NASHVILLE |OFER
Biography
In His Own Words
Press Release, September 28, 2004
Ofer Moses
Being out of step in a sea of scensters is paying off for OFER MOSES. Hailing from West Coast’s hood du jour (Silverlake), this Israeli-born singer, songwriter and musician is flying in the face of his indie rock contemporaries with a sound that is both lush and concise. Thoughtful string arrangements, meticulous finger picked guitar, and bittersweet melodies ring throughout this debut album. SHORT STORY LONG is a rare offering from a talented newcomer, who Brian Fogarty of www.exoduster.com says “has channeled the gap that Elliott Smith has left, but with a bit more poppiness and upbeatness on his debut.”
OFER plays the introspective artist role with a whimsical confidence that harkens back to artists such as Nick Drake, Dylan, and McCartney and while working on the record a cast of friends lent their support. Rusty Anderson (guitar player for Paul McCartney), Joey Waronker (drummer for Beck and R.E.M.), Anna Waronker (of That Dog), and Walter Vincent (who has produced both Pete Yorn and Liz Phair) all pitched in.
Already a regular in the clubs, Ofer opened up for Rufus Wainwright while guests such as Leonard Cohen etc. looked on; ranted and performed over the airwaves of Power 106 and KXLU; and played a high-profile show for the Imitation of Christ fashion line. From his boyhood, a half a world away, to the clubs of Los Angeles, OFER MOSES creates music that reflects the optimism of a young man who’s found something to say.
H O W I G R E W U P
Ofer: In His Own Words
Originally I was born in Israel, then shipped here at age 5. Here I mean, California. I grew up in Long Beach with Snoop Dogg, and Warren G. The thug life was hard, so I moved onto the skateboarding scene where I was able to excel on my own, (no I’m not black by the way). Not long after, I became another snot-nosed Jewish kid with a sponsorship (Liberty/World Industries, Venture Trucks, and Airwalk shoes) and a rebellious, discerning attitude. Then 21 rolled around, and it was either college, or the professional life of skateboarding. I chose school, art school if you will. I figured my bones wouldn’t hold up past thirty, and being the Jew that I am, I needed to plan ahead, way ahead…Then while serving my four-year term in the school of Graphic Design, I managed to simultaneously carry out a romance with my guitar, writing a few of the songs that will be positioned on the “Ofer” fall release record of 2004. After graduating, I started playing out around L.A., which garnered the attention that led me into all these great studios with well-renowned artists, recording, and producing my songs/music. The rest is up to powers that be to make this story’s future an even healthier exercise of pure raw betterment…
