Michael Mooney

Just the facts: Age – 32; Hometown – Jamberoo, Australia. Currently lives in Montreal, Canada; Education – Bachelor degree in Music from Southern Cross University, Australia; Employ – signed with Apollo Studios in 2008.

Previous experience: A singer/songwriter, Mooney has worked as a composer and performer for major Australian radio stations, televised festivals and sporting events as well as touring with Australian artists and doing session work. He won the John Lennon songwriting contest in 2002 under the rock category, and won in the same category in the Australian Songwriting Competition in 2003 before falling head over heels for a girl, packing it all in and following her to Montreal. There he signed with Apollo in 2008, composing his first spot in 2009 for Mentos.

Best work: Mooney’s evocative piano-and-guitar piece, featuring his soaring vocals, for Le Lait “Clair-Obscur” and the pop-rock anthem for Mentos “So Young” are products of his spontaneous writing style. With guitar in hand, Mooney will usually map the tempo but then let the spot’s images inspire his composition. “I don’t feel like I have great control over what I churn out,” he says. “[For Mentos] there was a particular shot of a young, black kid and he just looked so happy. I thought, “That’s it. That’s the shot that makes sense for me, so I just played what I thought fit.”

Wild style: Moving to Montreal, known for its vibrant music scene, has afforded Mooney the opportunity to expand his musical palette. He experiments with genres different to what he’s used to, including hip-hop. “I try to understand the elements of it and I’ve learned how to start making the sounds,” he says. “I think if you have a decent musical background what’s great is you can see the ingredients – why it all works together”.

www.apollostudios.com