The Obelisk Questionnaire: Cécile Ash of The Moth
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Cécile Ash of The Moth
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I try to realize everything that is important to me. Some projects though will never see life, because of fate, because of circumstances that were beyond my power.
Describe your first musical memory.
I think it was the French melody of a wind-up music toy my brothers and I had as toddlers. My mother sang us the lyrics that belonged to it: „Combien coûte ce chien dans la vitrine, combien coûte ce chien noir et blanc?“ ‘How much costs this dog in the shop window? How much costs this dog black and white?’
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Concerning my own musical story that definitely was in 1999 when I met Freden (the guitarist of our band THE MOTH) and Steffen on the sidewalk of Hamburg’s red light-district, St. Pauli. I was going out on my own, not knowing anybody and feeling quite alone and lost when I met them in front of a bar. I had known Freden a little bit from his band SISSIES and Steffen was a friend of his, that I had never met before. Somehow we immediately started deep-talking about music and how we considered it should be. Right the next evening we met in a rehearsal room… Our band BANGKOK CASH was born. I had been in bands before, but this immediately felt right, like something I had been looking for, for a long time.
I had found my home – music- and also people-wise. Suddenly I had friends, a band and found the most important constant of my life: making that kind of music. BANGKOK CASH split 10 years later, but Freden and I continued rehearsing together and founded THE MOTH in 2012. We have been writing songs for 22 years now. I am so thankful that back then, when it all started, Freden, and also Steffen, didn’t care I was a woman, but just saw me as another musician. We were in our early 20s where that attitude wasn’t understood for all, and for some still isn’t.
Concerning my best musical memory with another band, this was when we toured with CONAN for a week. They are one of my very few favourite bands and having the huge luck to tour with them and listen and party to their crushing sets every night, standing next to my bandmates, was an awesome experience, just bliss.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
There have been two or three times in my life when convictions I had had about someone where suddenly and massively disappointed. This happened with the people I felt closest to or loved most at that time. So, of course the cut then was brutal.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I’m not sure if art gets better, the better you get at it. Some of the best or most brutal songs are very simple. If the power is there, it’s there. And often the rawer it is, the better. At least, this is my taste.
How do you define success?
It is when you overcome fears and self-doubts to do something that is very important to you and that you have wished for, for a long time. And keep on doing it. This will lead to a life that I would call successful, because you have nothing to regret, at least nothing that you have had power over. If everything that you want to do or be, is a part of your life, then you are successful at it. Even if these things aren’t your job or don’t bring you lots of money. Though it would be great if they did!
On a more superficial level of course you feel successful if what you do is acknowledged and liked by (many) others. This is very satisfying, too. Especially if it took you courage and lots of work to get there.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I’m gonna keep this my secret.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I would like to write a book some day. But I don’t know what about yet.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
To be a home for our soul, our wounds and emotions that define who we are in our very core. That core that isn’t perceptible from the outside, made of rage, grief, but also of a special powerful energy at life, a will of life, that is innate to oneself. Music can then feel like meeting a friend, a soul-mate, that has been through the same things. Actually, when I think of it, in my case that makes quite sense: I have only very little bands that really touch me. Because they resonate with the feelings that define me most. Just like I only have a very few very good friends. Then there are some other bands I like to listen to, like friends I really enjoy but that maybe aren’t that close to me.
Concerning making art oneself, I guess it’s similar: Having the urge and opportunity to express your core emotions, your core energy.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Always looking forward to the next summer and a stay at the beach.
http://www.facebook.com/listentoTHEMOTH
http://the-moth.bandcamp.com/
http://www.instagram.com/listentoTHEMOTH
http://www.thischarmingmanrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Thischarmingmanrecords/
https://www.instagram.com/thischarmingmanrecords/
https://thischarmingmanrecords.bandcamp.com/
