MANOR FEST 3 :: ARTIST INTERVIEW - MOUTON

Manor Fest 3 is right around the corner. Skylar wanted you all to get to know some of our out of town acts. Here is her interview with Pete Mouton of Fayetteville. Mouton is playing Day 1 of Manor Fest at our miniBar stage alongside Prude Boys, Fullbloods, & Paul Cherry. 3-Day passes available here!

Skylar :: Give KC some background in who you are. How have you gotten to where you are as an artist?

Pete Mouton :: I write rock n roll songs. I used to do it in Missouri. Now I do it in Arkansas as of a year ago. My Toyota van does a pretty good job at getting the band to all of places where we are a band; diy spaces, bars, houses, studios, Kum & Gos, QuikTrips and the like.

Skylar :: What made you want to pursue music?

Pete Mouton :: There's a great PBS interview where Lou Reed is asked about what his ambitions and goals were for the Velvet Underground and he says, "to elevate the rock n roll song." I think, like that answer, the desire is to write songs, but also in a way that, as a listener, I would like these kinds of songs to exist -- because as of right now, they don't. It's partially that, and if I didn't write songs my head might explode. It's something I have to do.

Skylar :: Describe the music scene in Arkansas. Likes/dislikes?

Pete Mouton :: I've only been here in Fayetteville for a year now, so I'm hardly a qualified judge for Arkansas at large. As for Fayetteville, from what I can tell there's a real, gen-u-ine enthusiasm for music here. I have a lot of respect for that as I believe it be to responsible for a very unique, interesting, and underivative "community" of bands and artists here. Additionally, I think that same enthusiasm, which isn't just exclusive to music, has been propped up by, until as recently as February, two regular DIY spaces. RIP Lalaland. Backspace is the remaining DIY spot and where I played my first show in Fayetteville three years ago. Backspace is very important to me as it is to many others.

My dislikes are of the kind that aren't exclusive to Fayetteville. To my knowledge, Lalaland was bought out by the University of Arkansas and is being turned into a university arts building. For gentrifying cities, it's not an uncommon irony. DIY spots cultivate real community engagement.

Skylar :: Tell us about your most recent show and/or release.

Pete Mouton :: I haven't played or put out anything recently which is why I'm super excited to hit the road with some new material and tear through the set with my incredible rhythm section (aka Daniel Orndorff and Cole Simmons). We're playing to a lot of my favorite faces on this run, mostly through the midwest and a handful of southern cities. We're doing 19 days and 19 shows. No days off.

Skylar :: (Just for funzies) What’s your spirit animal and why?

Pete Mouton :: Ray Davies singing "Muswell Hillbilly" on the The Kinks' "Muswell Hillbillies" album in 1971. I suppose it's a very underrated spirit animal.

Mouton’s Upcoming Tour Dates ::

7.23 Springfield, MO Outland FOH

7.24 St. Louis, MO CBGB

7.25 Bloomington, IN Blockhouse

7.26 Chicago, IL Cole's Bar

7.27 Madison, WI Mickey's Tavern

7.28 Milwaukee, WI High Dive

7.29 Eau Claire, WI The Venue

7.30 Minneapolis, MN Mortimer's

7.31 Omaha, NE The Sydney

8.01 Kansas City, MO Manor Fest

8.02 Cleveland, MS Hey Joe's

8.03 Birmingham, AL Secret Stages Fest

8.04 Nashville, TN Betty's

8.05 Memphis, TN Hi Tone

8.06 Little Rock, AR White Water Tavern

8.07 Dallas, TX Three Links

8.08 Denton, TX Back Yard On Bell

8.09 Eureka Springs, AR The Auditorium

8.10 Fayetteville, AR Smoke & Barrel

Give a listen to Mouton here then come see them at the fest!