He shares his experience in the industry, knowledge of festivals and thoughts on life in the interview, below.
OneEDM: Why do you think it is crucial to provide updated information to festival goers? Why should someone read your magazine?
Scotty Moore: Basically, I just realized that there is no lifestyle magazine for fest fans. Festivals are mainstream now, and there are no publications for this field, and uniquely, this will be print only. It will not be digital. I knew it was time. Generation X and Baby
What experience and expertise will the FestWorld staff offer their readers?
We have a lot of writers from FestPop.com which I founded in 2013 and the model there was that I never hired Billboard or Rollingstone writers. The team was filled with passionate fans who love the genre, whether it be EDM Rock and Roll or Country, they’re all good writers. It resonates with readers when a peer writes the content. Even artists loved it because it came from a fan perspective and not a stuffy journalist. There will be passionate writers in FestWorld magazine who love music.
The meaning of lifestyle is the way in which a person or group lives. Who created the festival lifestyle? Was it the attendees? Or the festival talent, the organizers? Or is it a co-creative design?
It’s definitely the music festival producers. They are the ones responsible for curating the festival vibe culture and community. Then, it kind of snowballs from that. The different demographics are driven by certain things. Maybe the 18-24 demo is driven by the lineup, but once you get to the 30-40 demo, they are an experience driven.
I have so many friends that are going to Coachella no matter what, no matter who is there. I can say that about a couple of festivals, like Outside Lands for example. It’s beautiful not because of the lineup but its location. Located in Golden Gate Park, a fest fan will witness nature. Beautiful Cyprus trees with the fog rolling in, stuff like that make it special. The one year I went, they had Billy Idol to Zed which turned out to be a multi-genre experience. I love it all.
What is the infatuation with festivals and Millennials? Hippie parents had Woodstock and now their kids have Electric Daisy Carnival. Do you feel it is a form of escapism from their everyday lives?
I think it’s
How much does the music industry need this magazine? Will it take festivals to an even higher level?
I’m betting on it. It’s going to increase the overall industry. There are certain passion points that we all have for fest fans, we love to travel, we love the food, we love art, we love people. So, if you’re seeing that FestWorld in the airport newsstand and you have never experienced a festival it will teach you that you’re not too young, you’re not too old, you, too, can find a festival to enjoy.
Will FestWorld solely focus on the EDM community? Can a reader learn about Essence Music festival and say, Afropunk Fest in this magazine?
We are covering every festival. I have been quoted before: “if you want to find humanity at its best go to a music festival”. We are covering every festival it doesn’t matter if its 1000 a day or a 100,000 a day. We are here to help everyone learn more about festivals. Teach the West coast about the East and visa
Ezoo crowd doesn’t know about
With just the US alone there are 800 music festivals. All with their own unique twists. How can one magazine cover so much possible content without getting lost in random information?
Based on the month, we will talk about summer festivals, or if its winter months, we will talk about snowglobe etc.
Can you tell us about your first music festival and that experience?
Being in Northern California we had a day on the greens which
Why choose to opt out on digital versions of FestWorld magazine? Do you think there is real magic in holding that glossy magazine in one’s hands that leaves a real lasting effect?
Definitely. Number one, I want it to be a collector’s item. And I want it to have value. If our advertisers know you can only see this exclusively, then it will be more valuable.
What were some of the magazines you grew up reading? What were some of your favorites?
Definitely Esquire. Of course, Playboy. A great story, me and my buddies in northern California found an abandoned rangers station and in it, there were all these vintage P
With the Fyre festival and it’s documentary that just came out on Netflix, what was your reaction and thoughts about what happened down in the Bahamas?
I remember with Festpop we received the press release, and we covered it. My thing is, after watching both documentaries on July and Netflix, Billy McFarland was a little shady, but, I honestly think he was trying to do a festival. But he didn’t realize it’s so fucking hard.
He was too far into it to back up. Ultimately, it was a good idea, but it’s all about execution. The Fyre festival was a case study in greed with zero purposes. Every established music festival producer I’ve interviewed (15+) are driven by creating an experience that lasts a lifetime.
Is it ever ok for a leader to lie to his or her team?
Never. You have to be 100% transparent with everything you’re doing. That’s the success with Festpop: there is no hierarchy, we are all in a circle office and everyone is on the same page. There were so many times in that documentary where the staff wasn’t on the same page. That is when you run into problems
What is the meaning of a true leader to you?
A quote from Walt Disney I love is “surrounding yourself with talented people to execute the vision”. Recruit people where you have weak points because a true leader doesn’t always know it all. A true leader keeps open and constant communication.
Say someone has a negative experience at a festival and decided “festivals are not for me”. Can Festworld showcase the beauty and positive parts of a festival that could change the mind of the said individual? Is Festworld strong enough in bringing excitement, interest, and confidence to a naysayer?
No because it’s all about the individual experience.
How has Scotty Moore been able to achieve his goals all these years? We’re you always a driven and ambitious person?
I would say definitely. My family started California Homes magazine so I was raised by entrepreneurs and I always wanted to launch a magazine. But I saw all the magazines failing and the reason why they were failing was that there are 100 magazines for one subject. Festworld is making magazine history by publishing the first magazine for music festivals.
What will Festworld be taking from Festpop that readers will be familiar with?
The authenticity with editorial coming from the fan perspective.
You have also started the FestWorld Foundation where $2 from every subscription of the magazine goes toward helping end the opioid epidemic. Can you tell us about that?
Last year during advertising week I saw a panel with the U.S. Surgeon General and Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue. They were sharing their experiences and how brands can help end the opioid crisis which moved me. 150 die every day from the opioid crisis.
The U.S. Surgeon General made a great analogy, what if a plane crashed every day with 150 people dying in it? There will be anarchy. People will be rioting and picketing the White House to make changes. We all know the music festival culture has its drug usage, we are advocating to keep it legal and safe. So we are pushing to stay away from the opioids its bad news. We are here to help.
Do the troubles that come with opioid addiction hit close to home?
Our foundation wants to find out that gene from the people who are not predisposed to it to help out the people who are disposed to it to maybe help with gene therapy.
Could the magazine ever cover the topic of opioids and its relationship to festivals to spread awareness?
Every issue will have that.
Life today is complicated and what works best for people is to live according to their values. What does Scotty value most in life?
Professionally, I have to quote Amy Winehouse “I define success by choosing who I want to work with that I admire and respect”. The silicone valley mentality (my hometown) is all about creating something that will make our lives better.
We worry about the revenue stream last. Personally, what I value most is my girlfriend who I met at a music festival just eight months ago. I value my family and friends…success means nothing unless you can share it with the people you love. I value exploring and always learning and growing.
$2 FROM EVERY FESTWORLD MAGAZINE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION ($12) GOES TOWARDS HELPING TO END THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC: SUBSCRIBE HERE
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