Thirsty Thursday Featuring Moy Cohen

For newer fans, how did your passion for music and career come about? I’ve always felt a calling in music. I also always enjoyed writing poetry, so naturally songwriting seemed like the perfect thing for me to do. I started writing songs when I was 13. I don’t really know why, but one day I came home from school and decided to write a song, and since then, that has been what I’ve wanted to do with my life.

How was it filming the video for "Childhood Photographs?" The filming experience for “Childhood Photographs” was really special to me. I wanted to keep it simple, so I asked one of my good friends who has a decent camera to come over. We filmed the video in my grandparents' garden. We didn't have the right cable for the microphone, so I just placed my phone in front of me and recorded the sound as a voice note. Surprisingly, we only needed one take, and it turned out magical. My favorite part is hearing the birds singing along in the background.

I wrote this song shortly after moving into my grandparents' house at 16, where my grandad gifted me a guitar. Despite never having played before, the song just flowed out of me. Sadly, my grandad passed away about a week before we filmed the video. In the video, I'm playing his guitar in the garden he helped nurture. For this reason, the video holds a particularly special place in my heart.

Is there any news for the forthcoming album? Yes, not an album but an EP. “Overgrown,” my debut project, will be out on August 9. It’s a collection of songs that I wrote between the ages of 15 and 17. It's been years in the making, recording, and preparing for release, and I'm excited to finally share these songs with the world.

At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people take away from your songs? I believe my songs are raw and transparent. This EP, particularly “Childhood Photographs” as a single, draws inspiration from some very challenging moments in my life. I'm passionate about mental health awareness and encouraging open communication about personal struggles instead of bottling things up. Sharing these issues through my music can be daunting for me, but I hope it helps others navigate their own difficult situations.

The beauty of songs is that each listener can derive their own unique message and interpretation. While the lyrics may reflect a specific chapter of my life and hold personal meaning for me, someone else might find a completely different significance in them.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? All my music draws on personal experience. For “Childhood Photographs” and most of my upcoming EP “Overgrown,” the songs are about issues I faced and went through as a teenager. I wrote “Childhood Photographs” when I was 15. It’s about feeling displaced growing up between Mexico and England and not really knowing where felt like home. It’s about the pains of change and a yearning for stability.

I started writing songs as a form of self therapy when I was 13 and as a way of processing things happening in my life. I’m lucky that I had that creative outlet, as I’m sure it would have been much harder to deal with without that. My songs are very emotionally vulnerable and my hope is that they can help people as much as they helped me!

What is your favorite dish to cook? When I was a student I would always cook the same 4 or 5 recipes in bulk and eat them throughout the week. I still really enjoy making a chilli and I sometimes add a square of dark chocolate when I make it, which gives it a really rich flavour. I also make a great bolognese. My favourite dish to cook though is this sweet potato, chickpea and halloumi curry in a spicy coconut sauce that I’ve been making for years. Every time I make it it tastes different, as I kind of freehand the recipe, but it’s so good. It’s also great for meal prepping! I get a lot of satisfaction out of making a meal go a long way.

What is your favorite breakfast? Chilaquiles are hands down the greatest breakfast of all time for me! Although, I must admit, I also have a soft spot for a full English breakfast.

Where is your favorite place to eat in your hometown? I have 2 home towns so I’ll give you one for each. In Mexico City, there are so many amazing restaurants to choose from, but recently when I was there, I went to this taco place called Paramo a lot. They do some more unusual tacos and the restaurant has a really nice vibe. Good drinks also!

In Bristol, I always used to go to the same Indian takeaway every week called The Brunel Raj. I haven’t had a better curry anywhere else. When I’m there I order the lamb dansaak. So good!

What’s on your pizza? Do you fold your pizza or eat it straight on? Ranch or no ranch? It depends what mood I’m in, but I think I’d go for a white base, with cheese, mushrooms and truffle oil. I’m a folder and I’ve never had ranch with a pizza, but my favorite pizza place in Mexico does this habanero honey drizzle, which is really good.

Finally, if you could be sponsored by one food/drink brand who would it be and why? Ferrero Rocher. They are too good, I can make a box disappear in minutes.

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