Today we’d like to introduce you to Gregory Moir
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Withering Earth started out in 2014 as a collaboration between members of two bands in the city who were desperate to create something fresh and exhilarating. We came together writing music based off existing ideas while forming it on a foundation theme all 4 of use love and have a personal connection to: Vikings.
We’ve taken the historical “Ulfhednar” (Wolf Berserks) from Nordic Scandinavia as a baseline for our imagery and stage presentation. Taking wolf furs and leather armors to the stage with unique facepaint to set us apart, and melded it with a unique, epic-fantasy setting telling original stories based off real Norse mythology to brand a new form of expression within the genre.
In 2015 we released our first EP called “The Wolf Among Us” with 5 songs to much acclaim. After a year of writing, rehearsals, and planning, we began playing live shows opening for headlining national acts such as GWAR, Dark Tranquility, Saliva, Ensefirum, Eluveitie, Hammerfall, and many more.
In 2023, we released our first full length LP “Runebound Legacy.” Continuing on, we are preparing for our first east coast tour set for Feburary 19-23rd where we will be playing NY, PN, VG, and GA. As well as finishing up writing our second full length LP entitled “Rise Of The Starforger.” We are looking to partner up with sponsors for music gear, booking agencies, labels, artists development, merchandise/products within the nearest future.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
we were just about to hit our big break by releasing our debut album, getting on some festivals and branching out when covid-19 hit. 4 years on, and all of the major national acts stopped coming to FL all together. Preventing us from having larger shows to expand our fanbase from. This made it especially difficult to establish contacts within the industry. They say it’s not what you do, it’s who you know. And when the people TO know; you’re left 100% to the sweat of your own brow. The digital age has been great, but it’s left a massive gap from those 4 years the world lost where we didn’t have the means to digitize ourselves in a meaningful way. We were so focused on not getting sick or worse, trying to keep jobs and not get thrown out on the streets put a massive hang up for us. Many great bands in this state didn’t survive. Having to disband for any of the above reasons. We four always said we were stick it out until we couldn’t do anything further. Here we are 5 years on, and we’re still going, and growing.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a self taught guitarist and vocalist. I’m the songwriter for Withering Earth mainly specializing in rhythm guitars and harmonies. I’m known for my deep gutural roaring vocals as well as my intense stage presence that grabs the eye and forces your energy to be drawn forth to action and movement.
Starting this band out as a desperate means of trying to prove to myself that I could accomplish this if I was given a fair chance, to then see it grow from the moment people first started listening, to now having international fanbase with people from other countries asking when we’re gonna come play for them. All while playing with my best friends, opening for my favorite bands. It’s a dream come true without the crazy record deals and massive arena shows (which is next on the agenda).
I’m just so proud of what four dorks from a tiny town like ours has done so much in the world already. And I’m looking forward for all the great things to come!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
We took a massive risk participating in a battle of the bands competition for a spot playing Waken Open Air festival in Germany back in 2018. The finals were in California so we had to do a massive crowd fund and we still had to pay most out of pocket. We drive all the way from Florida to California in 3 days, get to the show, and we get the word that the judges gave already decided who was winning the night before the show began. The whole event was a fix. So we just decided to go absolutely crqzy on stage during our set to prove a point that we deserved the opportunity, and left with our heads high knowing we put on the best performance of the night. The drive back gave us a lot of time to think about the nature of the industry and how things aren’t always designed to be fair. It’s business and you will have to play in order to win. But playing is plenty of fun too!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://witheringearth.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/witheringearthofficial?igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/witheringearth/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@witheringearththeband8993
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0VcCVy7j3liekMq1bkTS5L?si=VjhIq5j0TwyPDnCcfodshA&utm_source=copy-link
