Meet Mysti Moon | Vocalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mysti Moon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mysti, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Outside of the typical response, my child, it would 100% be music. Music is the heartbeat of life, where lyrics and melodies can speak to and feed our souls. I truly believe that music has been the main factor that got me through numerous situations. Whether it was a heartbreak, anger, excitement or fear, music has always been there for me to connect with.

I started singing at a very young age, having my mom record me singing songs I made up about my ponies and teddy bears. And at around 12 years old she put me in vocal lessons with a classically trained teacher. At that time I was all about country music, singing everything from Shania Twain to Patsy Cline. Singing songs that as my mom said, “were too big for my britches.” Once I started getting more into singing I went straight to preforming. That has always been the biggest thrill and highest high for me. And I can honestly say, that feeling is pure happiness to me. I didn’t care if it were a dingy bar stage or a stadium, the thrill and excitement was always there.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a musician first and foremost, it has always been my passion since I was a child. Being any type of artist has its ups and downs, successes and failures, and I embrace all of them. I have been singing most of my life, professionally since I was 16. At that time the only thing I saw, was success in my future. I thought I was going to be the “next big thing.” As passionate and driven as I was, I got a dose of reality in my late teens.

Not everything I wanted was going to happen and I was going to hit quite a few roadblocks and learn some hard lessons. I had moved out to Nashville, Tennessee right after turning 18. I was set on being “famous.” At the time, I thought being famous was the only form of success. Young and naive I put my trust in a lot of people that had ulterior motives. I was lied to, cheated and experienced situations a young girl shouldn’t have. I became depressed, felt defeated and completely hopeless. People I thought cared about me turned out to not care at all.

At 22 years old, feeling like a total failure, I moved back home to Phoenix, Arizona for a fresh start. To get myself back in the spirit and still keep my soul happy, I started singing again at the Rusty Spur. Then met a young incredibly talented guy named Jordan Benson. He had a hip country cover band called The Benson Band. I auditioned to start singing with them and soon became my regular weekend gig. Not long after, I started working with a group of girls that called themselves the Arizona Voodoo Kittens, working events and raising money for charities. I realized that bands playing all the events were rockabilly. This was my first real taste of the scene. I had known about legends like Wanda Jackson and Stray Cats but never dove too far into the genre. The music was upbeat, fun and made me want to dance. So, I decided to start a rockabilly band, and that is when The Devil’s Daughters was born.

In the beginning the idea was to have a 3 part harmony, a trio of girls sharing the role of lead. I had chosen a couple girls from the Voodoo Kittens to help me build it. One girl decided she wasn’t interested in dedicating the time as she was a busy mom running her own business. So it was down to 2. Lisa Dahl and I joined up and started practicing in my living room daily. We didn’t even have a band to back us! After playing a few gigs with friends of ours in Voodoo Swing, we were contacted by rockabilly/Americana guitar legend Danny B Harvey. From having a band called HeadCat with Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead) to playing and producing records with Wanda Jackson and Nancy Sinatra, I was beyond excited that he found us and was interested in building our band.

And so it began! We immediately got to work, flying to Austin, Texas to play shows and attend SXSW. We were then working on a record and building a tour. Unfortunately after our album recording, Lisa and I decided to part ways. Danny and I continued working on music, taking a hiatus from the Devil’s Daughters, we started recording and touring as a duo. We were signed by Cleopatra Records and put out a record called “Hell Cat Stomp.” I flew out to Austin and recorded the whole record in Danny’s back room in just 3 short days. At that time I decided I wanted to get out of Arizona and move to the live music capital, Austin, Texas. So in 2016 I sold my house and drove out to Texas in a Uhaul with 2 dogs and my husband at the time. It was a slow start but in between Danny’s other projects we would do gigs together and talk about what we should do next. We decided it was time to revive The Devil’s Daughters. Danny had married Annie Marie Lewis, the niece of Jerry Lee Lewis, and she was my first choice for a partner. We got to work, she learned our songs and the band was reborn. Recording “Rebirth + Revelations.” Our harmonies worked well and we had great stage chemistry. After several tours, shoots and radio interviews we were sure this was it. We were on our way to being a huge success with a European tour in the works. But, in early 2019 I found out I was having a baby and the band came to a halt. Little did I know this was the beginning of the end of The Devil’s Daughters.

In 2020 when my son was about 6 months old, I made the decision to move back home to Arizona once more. I needed the help of my family. It takes a village to raise children! After 3 years we decided to retire The Devil’s Daughters. Danny and I still work together and are currently in discussion for a new project within the coming year.

I realized this past year that even though that teenage dream of being a big star never came to fruition, I already had success. I gained SO much experience, met so many wonderful people, created beautiful music, and had the time of my life. Success is built not only from achievements but also failures and disappointments. I am not done with music, I will always sing and preform. And I am so excited to see how this next chapter unfolds!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would plan out a weekend, hopefully they wouldn’t visit in the middle of summer! Saturday we would wake up at 4am and hike Camelback Mountain. Get to the top for the sunrise, the view is incredible! After we hike back down, head over to Little O’s Arcadia for breakfast. Check out the Uptown Farmers Market and check out some vintage shops in the Melrose district. For lunch we would head over to Luci’s at the Orchard. After we could check out the Musical Instrument Museum before heading to dinner at Windsor. Then check out some live music and have a cocktail at Cock N Tails.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom has always been my cheerleader. Pushing me and encouraging me to keep pursuing music.

Danny B Harvey, my dear friend and guitarist who helped me start The Devil’s Daughters and over the years has given me countless opportunities for recording, performing, going on tours, work with/meet musical legends and really discover myself as a musician.

Pat Moore & Jimmy Hornick, these guys were my first introduction to performing with a live band on stage. They were the guitarist and vocalist in the Psychobilly Rodeo band that has been a staple at The Rusty Spur Saloon in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. They gave me the opportunity to play on stage with them opening for Dierks Bentley when I was just 16. Pat helped me get my very first paid gig. Him and I played just a single acoustic song at a beautiful woman’s memorial.

Chuck E Bumps, my friend and guitarist who really helped me hone my blues/jazz side. Always inviting me to every event to join him on stage and gotten me some memorable gigs.

So many of my friends over the years have been my biggest fans and my support structure. I have so many amazing people rooting for me, have been first in line to buy a record, a print, donate or drive hours to attend a gig. I hope I don’t upset anyone if I forget to add them! Daveed Benito, Jessica McNally, Jared McGonigle, Richard Burry, Steven Sandoval, Spencer Cleveland, Alex Meraz, Ron & Christina McKelvey, John Doyle, Jordan Benson, Scott Benton, Helen Newman, Luke Newman, Jesse Newman, Mike Louchheim, Tony Sheesely. There are so many others, I apologize to those I left off! I love and truly appreciate each and every one of you!

Instagram: @mysti_moon

Facebook: MystiMoon; MystiMoonMusic; TheDevilsDaughters

Image Credits
Johnny Angel Robert Smith Rick Marquez Daveed Benito Richard Burry