Ian Moore made the move from Austin to Seattle a couple of years ago, and his development from an exciting blues guitarist to equally stirring singer-songwriter has been an intriguing journey for his fans. His latest release, To Be Loved, out now on Justice Records, is a wonderful collection of pop tunes with just a touch of blues, suitable for any city. Besides his many albums, Moore has opened in the past for The Rolling Stones and ZZ Top.

We emailed Moore recently to find him in love with both Austin and Seattle, and also with enough time on his hands to offer us a mix-tape!

Austin vs. Seattle? Who wins?

Rollerderby? Mexican food? Environmental politics? General hotness? We like to look at ourselves as two close friends. One is a bit moodier and prone to melancholic ramblings, whereas the other won’t shut up once she starts talking. We love the both equally and differently.

Continue reading the interview after the jump! And enter below for your chance to win two tickets to the 2007 Wall Of Sound Festival!

Ian Moore: [myspace]

Appearing at the 2007 Wall Of Sound Festival on Saturday, September 22nd

Image courtesy of Ian Moore’s MySpace, Author Unknown (but we are guessing it’s Ian Moore himself).

Do you still receive requests to “play the blues”, or has that slowed down with each successive album release?

Not so much these days. A few desperate pleas are tossed my way, and it sounds like a nice enough venture, but the end result is less savory.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing live at the festival?

Probably Pinback. Great sense of melody, interesting, adventurous sonic textures. I have never seen them live before.

What 2007 album do you need to have in your iPod or tape deck this summer?

Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. I tried to not buy into all the hype around these guys, but the visceral energy and passion that they create is so refreshing and pure that it really stands out to me right now.

What musical instrument or piece of equipment do you love to play with the most?

I liked the theremin for a minute, but after I realized that Clara Rockmore was singular and that I needed a sense of patience as yet unknown in my world, I am now thinking of using it as some form of lure for drifting cubicle dwellers. Marxophones are damn fun, make everything sound Eastern European ... nothing wrong with a sarod in a pinch, it scares my cats.

If your life was represented by a full length album, what would it be?

Is that a euphemism for a playlist? I think it would be a mixtape for me. I can make you one if you’d like!