Meet Your Creator: Tim Mosher

Washington D.C. born Tim Mosher started his musical journey as a singer and songwriter for the hard rock band Broken Glass. Formed in 1988, the band was signed by Chrysalis Records and got caught in the tail end of LA’s glam rock boom. Shortly after, the band was dropped by the label, and the members went on their separate ways. Mosher then joined the band Junkyard, which was already an established act then. The band broke up in the mid 1990s. 

“Growing up, I was always around music,” Mosher said. “I loved the Beatles and all that growing up from my parents. And probably the Punk explosion really made it seem like that’s something I could do.” 

Broken Glass and Junkyard reunited in the late 2010s and played several successful comeback gigs. Junkyard even released material that found its way to the Billboard charts. 

With Mosher’s bands being part of the LA strip scene in the early 1990s, it begs the question of whether the rise of Grunge killed his bands’ chances of really making it big. 

“Yes, there was a sea change in the music business and Junkyard fell apart pretty quickly after that,” Mosher said. “My next band that had a record deal was Punk band so that tells you something. So, there was a reset. But if you can’t reset and readjust in this line of work, you’d be out of it quickly.” 

Readjust was what Mosher did. He started accepting gigs to write music for television shows and commercials.  

“I slowly kinda rolled into it (production music),” Mosher said. “I always pat it as a part of what my career was, but as time goes by, I’ve upped and done more of it because I enjoy writing and it's a great opportunity to write.” 

Mosher then teamed up with composer/producer Andrew Growcott, also known as Stoker, to write music specifically for TV and advertising. The duo scored a lot of placements ranging from reality shows like Dog Whisperer to talk shows like The Ellen Degeneres Show and Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to scripted gems like One Tree Hill. 

“I’ve written themes for close to forty television shows,” Mosher said. “And at the same time (concurrently), I’ve been a library composer.” 

He counts Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, the Jagger-Richards team, and Elvis Costello, among others as major influences on his songwriting. 

“I’ve always gravitated towards great songwriters,” Mosher said. “Which is why it’s probably what I do today.” 

Mosher has been linked with Rock music since day one, so when asked about the decline of the genre in terms of popularity, he offers his fair take. 

“I think Hip-Hop took kinda took up a lot of the mantle of the rebellion side of it. I think it (Rock) got maybe a little complacent, Mosher said. “But I think the reason it survives is because it’s still the best live music. So, maybe not in (record) sales, but if you put in the live world, which is the biggest revenue generator for all music these days, it’s gotta be number one or number two next to country.” 

Like most creative endeavors, songwriting Is under threat from the rise of artificial intelligence or AI, which can deliver usable, if not, excellent music. Is he worried about it? 

“I think I would be a fool not to be,” Mosher said. “But I think it’s not there yet. But by the time this comes out, maybe it will be. It seems to be moving very quickly.” 

While everyone is holding their breath for what Ai can disrupt in its wake, there are still plenty of human-created music to enjoy, one of which is Mosher’s Rock instrumental album Faction Icon, which was released by Spot On and distributed by APM for licensing. It’s a remarkable album that shows Mosher’s prowess in crafting music that connects. 

According to Mosher, the ten-track album was written specifically for production purposes, but the Spot-On executives gave him freedom to use his strengths. 

“It was kind of freeing that way,” Mosher said. “I really got to do wat I felt like, but I knew where it was gonna go and I was mindful of that.” 

As established as he is in the production music scene, Mosher is not one to rest on his laurels. He recently launched his own library with his friend Timothy Edwards and he’s looking forward to the new season of the game show he writes for, ABC’s Press Your Luck. In terms of live gigs, he still plays occasionally with Junkyard whenever they want to rip up their old Hollywood stomping grounds. 

Tim Mosher is far removed from hungry-startup artist life, but he knows how challenging it is for young artists to make it out there, so he has this piece of advice. 

“Glean into something that you think is great to start with. Find your vibe and hone it,” Mosher said.” Then take it out and see if people react to it. Hone your craft and if you’re the writer in the band, keep writing.” 

Listen to Tim Mosher’s album Faction Icon 

• Track Listing 
• Shots Fired 
• Bullet Proof 
• Faction Icon 
• Bent Edge 
• Blown to Bits 
• Big Feelings 
• Polite Society 
• Stunt Driver 
• Borrowed Time 
• False Flag Day 

 

---

More on the band Junkyard 

• Junkyard is an American hard rock band formed in 1987 in Los Angeles, California. 
• The band consists of David Roach (vocals), Tim Mosher (guitar), Jimmy James (guitar), Todd Muscat (bass), and Patrick Muzingo (drums). 
• Junkyard's sound is a mix of bluesy hard rock, punk, and southern rock, influenced by bands like The Rolling Stones, The New York Dolls, and The Stooges. 
• Their self-titled debut album was released in 1989 and featured the hit single "Hollywood". The album received critical acclaim and helped establish the band's reputation. 
• Junkyard released two more albums in the early 1990s, "Sixes, Sevens & Nines" (1991) and "Joker" (1993), but both were less successful than their debut. 
• The band went on hiatus in the mid-1990s, with some members pursuing other musical projects. They reunited in 2000 and have been active ever since. 
• Junkyard has toured extensively, both in the United States and internationally, sharing the stage with bands like The Black Crowes, Guns N' Roses, and Iggy Pop. 
• In addition to their music career, some members of Junkyard have also worked in the film and television industry, with lead singer David Roach appearing in movies like "The Doors" and "The River Wild". 
• Junkyard has been cited as an influence by several notable bands, including Guns N' Roses, The Black Crowes, and The Hellacopters. 
• The band continues to tour and record new music, with their most recent album, "Faded" released in 2019. 

---

Credits

Feature written and produced by Ted Reyes

Video production by Ezra Broder