Moush is the creative alias of Jacob Richards-Powell, the owner, principal writer and label manager for The Shonk and Shonkphonics. He started making music around 2004 after buying a terrible guitar from a boot sale for £5 – (this resulted in the song El Gringo and the subsequent comics) The earliest recorded song by Moush is titled ‘Hoover End’ from 2001, featuring an out of tune piano and recorded on a low budget MP3 player.
Throughout his life, Moush has been involved with the Newport music scene, putting on gigs, performing with bands, hosting jam nights, performing at the local free-jazz club and writing about local gigs and bands. This has seen him in many bands and guises, from thrown together one-night-only specials such as Mississippi Steam Wreck, and The Beta Pavilion to far more long running projects like The Good Mournings. (guitar, music, composition) Ta Malaka Matia (drums), Black Wesker (guitar, vocals, songwriting), WAKEY! (slide guitar, vocals, synths, songwriting)
Moush featured as Professor Jowell in the techno-punk band Sicknote and was the tour drummer for Mr Duke of Mr. Duke & The Hoodlum circus on his final tour circa 2011.
Moush has a broad taste in music but maintains that the best bands ever include: Cardiacs, Ween, Half Man Half Biscuit, King Missile, Happy Flowers, LCD Soundsystem, The Monks and Grandaddy to name a few. He was inspired in home-made music making by Joe Meek. Whilst the Moush ‘actual’ catalogue comprises solely of home recording tracks recorded between 2010 to the present day, Moush has recorded in the studios of Dave Draper, Alan Wilson and Jeff Rose.
The music of Moush is heavily inspired with music he has listened to throughout his life, known for their escoteric themes, peculiar sound and number station easter eggs, Moush has released two albums and a collection of early years tracks. Locked Down, Tech Moush Replica and Early Years respectively.
| Previous Music Projects
|
|
| The Beta Pavilion
2011 |
Drums |
| Hero/villain
2012 |
Drums / Guitar |
| Outgroan
2018 |
Guitar / vocals / drums |
| Mr Duke
2012 |
Touring drummer (one-off) |
| Mississippi Steam Wreck
2010 |
Drums |
| Sicknote
2009-2012 |
Stage dancer, occasional bongos |
| Current Music Projects
|
|
| Moush
2001- |
All instruments, software, vocals, songwriting |
| The Good Mournings
2011- |
Guitar, backing vocals, composition |
| Ta Malaka Matia
2024- |
Drums |
| WAKEY!
2025- |
lapsteel, vocals, synths |
| Black Wesker
2021- |
Guitar, vocals, songwriting |
| Space Cat
2021- |
Guitar, effects |
| The Holistic House Band
2017- |
Host, drums, guitar, vocals, synth |
Writing & film
Moush won the 2012 University of Wales creative writing competition judged by then Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion. He was credited as ‘saving the Boomtown Festival’ for his journalism work following their first festival in the forest of Dean.
Moush has appeared in independent films such as Stationary (2016), the Chapter 7 headline act announcement video for Boomtown and an assortment of Shonk Open Broadcasting films including the 3-part Moush short film series. He played the role of Steven George Jones in the 2024 Keefa Chan documentary film on Newport Chartists effects on art in Newport, Newport: Rebels & Renaissance
He has performed SA work in films and television such as Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny, Industry, Mud Town, Casualty, Will, Black Cake and Salt Path.
Moush writes for The Shonk under the moniker ‘Duke of Earl’ which is also his gaming tag, he attends the annual Skynet Brecon LAN events. He runs the Shonkphonics label and produces all physical copy releases from The Shonk office in Newport. The Shonk has a dedicated space for rehersals, recordings and green-screen filming based in Newport, managed by Moush.