2017 is here and the musical opportunities are bountiful and the thought of the new music and tours coming makes any fan salivate, but one of the first things to cross my email really caught my attention musically and otherwise - Moscow and her upcoming single "Queen Of Sin."  The single was floated my way and one time through and I immediately asked to be kept in the loop regarding this new artist and her music - and with that, I was offered the chance to speak with her about the new single, video, her upcoming showcase and so much more...

Moscow: Hello.

Toddstar: Hello, how are you?

Moscow: I'm good. I'm good. How are you?

Toddstar: Excellent. Well, thank you so much for taking time out for us, Moscow. We really appreciate it.

Moscow: No problem. It's pleasure for me.

Toddstar: There's so much going on in your life right now, but let's talk about the first thing, the single "Queen of Sin" being released on January 16th. What can you tell us about this song that I might not have picked up on my first 20 times listening to it?

Moscow: Well, about "Queen of Sin," what I can say, first of all, that's my first single out there. It's more of a, "Hello, this is Moscow, and I'm about to stay and rock your world." Originally, the song was written and recorded with a completely other different meaning. I wrote it based on the Nietzsche thought that says that you are your own queen of sin. There is no god. There is no devil. There's no higher power except for you. You're the only who you have to listen to when it comes to morals or what you should or should not do. This is the meaning of "Queen of Sin." It's also of course bit Moscow saying I can do it better than most of the guys out there. The world and the scene have been missing a female strong front lead singer.

Toddstar: That's something I noticed listening through it. You blend so many different sounds and styles and make it seamless. You get some of the more modern straight ahead rock and roll sound mixed with some of the heavier vocals. Is it something when you went into that was intentional, or is that just how you perform overall?

Moscow: I don't think that's intentional. I love singing. I was trained as musical theatre actor so I have a classical singing background, but also being hugely influenced by such bands as Asking Alexandria and Falling In Reverse and Escape The Fate and all that hardcore scene. I definitely got something from that. Then I realized I can growl better than those guys, so why not put it out there? I definitely enjoy both of the ways. The other single that's going to follow the "Queen of Sin" it don't have any screaming parts. I enjoy doing both of it. I just love singing when it comes to that.

Toddstar: Awesome. I know coming up you've got your huge debut at the Whiskey in L.A. What's that like for you being a rocker, for that to be your showcase?

Moscow: This is something that at the same time scares and excites me. The music video was also shot at the Whiskey A Go-Go, which I insisted on because while growing up Whiskey A Go was always… I'm a huge fan of Mötley Crüe and Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin. Reading the biographies of those bands and how they performed at the Whiskey A Go-Go and all of the debauchery that always excited me. Then I moved to Los Angeles and now I got to face it all myself. As my first showcase I for sure wanted to be at the Whiskey A Go-Go. It's such an iconic and famous place. The showcase is going to be just the Moscow band. Just my band for the whole night because that's just the way I like to do it. I'm definitely doing the whole career and starting it. There's no path for success so why not do what you feel good at doing, you know?

Toddstar: When it comes to music, especially out of Russia, I grew up in an era when Gorky Park was the first really mainstream rock band out of there. Shows how old I am, right?

Moscow: No that's surprising still Gorky Park. I didn't know they were some kind of famous out here, but yeah.

Toddstar: Yeah. Big in the eighties. There have been other bands that I've followed through the years like Louna.

Moscow: Yeah. I know the manager. He was just here.

Toddstar: People think of Russia and they don't necessarily think of good hard rock or heavy metal. Is this something you find yourself having to respond to?

Moscow: Yeah, because Russian show business is probably stuck back in the nineties as far as I would say because of the Cold War that was happening back then. The Russian people didn't have any possibility to know what's out in the world. We had special society circles that would try and impersonate what they thought the music was in America. They just got the images from some album covers and stuff. It wasn't as accurate. It wasn't accurate at all. Now people make fun of that time. Because of that, it takes much more time to develop music business back in Russia. Definitely neither metal nor rock is any kind of popular. It's very hard for Russian rock band to get any kind of fame over there. Gorky Park - I didn't even know people still remembered Gorky Park over here. I know t.a.T.u. is a band. They have two female singers. They were some kind of famous but that's it. For the Russian music business, they have to try and go to the eastern market. It's like a very small circle drove by money and by inside connections as everywhere, but the music over there is changing believe me. I was never attached to it. Never. I was just surrounded by underground rock musicians. That's how I got into the whole rock circle. I wasn't raised there. I was in a completely different scene with lots of kids. Then I was going through a trouble scene, as every teenager goes through just at home. I got involved with the rock musicians like the punk and metal. I just fell in love with it because they were doing what they loved doing. That's when I decided that's what I want to do in terms rest of my life. Not that I just want to be surrounded by that, I want to do it myself. By traveling around the world, I was in London. I lived in New York. I finally moved to Los Angeles, which I am super happy about. That's the only place I can call home now a days. I'm just trying to bring something new into rock. I don't know if that answers your question but there's your answer.

Toddstar: It does. You say you want to bring something new to rock. Rock has changed so much over the last few years, not only because of all the music and singing television shows, but iTunes and downloading everything has really changed the face of music. You get bands like Metallica who are really going back to their roots, or other bands that are just kind of touring on their greatest hits all of time. What is it you think you can bring to kind of shake rock and roll up in 2017?

Moscow: Well what I like to say if you want to make sure you look back to your past and just bring a little new twist to it. History repeats itself and I truly believe that the world is missing rock in the mainstream. Mainstream music right now is all the hip-hop artists and all the pop and stuff like that. I'm not a big fan, but I do respect that kind of music. I truly need the times when rock and roll was ruling the world. When the kings of rock like Steven Tyler or like Robert Plant would speak to generations. That was the mainstream music. It was something you would hear on the T.V. and the radio and everywhere. They were considered the biggest pop stars if you think that pop is popular. I think if you combine the look of the 2017 now, the 21st century, with some good heavy music, we need that. That can go bring us back to the popular music.

Toddstar: It's a good spin on it and it's a good way to look at it. I like the way that you reference the history of music and how everything is kind of cyclical. If you had to do something else as far as a different genre, is there anything that does appeal to you other than hard rock? Have you considered something like symphonic metal or something like?

Moscow: I was into all kinds of music. I love blues. I love all kinds of music. If you look through my iTunes I have tons of music from all kinds of genres. Whether it be pop, well that's like the least amount of it but still. Classical music, musical theatre, jazz, blues. I love Buddy Holly, Mighty Waters. Classic rock of course. Now I'm getting more and more into new metal and rock hard core. I try to always find some new influences that are going to benefit me. I love the whole rock scene. I love to perform rock in any kind would it be like new metal or alternative or pop hardcore or classic rock. I'm definitely seeing myself writing a musical further down the road. I have been thinking about it because I love Broadway. Every time I come to New York I have to visit one of the new musicals or something like that. Rock of Ages was one of my all-time favorite. I knew all the cast of Rock of Ages when I was back in London. That was my only breath of fresh air because it does cloudy weather. Definitely see myself doing lots of things, even music wise. Probably a musical. It's such a big field to work on. I don't think I have enough time in my lifetime to accomplish everything. I have plans but we'll see how it works.

Toddstar: You mentioned some of your contemporaries in the rock gods who kind of came before you. Who's out there today that if you got the opportunity you would just love to perform with, whether it is a song or in concert?

Moscow: I have a whole list. I'm pretty sure I'm going to perform with each and every member of list that I have to-do list, if you please. That will definitely be Mötley Crüe... I know they're not allowed to perform under the same name anymore but give in 10 years, I'm pretty sure they're going to do some kind of show. I would love to work with Nikki Sixx. Also Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Aerosmith, duh. I'm not even naming all of my friends' bands like Asking Alexandria and Escape The Fate. Well now, let me think. That'd be Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Nikki Sixx, and Steven Tyler. Each and every artist that had an influence on me I would love to work some kind of project down the road. I love collaborating and I love meeting new people. Networking is one of my specialties.

Toddstar: Your initial list is a who's who for just about anybody out there I think. When it comes to this, and again you're going to be doing your showcase at the Whiskey then you have something going on in New York not too long after that, how much work goes into this? You're essentially launching a whole new career on an audience that really isn't that familiar with you. How much work goes on behind the scenes for you to be able to put this together and get this out there?

Moscow: I would always think not as much because I love working. I'm blessed that every single aspect of the career I've chosen brings such a happiness and fulfillment to me. I'm willing to work 24/7. Everyone who's been working with me for the last few weeks, they know that. The whole Christmas time I was on the phone with everybody trying to make everyone work and everyone was apparently on break time. I was like "No! How can you? Let's work together." I don't even consider it as a ridiculous amount of work but there are definitely lots of people involved in it. I have to control every single aspect of when I'm launching because I have my name underneath it. That's that but I don't consider it as a job. I love doing what I do. I would be working even more if there were more hours.

Toddstar: I know you're busy and you got things to do so I just want to ask you before we wrap up, with Queen of Sin being the first single and it drops in about two weeks. You've got the video coming out. You've got the showcase coming up. What's your biggest dream for you professionally in 2017? What are you shooting for?

Moscow: I think a Grammy would be too soon, right? Let me think. What is my biggest dream in 2017? That's a hard one to answer because I don't really know what the nearest future is going to bring and how fast things are going to go. I would definitely like to hit the road. Well I'm actually planning on doing anything. I have things to accomplish. I have goals. Let's put it that way. Hitting the road and performing more shows. Recording some more music. That's what I'm thinking about all my life. Not just 2017 but all the following years as well. I don't really have the epiphany of my career. I just love moving forward towards that ultimate goal, which does not exist because you always have to put out new goals to live. Otherwise it's boring.

Toddstar: That's true. Listening to your first single and reading your bio and everything else, I can tell that you are certainly not boring. You're certainly going to bring something new to rock in 2017. I can't wait to see what that is. I can only hope for a personal note we get you on the road because I know Detroit Rock City would fall in love with you immediately from the moment you open your mouth.

Moscow: Who doesn’t? [laughs] I'm kidding.

Toddstar: Again, we wish you well with the single and with the showcase. We hope it goes well and we hope that somebody's smart enough to put you on that tour with them so that the whole world can experience Moscow and "Queen of Sin."

Moscow: Thank you so much. You're more than welcome. I don't know where you're located. Are you New York?

Toddstar: No I'm in Detroit.

Moscow: Oh in Detroit. That's a long drive for the showcase but you can make it. If you happen to be in Los Angeles you're more than welcome to come. I'll be happy to see you. It was pleasure talking to you.

Toddstar: Pleasure talking to you, Moscow.

Moscow: Good bye.

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