Introducing: George Moir
Hometown: Plymouth
Listen to: ‘Flowers’, ‘Baked Beans’, ‘Big Boy Cruisin’
Plymouth-based artist George Moir blends playful synths with complex yet unpretentious songwriting to create music that is charming, honest and immediately memorable.
His latest EP, Guide to Growing, navigates the unstable tightrope of early adulthood and all the lessons that come around long after you’ve left the classroom. Across just five songs, he covers everything from mental health and relationships, to ambition and poverty. ‘Big Boy Cruising’ dissects the disconnect between big ambitions and the messy, uncertain reality of life. In ‘Sickly’, about the ease of feeling completely unproductive, he sings “Pushing past 60 hours a week / I still feel lazy every day”. Moir deftly switches between themes, writing with a heavy measure of relatability
On paper, Moir’s music sounds like it’s deeply serious, but the magic of Moir’s music is that it is instantly uplifting, yet multifaceted in its themes when you tune in to the lyrics. Blending humour with direct lyrics, his latest single, ‘Baked Beans’, is a commentary on scraping by in pretty terrible conditions. “I know the air here ain’t great for my health / The spores are living in my lungs”, he sings in the first verse, before declaring in the chorus “I bet caviar tastes weird anyway but I’m still gonna get there someday”. His direct, conversational songwriting style is a huge part of George Moir’s appeal – it feels like he’s plucked more than a couple of thoughts right out of my head.
In a similar vein, ‘Empty’, explores the psychological burnout of pursuing music alongside a full-time job, set to a catchy melody and joyful cast of backing singers. Comparable to the likes of Declan McKenna’s ‘British Bombs’ or Sam Fender’s ‘Hypersonic Missiles’, George Moir has a gift for embedding serious themes in songs that still make you want to dance.
George Moir’s music videos are a form of art in their own right, and are created by Moir himself. From the house-turned-spaceship in ‘Baked Beans’ to the talking flowers in – you guessed it – ‘Flowers’, he creates paper-collage animations that are just as enchanting as his songs.
While Moir’s Guide to Growing is largely a letter to those of us trudging through our early 20s, Moir’s music transcends a generational audience. In his cover of ‘God’s Plan’ he breathes new, boppy life into Drake’s 2018 hit, and Flowers’ is an endearing apology song that is romantic without ever becoming cringy. The more subdued ‘Lonely’, with the brilliant Blossom Caldarone, is a more universal track about drifting from close friends.
Early into what will surely be a long career, Moir’s established an assured sound and voice without becoming repetitive or falling into cliches. With influences like Rex Orange County and Tom Misch, it’s exciting to see how he’ll continue to set himself apart from a host of artists striving to speak on behalf of our generation. I have every confidence he will.
Listen to George Moir on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Follow George Moir on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Words by Kat Smith
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.