Massachusetts native Bert Moreshead demonstrates the depths of his abilities with various musical outlets
Bert Moreshead has been emerging in various forms. Perhaps his most well-known manifestation is being spotted on stage with nothing,nowhere., assisting his longtime skatepark buddy Joe Mulherin in bringing his basement-curated vision to the foreground via guitar contributions. “Joe and I grew up on the same type of music, and were in multiple bands together for years before nothing,nowhere. started, so I think our styles/vibes can be similar at times,” Moreshead explains. Serving as a third of the live embodiment of the experimental phenomenon, the multifaceted musician has made his mark on stages at home and abroad. Nevertheless, being an indispensable conduit for the sounds of all-consuming depression and anxiety should not overshadow the work Moreshead has produced as a solo artist.
“I mostly post instrumentals and let the music tell its own story,” Moreshead says of his one-man moniker, The Gnarly Neighbors. With delicate releases appearing unassumingly yet monumentally, the humble attitude of The Gnarly Neighbors as an entity helps build organic anticipation among fans instead of inflating his own hype. The result is quality-over-quantity cultivated through integrity.
The Gnarly Neighbors’ popular track “Anxiety” features guitar work anchored through change-up beat drops and meandering instrumentals. New track “Insomnia” retains this hypnotic coming and going while taking the listener on a particularly floaty trip through starry, windswept skies. Crafting melancholic beauty without immediately appealing to angst, “Insomnia” offers glimpses of Pvris in what Moreshead describes as a rare instance of sampling: “Usually I prefer to write the instrumental 100% myself but I enjoy doing both styles.”
Another perspective is put forth on Moreshead’s other venture, Home Away. Last year’s album Somewhere in Between is more clearly identifiable as an indie experiment that takes on a distinct death-rock edge. He notes that the brighter tones accompanying lyrics addressing love and loss achieve his goal to “express myself over a shoegaze/dream pop feel.”
Exploring emotion’s underbelly is a common theme throughout Moreshead’s endeavors, yet each project manages to take on its own voice. Breathing life into nothing,nowhere. requires extremity, The Gnarly Neighbors is about blissful balance, and Home Away contrasts darkness and light. As Moreshead reflects on his varied work, one thread holds true – “I put all my emotions into my music; although it may be pessimistic at times, I try to have an underlying optimistic view through the situations I’ve been through and write about.”