Emerging from the haunting echoes of her debut album “Euphoric Recall” in 2021, MØAA unveils her second mesmerizing record, “Jaywalker.” Seattle-born musician Jancy Buffington crafts a nocturnal dream pop experience, weaving pulsating 909 drum machines beneath enchanting hushed vocals and shimmering, reverb-soaked guitars. Swapping out the fuzzed-out bass lines for lush choruses and pulsating synths, “Jaywalker” invites listeners to a world of melancholic dance.

Written entirely by Buffington, the album was brought to life in collaboration with Andrea Volpato, who co-produced, mixed, and recorded the ethereal soundscape at Fox Studio in Seattle, Washington. Since its inception in 2021, MØAA has embarked on headline tours across the United States, Europe, and the UK, gracing prominent stages like the official SXSW 2022 showcase, Ypsigrock Festival in Sicily, and MIL Festival in Lisbon. Sharing the spotlight with artists such as Yves Tumor at Artivive Festival in Modena, MØAA continued to captivate audiences with a US west coast tour in January 2023 alongside Film School. We mentioned her in our article prior also and we are grateful to be able to talk with her now. Check out our interview with her below:

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Classic Entourage Magazine: Your second album, “Jaywalker,” takes a different sonic direction compared to your debut. Can you share the creative inspiration behind this nocturnal dream pop record and the decision to shift from gothic shoegaze to a more pulsating sound?

MØAA: I wouldn’t say that I made a decision to shift my sound, when I write music I am not consciously thinking about what I necessarily want it to sound like – it kind of just happens organically. However, I did listen to a fair amount of electronic music in the past (i.e. Emancipator) and I do remember while writing this record that I wanted to let more of my past influences come into my writing process, which led me to play around with more electronic instruments than the previous record.

CE Mag: The transition from fuzzed-out bass lines to fat chorus and throbbing synths on “Jaywalker” is intriguing. How do you see your musical evolution unfolding, and what influences or experiences contributed to this sonic transformation?

MØAA: I listen to so many different types of music that it’s hard to predict, even for myself, what direction I will end up going in. While writing Jaywalker I was discovering and listening to a lot of dark wave/synth pop music like TR/ST and Drab Majesty so it could have been those influences that informed some of the sound on this record.

I suspect that since I’ve been listening to a lot of rap since finishing to write Jaywalker, the next record will be even more beat driven, unless I decide to break those songs off into a side project.

CE Mag: Working with collaborator Andrea Volpato for both “Euphoric Recall” and “Jaywalker,” how does the collaborative process shape your music? What role does collaboration play in bringing your sonic vision to life?

MØAA: Collaboration with Andrea was pretty intensive in the first record, hence him and I co-writing two songs on it and him producing/polishing the sound of the record. With Jaywalker I wrote everything – all the guitar, bass, and synth on my own apart from some guitar embellishments in the writing process added by him in his studio during the recording of the record. I tend to want to write alone since the process for me is so personal I don’t like having people around or even overhearing what I’m writing. However, even though I write the majority of the guitar and bass in my songs, when it comes to the actual recording of the songs in the studio I prefer to have him perform what I’ve written for those instruments. Andrea is such a talented multi instrumentalist, he’s been my go to for each record for recording, mixing and production. He is also the live guitarist of the project and has been from the very beginning.

CE Mag: You’ve headlined tours across the United States, Europe, and the UK, performing at notable festivals like SXSW, Ypsigrock, and MIL Festival. How have these diverse experiences shaped your perspective as an artist, and do you find different audiences respond differently to your music?

It’s fun to have the music really come to life when we play it live, and I like hearing the feedback from fans about the show and their experience with the music afterwards.

MØAA

MØAA: It’s been really interesting to meet the different types of people that are into MØAA and I’ve noticed that a lot of people relate emotionally to the music even if they come from really different backgrounds as people. When it comes to the shows, some audiences have said it made them go into a trance, while others were affected emotionally, and others dance.

CE Mag: Sharing the stage with artists like Yves Tumor at Artivive Festival must have been an incredible experience. Can you tell us about a particular moment on stage that stands out as a highlight in your career so far?

MØAA: I would say Ypsigrock or that festival with Yves Tumor are two of my favorites that we’ve played, and they both happen to have been in Italy. They were both really big festivals that every year have incredible line ups with bands that I like so it was an honor to be able to play there. Performing on that size of a stage really brings out an intensity and elevated presence in myself that surprised me, and it was pretty intoxicating.

CE Mag: Your extensive touring, including the recent “Jaywalker” album release tours, suggests a strong connection with your audience. How does performing live contribute to your artistic expression, and do you have a favorite city or venue that holds a special place in your heart?

MØAA: Performing definitely enables me to convey another side of MØAA. Of course, I love to express the project through visuals like video and photographic content online because I can really sink into the art in solitude, but I’ve found that it’s entirely another thing to communicate the energy and emotions of the music physically on stage. It’s fun to have the music really come to life when we play it live, and I like hearing the feedback from fans about the show and their experience with the music afterwards. I really liked Berlin at 8mm bar and Artifice in Las Vegas! Both venues and shows I really enjoyed.

CE Mag: Seattle has a rich musical history, from grunge to indie. How has the city influenced your music, and do you feel a sense of community within the Seattle music scene?

MØAA: I can definitely say that the music that came out of here from the 90s had an influence on me since that was the music playing on the local radio station that my mom would listen to when I was young. I also find the scenery of the greater Seattle area (like the overcast skies and pine trees mixed with the city) to be very inspiring somehow.

About the Seattle music scene…I honestly can’t say that I feel a great sense of community. I find that there is a lot of politics and nepotism which is a bummer. However, there are some musician friends in the Seattle scene that are dear to me, supportive, and very helpful but they are exceptions to this I would say.

CE Mag: Crafting an entire album by yourself is no small feat. What were some challenges you faced while writing “Jaywalker,” and how did you overcome them to bring your vision to fruition?

MØAA: There were a couple of songs on the album that I worked on over a long period of time, so I had to be really patient with those ones as they morphed. I find its difficult for me to make major changes in a demo that I’ve started, but with this record I practiced permitting myself to make major changes instead of just abandoning the song entirely. Of course sometimes I got lucky and the song just flowed out in one day in my studio, but those really are just gifts dropped on my lap.

CE Mag: Your music seems to blend various elements and genres. Are there specific artists or genres that you are currently exploring or drawing inspiration from for future projects?

MØAA: I’ve been mostly listening to a lot of rap like Bones and Bladee in the last year, so my writing might end up being influenced by these. I can say that some stuff I have been writing might already show some of these influences a little bit.

CE Mag: Thank you for chatting with us today! Our last question is, if you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, from any genre, who would it be and why?

MØAA: Elliot Smith – his music hits extra deep

Check her out on her socials including Instagram, Youtube, and her Website.