Page 33 - ION Indie Magazine MarchApril 2019

Kiki Plesha: Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today, David! I am a fan
of your work with Black Water Greed as Co-Producer as well as Executive Producer
on their recent album ‘Circle of Sin.’ It’s obvious to me from researching your history
that you have a true heart for independent artists and often take a role of
mentorship as you really care about the quality of their sound and product. Can you
tell the readers how you found yourself in the crazy business of music…and what
was the catalyst for that?

David Mobley: Before I get started, I want to sincerely thank you for this opportunity,
Kiki. It’s a great honor to be included in your wonderful ION Indie Magazine and to be
interviewed by someone that I so much admire. Now about your question…I’ll start by
saying the catalyst that propelled me into the music business was simply my intense
love for it. I couldn’t get enough of every aspect of the business -- especially the
songwriting and production part. Although I started onstage playing in a few different
bands, I was never completely satisfied. But once I discovered writing and song
production, well, I knew that was my calling. I’ve been at it now ever since 1970. As
the years rolled by and more and more bands and artists began discovering the digital
‘do it yourself’ and home studio platforms, many of the bands and artists stopped
using or trying to get signed by major labels. This is where the ‘indie’ – short for
independent – bands and artists have had to make decisions, very important decisions
as they continue to grow in numbers and become a reckoning force. When working
with these artists, one of the biggest and most important decision that must be made
is which avenue will be best take – try to get signed to a major label or go it alone with
the concept of ‘do it yourself’.

KP: I always preach that serious artists need to treat music as a serious business. As
an entrepreneur who has been successful both in the corporate world and the music
realm, what is the best piece of business advice that you could give to an up-and-
coming artist today?

DM: Great question, Kiki. I probably have repeated this same answer over and over to
most every person that’s ever asked me about giving them my best advice about music
or business or both…and that would be to first figure out and know exactly what you
really want to accomplish, stay extremely focused on reaching your goal, stay eager
and hungry to reach that goal, and then go after it with all you have. I also stress not
to get buried in working so hard that you get confused and find yourself stuck in a
tunnel vision and end up missing the big picture. You’ll get much further along in your
endeavors and reaching your goal simply by carefully thinking your way through,
rather than to try and work your way through 24/7. Many bands and artists want
instant success and gratification, and they end up sweating and working their tails off
more so than thinking things over. It has always served me well to think my goals out,
work on them, make sure I stay on track, rest my brain to keep it fresh, look back and
review what I’ve accomplished that day or that week, and then make sure that I’m
satisfied with my results. If so, I continue to move forward. I have to feel good about
the direction I’m moving or I stop and reconsider if I’m actually headed in the right
direction to reach my goal. Bottom line…brain over brawn…or at least a combination
of the two.