New Beginning Comes to an End         Calgary Herald October 19 2001

The Moffatts have left the building

The Moffatts' father confirmed rumours Thursday the popular Victoria family band have broken up -- at least for the time being.

It seems that as they grew up, The Moffatts wanted to rock, but their fans, who fell in love with them as a poppy boy band, wouldn't let them.

"Being young, there's this (boy band) stigma you pick up and they all thought it was very unjust," said Frank Moffatt of his four sons, Scott, 19, and 18-year-old triplets Bob, Clint, and Dave, who took the country by storm in the late '90s as Canada's answer to the boy-band craze. "The Moffatts are just as rocky as any band out there, so they were a little upset with this stgma they had attained ... They thought they'd take a rest and let their fans get older, so they could appreciate the music and not get caught up in the image. Let's face it, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync fans are not really there for the music, and (The Moffatts) didn't want to be lumped in with that. They wanted to be appreciated for their music, so they thought it would be best to take a break."

As his sons have gone their separate ways, The Moffatts' future is up in the air, Frank says. They've discussed getting back together at a future date with a possible name change and a fresh start. They've also discussed solo projects as their musical tastes have taken different directions in recent years.

Guitarist Scott, who lives in Bragg Creek with his girlfriend, has fallen for the experimental art rock of Radiohead. He's currently writing songs and jamming with a group of musicians that don't include his brothers.

Drummer Bob, a "pure rocker", is into the music of Nickelback and Metallica, while brother Clint, on the bass, prefers hip-hop artists, such as Eminem, and rap-rockers like Linkin Park. The two are currently working together on new songs at the family's studio in their Bragg Creek residence.

As for keyboardist Dave, his musical vision has remained "pure pop", according to Frank, tending to gravitate towards Top 40 acts such as Matchbox 20. Dave was thinking about enrolling at the University of Victoria to become a veterinarian, but instead he decided to take a year off and travel.

"He's been in Australia for about a month," Frank says. "He had just been swimming in the Great Barrier Reef the last time we talked to him. He'll be there for a year, until his visa runs out."

The Moffatts have been performing together since they were children. They made their public debut when Frank had them record a version of the Judds' Grandpa, as a present to their own grandfather, at a West Edmonton Mall amateur recording booth. Their performance was such a sensation, the boys began playing country music festivals, eventually moving to Nashville where they recorded a country album, toured with the Osmonds and made more than 200 television appearances.

Later, they reinvented themselves as a bubble-gum boy band, releasing 1998's Chapter 1: A New Beginning. It sold more than two million copies worldwide.

Last year, The Moffatts shocked the music industry and their fans with the release of Submodalities, a record with a hard rock edge produced by Bob Rock, known for his work with heavy metal acts such as Motley Crue and Metallica.

"You never know what's going to happen with musicians. Tomorrow could be a whole new plan," says Frank. "But they're writing new songs and they're still in full contact with Bob Rock and the record label guys ... They're all old enough to get into the bars now, so we're letting them make their own minds up. It's important for them to search out their own needs."