Ryan Moran from Slightly Stoopid
Slightly Stoopid is a huge band from San Diego. Their music can make you believe there is a place where summer never ends and the sun never sets.
I still haven’t seen them live but I get the feeling I could get high just off the second hand smoke at their shows. Anyway, these guys have been the soundtrack to many, many positive experiences and I wanted to get in touch and brighten the gloomy (at the time) February.
So here is RyMo for you:
LC: Last July you released a new record – Everyday Life, Everyday People. What is the best thing about it?
RyMo: I love the variety of the music, the album art, and of course the collaborations. We had Yellowman, Don Carlos, Chali 2na, Alborosie, Ali Campbell, and G. Love. It’s a fun ride.
LC: The album also came out on cassette. What is your best preferred format?
RyMo: I like vinyl. Nice to read the notes about who did what on the album. Of course nowadays the streaming and digital download way is convenient also.
LC: How do you guys keep it positive all the time? Sad stuff happens to everyone but it doesn’t seem to bleed into the music you’re making at all.
RyMo: We are human. Sad stuff happens all around us. Music can be an escape from that. A simple positive message can help carry people through tough times. Our music is about that. Let’s forget the division in our world and enjoy some party time.
LC: You’ve had tons of guests on your albums. Who is your dream featuring that hasn’t happened yet?
RyMo: There are quite a few. Off the top of my head- Dave Grohl, Jack Johnson, Willy Nelson, Zac Brown, Dave Matthews, Damian Marley.
LC: Following the steps of Sublime and their Skunk Records, back in 1999 the band started Stoopid Records to try and push the local scene. How many bands are on the label at the moment and is there one that you’d love to sign?
RyMo: The label is mainly to support our output at the moment. We had a few bands before, but nothing aside from us at the moment.
LC: I know you tour quite a bit. How would you describe the perfect band-life balance?
RyMo: We are doing it. Back when I joined the band in 2003, we were doing about 180-200 days on the road a year. Nowadays, we all have families and fatherly responsibilities so we have scaled back a bit. I think now we are in the 120-150 day range of annual touring.
LC: You’ve got a history of playing jazz as well, but what kind of music do you listen to in your time off the kit?
RyMo: Yes I used to study and play jazz quite a bit. I have an instrumental world fusion side project called Agent 22 that plays around 10 shows a year or so. It’s a duo thing.
I listen to jazz all the time. I feel like it’s important for all musicians to have a broad listening palette. The beauty of music is that you can never stop learning. So by listening to all different music, you will absorb some of it and it will come back out of you in some form. I listen to everything from Classical to Punk to World to Rock to Reggae to Rap. It’s all about my mood.
LC: Which are the top 3 places that everybody should check if they visit San Diego?
RyMo: Any or every beach. We have about 60 miles of incredible beaches and coastline.
There are a ton of breweries here now, I recommend going to any one and grabbing a pint and lunch.
The Gaslamp district of downtown is fun on a Friday or Saturday night. There are about 30 towns within San Diego. Each neighbourhood has it’s own vibe and feel.
Listen to: Slightly Stoopid - Talk too Much