Artist Interview - Pamela Moore (Solo Artist, Queensryche)

Interview and Bio by Austin Jenkins
 
 
Pamela Moore has had a very diverse career. She got her start doing session work on the radio, and from there went on to record with one of the biggest metal bands of all time, Queensryche. She is famous for her portrayal of “Sister Mary” in the Operation: Mindcrime 1 & 2 albums. On top of her work with Queensryche, she has recorded and released records with both Radar, and her own solo project. Stories From A Blue Room, her most recent solo effort, has received rave reviews worldwide. It is a mix of rock and electronica, and features Jeff Loomis from Nevermore on guitar.

Austin: Let me start off by finding out who your biggest influences were as a singer?
 
Pamela:  I grew up listening to many styles of music, from Gospel to Jazz, Opera, Pop, Hard Rock. Back in the day I loved to listen to the music of Journey, Heart, Vanilla ice and Madonna..   *sheepish grin*
 
Austin: What kinds of vocal training have you done throughout your career? Before the training, were you a natural or did it take some work?
 
Pamela: I haven’t had too much vocal training. In fact, the bulk of my vocal training experience came while attending High School. I have what is considered a “natural vibrato” and have always found it easy to pick up harmonies.

Austin: You’ve had a very diverse career in music. Where did you get your start, and how did you work to establish yourself as a working vocalist to the point of being asked to sing on Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime album?
 
Pamela: I started by teaching myself how to play guitar and piano which eventually inspired me to begin writing songs.  In College I was into a lot of folk and Jazz music but had a strong desire to branch our and grow other styles of music.  So, I started working in club bands and eventually started singing  for radio and Tv commercials too. I remember singing an ad for a Music store in Seattle called Guitars Etc. Geoff Tate and Chris DeGarmo heard the radio ad and set out to find out who sang it, they found me, asked me if I would be interested in singing a duet with Geoff on their record and the rest was history, Operation MindCrime and Operation MindCrime 2!
 
Austin: Whats your process of learning a new song? I’m sure you’ve had to learn songs quickly before, especially for your work with Queensryche, so how have you been able to learn them most effectively and quickly?
 
Pamela:  I usually will listen to the song over and over and then at some point start “mapping out” the lyrics and phrasing. When it comes time to rehearse the song, I make a mental note of what the song is about, the message it is trying to say, if any. I am fortunate to have the ability to learn songs quickly, especially if I like them!
 
Austin: What sort of things do you do daily to maintain your voice?
 
Pamela:  I drink lots of water, exercise, take vitamins, supplements and get lots of sleep!
 
Austin: Do you follow a certain diet to maintain the range and quality of your voice and your overall health?
 
Pamela: Not really. However, I try to stay away from dairy. It tends to produce a lot of mucus…gunk…that is hard to work around when you have to sing.
 
Austin: I want to get some in depth detail on your actual vocal technique now. You have a huge range, and a lot of power. How did you develop the range and power? What sorts of exercises did you focus on to get to the point you are at today?
 
Pamela: My range has grown over time. If you are an active singer, you will find that as long as you are singing properly and taking care of your body and emotional well being, you will increase your range and power. I think technique is all relative to what type of singer you are. I try to do a lot of breathing exercises and voice “stretching” (sliding tones) but when it comes time to get on stage and perform I think it’s the adrenaline that helps with the high notes. LOL
 
Austin: When you are singing in your higher registers as opposed to singing lower, what do you change? Do you push more, sing louder, etc.
 
Pamela: It all depends on what the song calls for as far as phrasing but if you are talking about the harder rock songs, I am careful to use proper breathing and voice placement by using my diaphragm and stomach muscles for support.  
 
Austin: Do you have any idea of how wide your range is now? Has it improved or diminished over the years?
 
Pamela: No… I haven’t really looked into that… I DO know my voice has improved over the years and that is exciting.
 
 
Austin: How do you approach breath support? Do you just let it happen naturally as you do when you speak, or have you trained to get it down perfectly? Do you push anywhere to support your tone as you sing?
 
 
Pamela:  I try not to think about “when to take a breath here, when not to there” it all has to do with phrasing and interpreting   the song in the best way possible. I don’t really think too much about it.. . its all feel.
 
Austin: How do you manage the break point, where you transition from chest voice to head voice? Is it something you’ve worked to develop, or do you have crutches you use such as increasing the volume or altering your tone to get through it? From your songs, it sounds like you’ve got a great deal of control behind the change.
 
Pamela: Again, for me it all depends on the song and what parts of the song need more attention then other parts. It can be tricky if you have a very noticeable break point so it’s all about interpretation. If I am trying to keep the same intensity on one note as sing I usually try to stay in either a chest voice or head voice all the way through…
 
Austin: You’ve done a lot of touring recently with Queensryche. Give me an idea of a schedule for you on tour? Do you start getting your voice prepped for the show as soon as you wake up, do any physical activity, etc.
 
Pamela: Well, first thing is morning coffee or Tea! Lots of water all day too! Then through out the day I “test” my voice to see where it’s at. I do a few “sliding” notes from high to low, (low to high) to see if there is any drastic breaks that need to be addressed. If my voice is really tired, I will ease into my warm ups very gently, remembering to stay relaxed because if I get freaked out or uptight about things, my vocal chords will start to constrict and not cooperate. Its all a mind game really…

 

Austin: What kind of warm up process do you go through before the show to get your voice ready? Do you warm down after a show?
 
Pamela: As I had mentioned… I like the Sliding note warm up and simple scales. I’ve never heard of “warm down”? What is that? (Laughs) 
 
Austin: People often get sick while they are on the road; how do you manage to stay healthy and perform at your best night after night? Do you take any vitamin supplements?
 
Pamela: I take vitamins and supplements everyday. On the road I use hand sanitizers, airborne, Emergen-C, and if I get sick I take liquid silver and olive leaf.  You really have to be careful on the road because once a band or crew member gets sick EVERYONE has a good chance of catching it!
 
Austin: When you do happen to get sick, what kinds of things do you do to make sure your voice will be normal and ready to go that night?
 
Pamela: I try to get as much sleep as possible. Apple cider vinegar and warm water gargle really helps for a hoarse voice. I also try not to talk until it’s time to begin some gentle warm up exercises…. 

Austin: When you sing live, do you tend to sing louder than you would in the studio, or does it stay about the same?
 
Pamela:  Yes, singing in a live concert situation tends to get my adrenaline going and this amps me up!
 
Austin: For early morning performances like radio shows, what kind of stuff do you do to wake your voice up and get it ready to sing?
 
Pamela: It’s always a challenge to try and get your voice prepared for early morning performances, especially when you had a show the night before! The best option is to try to get at least 8 hours of sleep. This can be a challenge when you’re forced to sleep in a small compartment on a bus with other roommates! But it’s doable.  I also try to wake at least one - two hours before the radio show and have a hot beverage to wake me up, usually hot tea. I will  grab a bottle of water too… Hydration is key! While preparing my morning beverage I very gently “wake up” my voice with low humming exercises. As I feel the vocal chords gradually loosen I start to push a little more but careful not to strain. Make sure you are relaxed and calm and ease into your regular vocal routine. 

 Austin: What kind of monitoring set up do you use live? If the monitors go down, can you depend on your technique and resonance in your body enough to sing without them?
 
Pamela: We use in-ear monitors which are nice but took me a bit of getting familiar with after using floor monitors and fills for so long. It’s a very different sensation and in a lot of ways I had to retrain the way I heard myself!  I like the in-ears system very much but you really have to have a great monitor tech who understands the in-ear system and can help work with you on what sounds best for you. Once you have someone you can trust to help you, it’s really a great tool.
 
Austin: Now I want to move on to your recording technique. Give me a summary of your normal vocal recording process. Some people try to do everything in 1 or 2 takes, while others do a dozen takes and comp together the best results…do you do either of these, or something different to get your results?

 

Pamela: I’ve tried all kinds of ways to record my vocals in the studio, from singing a song 2 or 3 times all the way through, listening to it and choosing the best “take”or in rare cases being asked to sing a song line per line!  (Which isn’t my favorite) Having said that, any of the techniques you mentioned work well and there is no right or wrong way to record, it’s just a matter of how you respond and what you’re comfortable with.

 

While I was recording Stories From A Blue Room, my producer Neil Kernon asked me sing all the softer parts of my songs on one day and track the more powerful parts on a different day. (For those who have heard my latest record, you know there are some very dynamic parts to the songs; combining intimate, up close and personal verses followed by very strong and rocking  bridge and or chorus lines.) The theory behind this technique is that when you sing louder your voice warms up and typically changes in texture.  I was skeptical when Neil first suggested it but trusted him completely and I am very happy with the end result. 

 

The best advice I can give you is have fun! Avoid doing too many takes over and over because at some point your interpretation of the song will begin to fade and sound tired. If you are having trouble maybe come back to the song later.  Whatever you do, just remember the end result depends on you. You are the icing on the cake, so to speak. Don’t be afraid to try out different things, experiment, create! After all, that is how magic happens

 

Austin: When your recording, do you use any technology like Auto Tune or Harmonizers, or do you like to fix the out of tune notes by redoing vocals, and do harmonies by actually layering them on yourself?
 
Pamela: I like how vocoders sound on the voice for certain songs… it has a neat effect. But other than that, you would have to ask my producer! I think too much effect on a voice takes away from it, but again, it all depends on the song…
 
Austin: How do you keep your voice fresh when your in the studio tracking for hours at a time?
 
Pamela:  I love being in the studio so I don’t tire that easily while tracking. I love it…but I do drink water and have a nice glass of red wine when we are done for the day!
 
Austin: Your most recent effort, Stories From A Blue Room is different from what most people know you as, which is a metal singer with Queensryche. How did you approach the writing process for this style of music? Do you write all of your own melodies and lyrics, or is it more of a collaborative effort?
 
Pamela: Yes, it is a very different side of me and I meant to do that. My copartner, Benjamin Anderson came up with the musical idea’s which in turn really sparked my melody and lyric process.  I write in many different ways, either writing a whole song on my own, (music & lyrics) or collaborating with another musician adding my own lyrics and melodies.
 
Austin: What other projects do you have in the works right now?
 
Pamela: I am rehearsing with a group of musicians in Chicago. We are working up a live set of music and hope to be booking very soon. I have also started writing with them and doing a few live unplugged shows for radio stations.
 
Austin: Finally, what is the biggest piece of advice you would want to give to someone trying to break into the music industry?
 
Pamela:  Be true to yourself and what you believe. Don’t try to be someone you are not. Learn about the biz inside and out and surround yourself with true friends who care about you, people that you trust and who will be honest with you as well as supportive. Have fun, and don’t ever take yourself too seriously!