Music in New Orleans Gets Folked by This Soul Duo

Handmade Moments is a two-piece band that originated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Artists Anna Moss and Joel Ludford came together to form Handmade Moments after another co-project in their Ozark art scene broke down. The duo developed a folkish sound, spiked it with hip-hop flair, and took it all on tour. Or rather, they took it gigging, as their bio reads. Now, they bring their act for a night of music in New Orleans.

The Handmade Moments duo traveled from one side of the country to the other. They built a following as they played, even making a few stops in New Orleans during this time. The album Eye in the Sky (a gem of a record) was released. Then, the act went international. Moss and Ludford journeyed to South America– Argentina, in particular, and continued playing. They moved around in a bio-diesel van, leaving peace and music behind, rolling forward with momentum. Until, a tragedy struck. The bio-diesel van was struck by two cars in a head-on collision. Joel Ludford was removed from the scene by Medivac. Anna Moss received a concussion. Two other passengers were injured likewise. The band’s music and equipment were ruined; the van, destroyed. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.

Handmade Moments grows a Paw Paw Tree

What followed was a time of healing. When Handmade Moments returned to writing, it was with an inspired zeal. The kind that comes from a profoundly shifting experience. The result was a new album, Paw Paw Tree. Paw Paw Tree grew from seeds of Southern roots, jazz, and a little bit of rock. It’s an album with such unique flavor. An example is the crooning “Coffee, Chocolate, and Earth” a song that sounds like it reads. Anna Moss has a raspy voice, something like Amy Winehouse meets Janis Joplin. Ludford weaves a grounding tone from the strings of a guitar, an upright bass, and any other instrument that comes his way. Together, Handmade Moment’s is a delightful coupling, especially when it comes to R&B covers.

Recently, Handmade Moments has been riding a wave of viral fame with a cover of Erykah Badu’s “Phone Down”. Their version is a charmingly infectious, poppy riff on Badu’s 2015 hip-hop heater. First, the group started with a simple version filmed inside a bread truck (could this be their beloved biodiesel bus?). That video garnered over 350k views, and a formal recording released on Spotify. Then, just yesterday Moss & Ludford released a full video for the song, filmed in Venice, Italy. Check it out below:

 

Remarkably, this isn’t the first cover they’ve knocked out of the park. Here’s an equally important 2016 cover of Aliyah’s “Are You That Somebody?”

 

Back & Playing Music In New Orleans

This week, Handmade Moments return to New Orleans for a show at the Hi-Ho Lounge. Anna Moss and Joel Ludford are leading a lineup of artists from all over the country. Music in New Orleans can really come from all over sometimes. The show is Thursday, Jan. 23rd, starting at 9p. Check out more info on the events page here. This is going to be a good show to catch, so consider a night out. Visit a restaurant from our 2020 Dining Guide before you catch Handmade Moments.