Roy Moller

Roy Moller was born in Edinburgh, grew up in Leith and now lives in Dunbar. While at Strathclyde University he was joint winner of the Keith Wright Poetry Competition. After graduating, Roy concentrated his creative endeavours on music, playing guitar in Peel favourites Meth O.D. and instrumental outfit The Wow Kafe, on whose debut single Who Will Apologise To The Emperor he featured on lead guitar. The NME gave the record a rave review, calling it “utterly ace”

Roy released his first solo single, Maximum Smile in 2003 on Hamburg label Felicite Singles Club. Further singles and the albums Speak When I’m Spoken To and Playing Songs No One’s Listening To garnered enthusiastic reviews as Roy’s reputation gradually grew.

“A week ago I’d never heard of him, now I’m his biggest fan,” enthused BBC 6Music’s Marc Riley as he gave Roy’s Byres Road Saturday one of several spins on his show. Moller has subsequently played Riley sessions in his own right and as a member of Scottish supergroup Jesus, Baby! led by Davy Henderson and performing songs by Neu! Reekie! co-founder and poet Michael Pedersen. Roy was also part of psychedelic garage band The Store Keys, backing The Poets’ George Gallacher on his last single.

Of Moller’s 2012 album, The Singing’s Getting Better, the Daily Record said, “This is a beautiful, well crafted album that soars ever higher with joy at every play.” Receiving airplay from Riley and Gideon Coe, the album enhanced Moller’s reputation as, in the words of Pennyblackmusic, “one of Scotland’s most original contemporary songwriters”.

Roy’s fourth solo album, One Domino, was released by Edinburgh-based Stereogram in May, 2014. Garnering the best reviews of his career so far, the album featured prominently in several end-of-year best-of lists.

Involvement with the Edinburgh-based poetry/music/animation fusion Neu! Reekie! has encouraged Moller back to poetry and following on from the publication of his work in literary journals and a growing reputation as a spoken word performer, Roy’s first volume of poetry, Imports, was published in December 2014 by Appletree Writers. Roy’s musical, My Week Beats Your Year, based on his experiences as growing up under the influence of Lou Reed was performed as part of Appletree’s residence at that year’s Edinburgh Fringe, its soundtrack album, released by Stereogram, getting a 10/10 review from Louder Than War

In March 2015, Roy was asked to write and perform a poem for A Celebration of Nina Simone at the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow.

TESTIMONIALS

“‘My Week Beats Your Year’ is a vital, important work that keeps alight the flickering flame of Reed’s intelligent vision.
Profoundly moving and inspirational.”
Gus Ironside, Louder Than War, March 2015

“A diverse LP from the acoustic strum of LP opener ‘Capital City’ to the squalling guitars and celebratory organ of ‘Captivity’ through the horn section on ‘Under The Radar’. As with ‘One Domino’ what pulls the different elements together is Moller’s insistent melodic sense”
Mike Melville, Manic Pop Thrills, October 2014

“Sometimes spacey, always honest. An excellent blending of Roy’s own childhood and upbringing.”
Megan Helstone, Simply Thrilled, August 2014

“Roy has assimilated the blueprint but built the house himself. It’s a love letter to a friend or possibly a brother, it’s from the heart and the heart don’t lie.”
Stevie Walker, Underdog Champions, August 2014.

“There’s real wit in the lyrics, and steel guitar adds poignancy to the decrepit majesty of the title track”.7/10.
Alastair McKay, Uncut, August 2014

“the scuffed magnificence of the guitars on ‘Street Oblique’ and the pounding disco of ‘Edinburgh City Control’… One constant throughout is the nagging melodies… unquestionably an accomplished record”.
Mike Melville, Manic Pop Thrills, June 2014

“One thing you’ll find is that he‘s not afraid to try his hand at different styles and indeed maybe he’s “…in the lap of the gods“. ‘One Domino‘ is really worth shelling out a few pounds and investigating. A cool 8/10”.
StevoMusicMan, June 2014

“On a scale from “borrow from a friend” to “paper the walls and ceilings with these lyrics and own every copy available,” One Domino is a rabid “buy a copy, then buy up Roy’s entire discography, then find yourself still hungry for more.”
Megan Helstone, Piggledy Pop, June 2014

“One Domino is a fine collection of varying styles, and the closing title track caps off an impressive collection of lo-fi pop gems from Moller”. Tony Gaughan, PennyBlackMusic, May 2014

“This great album dips a toe in many musical seas and washes up a heady mix of angular pop, electro vibes, baroque folk, country twang and ready wit. A mighty fine album by any standards”.
Paul Johnston, Jocknroll Ain’t Noise Pollution, April, 2014

“The range of songs on Roy Moller’s new album One Domino travel through time, space and the arts, speaking of the past, from Edinburgh to Berlin, from architecture to painting with a lot of poetry…Each song a story, narrated by Roy Moller, depicts a varied universe with a gift for melodic creation and interpretation”.
Marie-agnès Hallé, Piggledy Pop, April 2014

“Perhaps the closest comparison would be a post-punk Dylan, spiked with the literate poetics of Lou Reed and Richard Hell. Following the recent devastating loss of Lou, there’s a vacancy for Poet Laureate of the misfits and outsiders; with One Domino- a strong contender for Album of the Year- Roy Moller has just staked his claim” 9/10.
Gus Ironside, Louder Than War, April 2014

“That Roy Moller can still be described as Scotland’s best kept secret is a mystery to me. His abilities are obvious…one of Scotland’s most original contemporary songwriters.” Andrew Cassidy, Pennyblackmusic

“Roy Moller is a native of Edinburgh but makes Americana like absolutely no one on this side of the world.” Sonniegetage

“A mutant psychedelic variation of the classic Americana sound, he’s pretty darn good at it too. Clearly an impressive talent with a keen ear for melody and a mischievous lyric writing approach.” Business Lady, Norman Records

“A very gifted and unconventional artist!!” Pop’N’Cherries

“Scottish performer Roy Moller is a genius…Echoes? Jonathan Richman, fairground music, campfire sing-alongs, Robyn Hitchcock, calliope, Television Personalities, The Kinks, toys, Dylan, Bowie…” Sandiegotroubadour.

“Roy Moller has climbed to the highest rank of singer-songwriters in independent music.” Piggledy Pop, Paris

“A fabulous alternative to saccharine pop, pompous rock and bland soul for the most world-weary Earth dweller.” Keith Ames, The Musician