in there and fuck it up a little bit. And I just love that kind of growth mindset that I see certain producers and artists have. And it sounds like you really have that.

Moore Kismet: 21:33

absolutely. Like, I think for me, it's like, especially, With everything that I've been writing currently, it's such a vast departure from things that I've even taken an issue with in my own work before. But I know especially a lot of people who were listening to my earlier work definitely took issue with, and it's a lot of things that I've been working to improve upon in that regard. But it's also just kind of me trying to challenge myself more to create more interesting but memorable ideas. Cause for the longest time I really kind of just focused on making what a lot of people kind of dub as like producer porn. And just kind of really focusing on making things that are stylistically complex and interesting. But solely within the context of making something stylistically interesting and complex. And not focusing on making something that will stick with people in the long term. And That for me, I think was like one of my biggest issues was I was rarely ever able to create an idea that felt fully memorable until I started working on my album universe. And even then there were still a lot of moments where it's just like, Oh, this is unexpected. This is strange, but this is, still cool and it still fits within the idea, but now I'm just really focusing on finding ways to expand my horizons while also making that horizon within the same landscape. I don't know if that

Nik: 23:03

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. How do you find yourself doing that? Expanding your horizon, finding new inspiration and new ideas. Where do you find that?

Moore Kismet: 23:13

I think a lot of it for me is listening to my peers work, and also listening to a lot of music outside of school. electronic music, just kind of to get a, an idea of what's out there and what people are liking. And also to get a better idea of what I like and how I'm changing, because like, if what I'm listening to at the time can in any capacity influence what I'm working on, For my own project. I'm going to take that shit and run. That's, that I feel is like the biggest thing for me I'm, I'm immediately going to gravitate towards Interpolating or, or Emulating the essence of That thing I'm listening to that's striking a chord with me and finding a way in, in my own way in my own sound To emulate that feeling and to kind of create that energy within my work. So, you know, for example, I've really gravitated towards, um, there's a new album from Willow, Willow Smith that just came out. that I absolutely love. It is a whole bunch of kind of like experimental jazz fusion, like pop punk type stuff. Like it's like a mix between those two worlds and it like meshes it so perfectly. Um, and I was just like, the fact that this is like, like, if we, if we were to really think about it this way, I'm just like the fact that like Will and Jada Pickett Smith's daughter is like making this. Is genuinely bonkers. But looking beyond that, it's just like, I've literally, this is my general, like first introduction into music like this, and I'm so inspired by it. And I'm so inspired by the instruments and the textures and the arrangement styles that I'm thinking constantly about how I can create similar melodies and create similar atmospherics within my work to help people. Resonate it and create the same emotions that the willow songs were creating. So

Nik: 25:26

That's so cool. Because as you're telling me all this, like I can literally see the excitement on your face of like this, like, like discovering this new thing. Like, Oh my God, how do I do that? How do I create that same kind of feeling? You know, not like copy it, but it's like this triggered something inside of me and I want to get this feeling out and I want to share this as well. It's Like Like as an artist, I think you got to find that, you know, and, and, you know, I talked about this last week with, my buddy, Luke, who goes by Jekyll and Hyde, who's,

Moore Kismet: 25:55

okay

Nik: 25:56

have, you know, heavy dubstep, uh, bass music producer, but we had the same conversation. It's just like, yo, we gotta, you gotta get out of the echo chamber. If you're just making bass music and all you do is listen to the bass music. And it's like, it's, that's why I

Moore Kismet: 26:07

There's only so there's only so much farther you can go from where you're at if that's your mentality listening to other things that kind of challenge your expectations and kind of challenge your concepts of things it just

Nik: 26:19

you know what? I'm going to call this out right now as a piece of the headliner mindset is A headliner is going to be looking at how can I do something new, something fresh. I'm looking outside of what's happening, you know, just on my block. I'm looking into other, you know, scenes and genres and, and even other forms of art, whereas a lot of other people are just looking at how do I do what's already being done. Because I want to, I want to get in. I want to get into the cool kids club and the circle and what's happening. Well, it's like, if that's the way that you're thinking, you are always going to be three steps behind, you know, and, and, and it's kind of, again, I think the difference between being a producer and being an artist, a producer, the production side is just kind of the math and science. Like I'm learning how to recreate the formula, but an artist is actually going to really go out there and, bring something fresh to the table in their own, you know, unique perspective. And, uh, you know, I think that. You've just been doing that from the beginning. I think just as such, you. know, uh, uh, an authentic artist that's bringing someone, you know, really fresh and different to the scene. Um, so I want to talk about like the actual project and it sounds like you had a vision for the project pretty early on as well. Like you came up with the name pretty young. I think you said you were still in like middle school when you came up with it. Did you really just kind of come up with the name or did you also really have like a vision for what it was that you were creating, you know, beyond just throwing tracks up on SoundCloud? Hmm.

Moore Kismet: 27:46

just, I knew that I wanted it to feel like it was from me because I feel like more often than not, especially now, like I, I think I see a lot of artists kind of doing their thing and I can like see them creating cool shit and like see them doing this cool thing, but I can't piece together what. Their artistic vision is what their goals are just from what they put out and You know, maybe it's not Any of our business to I guess in their eyes, but it's also just like I want to find a way to connect With your artistry beyond just listening to the music if I can't do that There's a 99. 98 percent chance I'm not going to continue listening to you in the long term because I can't find a way to connect with your artistry. If it just doesn't sit with me and it just doesn't sit with me. And so for me, I think I started figuring out what my vision was for the project. Kind of late in the game, if I'm being honest, like I didn't really have a clear idea that, you know, I wanted to go full force with, you know, kind of exemplifying my identity through my artistry and through the visuals and through the branding choices and everything. That was a huge part of why I wanted to do it because I wanted to, I wanted to continue to create a safer space. for other queer creatives to express themselves as they wish to express themselves. And so for me, my way of trying to do that while also finding a way to assign it to anything and it not feel artificial or weird or, or different, is just by kind of finding different ways to allow myself to let the color into my work. Um, and so a lot of that has to do with the sound selection. Like there are, I would say, six or seven, give or take a few, like signature samples that I use in damn near every single thing. That I write. That I feel is the glue. Oh, eight actually, because I use like a vinyl crackle sample as well. But it's like, like eight signature samples that I use in damn near all of my work, regardless of genre, that does tie so much of my stuff together.

Nik: 30:31

Mm hmm.

Moore Kismet: 30:32

And I really kind of just like, from the beginning I was like, I never thought I would have like signature samples from my work, but it's just like. It became so frequent for me that it's just like, this has become a staple in my work and I'm still able to find ways to make it work and mesh it well into what I'm doing. To where it's like a very mildly noticeable thing within the context of every track.

Nik: 30:59

Yeah. You were saying that, even just as, as a fan with artists, you are looking for something beyond just the music really to connect with, right? Like, what, are the other things that make you really feel connected to an artist and what are the things in your own project that you really focus on to create that connection with fans? Yeah.

Moore Kismet: 31:21

I really try to see like, What story is there trying to tell what they're working? I think it's the same thing for me, you know. I think not all music has to tell, like, the most beautiful story on the planet that's so heart wrenching and awful and oh my god. But it's like, you know, I can listen to a song of yours, if the vast majority of your discography even, if I'm able to, like, skim through it and I'm able in that moment to feel what you were feeling while you were writing it, then I'm going to connect with your art. And that I think is the most important thing for me, is if I can create something that somebody can resonate with or can connect you in the same way that I did as I was working on it, then that just means more to me than anything, because that's just the most important part of creating art to me. Art has the ability to Change people's lives. Listening to music and like getting into music honestly has changed my life for the better. There are so many artists that I listen to that still constantly find ways to challenge people's expectations by telling stories that resonate with them. Um, and making things more poignant for them to understand where they're coming from. So they can understand it and they can connect with it in their own ways to where they can assign their own meaning to it and still connect with the song as it's intended to be interpreted and find their own kind of emotional crossroads that they can sit within and enjoy that artist's discography at that emotional crossroads.

Nik: 33:10

Yeah, beautifully said, you know, I noticed that you don't have a ton of, and maybe you purged your, your Instagram or something, but you don't have a ton of content up on there. Cause there's a lot of other artists where it's like, they're kind of putting out. Kind of mediocre music and then it's like well, let's just really focus on content Whereas I feel like it's kind of the other way around

Moore Kismet: 33:35

Let me sip on my drink.

Nik: 33:38

Cuz like really what I'm hearing is like Oh if you really put the time and the effort and the energy like really really really make great art You know, like you still got a rockin fan base and you're playing shows and you're crushing it But like it doesn't seem like you're just making posts every single day You know like playing that game that a lot of other people

Moore Kismet: 33:55

just, I'm not the most like, especially since Tesla Man ruined my favorite app, I kind of have just completely and utterly gravitated away from proactively using social media. And I know that in some capacity it might have hindered me. But like, I just, I don't. I don't feel the need to incessantly, like, I get why it's so important for a lot of people, but it's also just like, I want people to enjoy me as I am and like, enjoy my artistry as it is and as it lives in that moment. I don't want to just be incessantly in everyone's face every single moment of every single day. Because I know at that point people will be fucking sick of me. And that's not, that's not the point I'm trying to get at in my career. Where everyone is just so, like, Justifiably, but still unfortunately, Annoyed with my existence simply because They're just constantly seeing me On their screens all the time. I don't, I don't feel the need to do that. Like for me, the, the, the, the long and short of it for me is just like, I'm comfortable with just doing the occasional post here and there doing some stuff now and then to just be like, Hey, I'm still alive. I'm still cooking. And then like, if we start doing a heavy rollout, then maybe I'll be more proactive with posting. But even then it's explicitly to supply to the rollout and to help promote that. the song and to help promote this piece of my heart that's coming out and that's being shared with the whole world that I feel is it for me like I can't I can't do the whole hey guys hey guys like I can't that's not that's not my tea I'm not that kind of person especially with my social anxiety it's just not the the math doesn't math with social media for me. It's very rare that I actually willingly go on there and make something and even then it's almost always about the most random shit and it's for friends only to see so it's just like I can't I can't connect with it in the same way that a lot of other people are and I feel like that might be my only minor weakness with this.

Nik: 36:13

you know, I think it brings up a really good point because a lot of people are just sort of accepting this idea that we have to be on social media all the time, you know, and like posting five times a day. And that's how you build your audience or that's how you build your business or whatever. And to be honest, maybe there is. A diminishing rate of return of like you're saying, like, well, if I show up every single day, maybe people are actually going to be sick of me. Maybe it's going to have the opposite effect, the adverse effect of what I'm actually aiming for, you know, and perhaps it's also different based on like your personality. Some people have great, they're great and they're entertaining and like, cool. Like I'm gonna, I want to follow you because you know, you're, you're really funny or whatever that is. But like, that's not everybody. We all have our different personality. Like you're saying you having social anxiety. You're like, I don't want to show up every day. And I know that that's just not really going to work. And

Moore Kismet: 37:04

It's not even that I don't want to because if I could I would probably but it's also just like I can't I, I'm pretty sure at this point, you've noticed how fucking long winded my responses are. That's how I just talk in real life to everybody.

Nik: 37:23

perfect for a podcast though, because we got an hour, you know. When you're like, I got 30 seconds to make a fucking story right now and get my point across.

Moore Kismet: 37:30

That's the thing. And I ended up filming like 18 different takes trying to get it all within like a minute or 30 seconds. And I'm just like, I can't do that. I'm a yapper, and like, every time, the, the more I try to explain myself while I'm recording, the more reserved I get in the long run where I'm just like, do I even fucking do this anymore? Like, what is the point?

Nik: 37:54

After seven takes, you're like, what the fuck am I even saying on

Moore Kismet: 37:57

like, can I just get some food and, and go to sleep? Like, that's

Nik: 38:00

Yeah. I get

Moore Kismet: 38:01

just it. Yeah.

Nik: 38:05

it's we live in a weird time right now but but the cool thing is is like I don't know the The doper your art is kind of the less you have to worry about all of that, you know It's like if your shit's real, it's like I don't see rufus to soul fucking on their instagram story every day, you know They're just like yo, we just dropped a fucking album check it out and have your mind blown,

Moore Kismet: 38:26

And everybody who gravitates towards it, gravitates towards it. And so, Yeah,

Nik: 38:31

yeah, Cool. Um, you started to have. Success really young as like a teenager and I feel like especially when it comes to I don't know having a brand and really being an artist with something to say I'm, just thinking back to myself when I was 14 or 15 years old and like, you know I had no idea who I was at that point. Uh, how do you feel like that has changed or evolved for you? You know now, in terms of just like who you are as an artist

Moore Kismet: 39:04

I think now for me,

Nik: 39:05

hmm. Mm

Moore Kismet: 39:09

and I'm, I'm 19 now, I live on my own with, with a roommate and like, it's just, it's, it's, it's a lot and you just, like there are just a lot of things that like I am trying my absolute hardest to stay on top of. Because I've now assumed so much more responsibility in my life. I just, I have to really like show up more for myself so I could continue to show up for the people around me. And I think a huge part for me in that journey was just like really, really kind of understanding my boundaries more. And really understanding where I was at in my journey as far as like expressing my identity.'cause it was just, I, I, I already knew that. Like, people just have always just had an averse reaction towards queer people in general. Especially, you know, I'm black, I have these braids in my hair every time we go to the airport, people mistake me. For a woman, it is just like, it's, it's, it's a lot. And like there have been so many moments where, you know, I'm kind of just sitting on my own and I'm just like thinking about every conceivable thing on the planet in terms of me and how I'm living and how I present myself to the world.

Nik: 40:38

hmm.

Moore Kismet: 40:39

And it just sits with me, you know, like it's just, it doesn't get any easier to kind of think about the fact that. am one of few and I'm trying my absolute hardest kind of just Float by and On the surface kind of just be like, oh, yeah, cool. I'm cooking Doing my thing and we're chilling and meanwhile, I'm just over here kind of like Struggling and like fighting to kind of Make it and like continue to do this thing that I love doing so much because it is so, it's, it's so much harder now to kind of keep up with everything that I have to do than it was when I was younger.

Nik: 41:32

Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah, yeah, you, uh, I mean, you're still so young, at, at 19, and just taking your very first steps out, really, of, being independent and being out on your own. Uh, I

Moore Kismet: 41:46

And it's a lot.

Nik: 41:47

It's a lot.

Moore Kismet: 41:48

I'm trying to adjust to it as. as best as I possibly can because, you know, I need to make sure I'm able to continue doing this and I want to be able to take care of the people around me and to be able to take care of myself. That's always been my number one priority is to make sure that I'm good. My family is good. My extended family and my friends are good. You know, it really does make. such a difference when, you're in school and you're, and you're living with your grandparents and you're kind of just gliding on by and you're chilling and doing this thing and it's a completely different circumstance when you're like a young adult living in one of, one of the states in the US that has one of the highest costs of living in the United States. It's like, it's just,

Nik: 42:39

you're in L. a Mm hmm.

Moore Kismet: 42:40

Yeah, I'm a NoHo and so like, it's just my, my rent is I think like upwards of$4,000 for the two bed. One, like two bath we have. It's literally just, it, it, it's like it's a beautiful space and every, like, it's been so much better since we've moved here, from Victorville, which is where we were at originally. Um, but it's like, it is just a lot.

Nik: 43:09

Yeah.

Moore Kismet: 43:09

I am kind of trying to figure shit out one step at a time. As I kind of settle into, you know, adulting, like I turned 20 this year and it's fucking insane to even say that cause I'm just like, Oh my God. Like it really did just feel like yesterday where I was just like coming home from school every day and just plopping. down next to the desk that was wedged in between my closet and my bunk bed and just writing everything, talking to my friends on the internet and like, like doing this. And like, now I'm still doing that, but now it's like, instead of producing at the desk in my living room, I'm producing at the desk in my living room now, rather than, you know, producing in my bedroom. Or like doing, doing this thing. It's just, it, it, it, it, for me, I've always just wanted to do this. And this is the, this is the thing that I want to do for the rest of my life. And I just am trying so hard to continue to let it be this thing that I love. While also understanding that there is so much more has become

Nik: 44:27

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I've talked about this a few times because I've talked to a lot of, uh, friends and also clients that have fallen into, I don't want to say a trap, but just a reality that when you're coming up and it's all fun and it's all passion and then, and there's no business yet. There's no business to worry about yet. There's no money. There's no, you know, like expectations. And it's just really pure passion and pure joy. And then at some point, it does become a business. And then it's like, Okay, oh, shit. Now, we got decisions to make. We also you just moved out on your own. Now I got bills to pay. And now this thing that I'm doing, I kind of have to do it now. Like, this is what's making the fucking this is what's paying the bills. And so it's, it's, you know, It's so normal and natural that it is going to take a different tone, you know, like I like what you said It's just like well, I gotta how do I stay in love with this, you know, and and that's the million dollar question and um I just want to first off First off, I just want to celebrate you and I want to invite you to celebrate yourself for taking this step out to be out on your own and, becoming fully, fully independent adult. That's kind of a rite of passage that, uh, not everybody even takes, you know, some people are still, 30 living with their parents and, and, you know, you're out there doing it and you're doing it in LA. And so

Moore Kismet: 45:54

For me though, like, I kind of get it. Like, even then, like, I live with my mom still, and it's because it's easier for us to, like, split expenses and costs together than it is for me to just do it by myself with me making as little money as I still do right now. So it's just like everything that we do, we do it together. And it's just like, we're here in this space embarking on this thing and just kind of focusing in on that. And it is just like, I'm constantly worrying about like, fuck. I'll make an example out of it. I'm on tour with Virtual Riot right now. I just did three dates with him. And I'm about to do two more at the end of this week, and I am so unbelievably excited. But every single show I'm doing on that tour, I'm getting paid less than 2, 000. And so, because I also can't check into most hotels in the U. S. unless I'm 25, nor can I enter most of the clubs on this tour because most of them are 21 up, I can't be there without a legal guardian present.

Nik: 46:59

Oh

Moore Kismet: 46:59

I'm 19 still so I have to have someone go with me simply for legality's sake But also just because I know for a fact I still can't do this on my own Yeah, I need somebody who will be there to make sure that I stay on top of shit and that i'm able to continue taking care of myself And i'm able to do this fully to the level that I know i'm capable of doing it But it's like those expenses Are a lot and if you're only being paid like 1, 000 to 1, 500 a show doesn't help trying to then later on when you're off tour and then you don't have anything until the end of the month trying to cover Your rent your utilities your water like got like everything it adds up and it's like Like I'm

Nik: 47:55

we out

Moore Kismet: 47:55

hanging in there, literally. We, we, we out here. We, we out here. I, I, I'd like to be a little further out. Like, you know, like, that's the, that's the, that's the, that's the goal. Um, but yeah, it's just like, it's a lot. The climate of touring

Nik: 48:13

Yeah, I, I,

Moore Kismet: 48:13

really strenuous.

Nik: 48:15

I appreciate you pointing out this stage. You know, there's some people that they get really lucky and it's just like, they get that hit song and they're just like, they go from zero to a hundred. There's this like, 30 to 40, 30 to 60 zone that a lot of people don't talk about, which is like, I'm making some,

Moore Kismet: 48:33

in that zone.

Nik: 48:34

yeah. And I, and a lot of people are just like, it's, and it's, I think it's the same for anybody that has a, a side hustle that they want to turn into the. Same thing with me for, uh, for, for coaching. I'm, I'm five years into being a full time coach, but I had two years where it was part time and there was that moment of like, I'm making a little bit of money, but it's not enough to kind of replace the salary and take that jump. and and, and it's a, it's a, it's a moment of fucking. Tension. It's a moment of sort of like the uh, the caterpillar turning into the butterfly of like, all Right. We're gonna be in this just this fucking goop phase for a little bit where it's like I'm not really flapping my wings yet because they're still kind of being built inside of this little uh, this little cocoon here Um, and But, you know, this is where it's just like that, that vision, that faith, that perseverance, you know what I mean? And, and I think also just a lot of, uh, a lot of gratitude as well. It's, it's very easy to get caught up in what, uh, you know, I still have, uh, what's not working and I still have to go so much further to go. But, you know, I preach it a lot on here. Just the power of celebration and the power of gratitude and just know whatever we feed is gonna grow. And, uh, This is that, moment for you, so it's very exciting and

Moore Kismet: 49:44

you. Yeah, it's a it's extremely scary. But you know every day I'm in disbelief that I'm waking up in my own bedroom watching TV chilling out eating breakfast and then getting to come out and like see the LA skyline from my apartment. Like it's it's truly. It's truly so good. Amazing still. And like, it is only just a constant reminder for me that like, I need to keep pushing and I need to keep going and doing this for as long as I can, because I'm really loving having my own autonomy and my own freedom as a human being. And I want to continue to retain that. And I want to continue to enjoy spending time with the people closest to me. And being with them and showing up for them and their moments to celebrate them. So it's just like I, I'm, I'm, I'm hanging in there. I'm, I'm, I'm trekking.

Nik: 50:43

yeah, and what beautiful driving forces, you know, I think that's a question. I like to I Like to ask as well as like, who needs me to show up at my best today? Right. like I know for myself, like I naturally don't really work that hard for myself. I'm low maintenance. I'm like, I'm cool I'm good. But once I think about oh shit, I need to show up for this person I need to I need to show up for my girlfriend. I need to show up for my mom and my sisters I'm like, okay, let's let's fucking go. Let's get it, you know, and there's that next level of drive there. So I love to hear that you've got Yeah, you've got your, your team, you've got your people around you. And, um, yeah, it's a beautiful journey that you're on. I'm very excited to see you continue to, to grow from here and what you. build. And yeah, I really appreciate you sharing your story and, being real and peeling back the curtains and letting us into, to your life a little bit and appreciate you taking the time.

Moore Kismet: 51:37

Thank you so much for having me. This was awesome. I really appreciate it.