03: Kelly Moran
The experimental composer talks about breathing in odd time signatures, learning to run less, and listening to Krallice on SoCal runs
I’m Arielle Gordon, a music journalist and (very) amateur runner. Running Up That Hill is a newsletter in which I try to connect those two things by interviewing folks in the broader music world about their running habits, tips, and tricks.
Kelly Moran is a contemporary master of the prepared piano, an art form that requires equal parts care and courage, physically manipulating the inner machinations of the instrument to render new sounds. Away from music, her knack for finding the beauty in meticulousness manifests through her love of figure skating. In addition to tracking her progress and skating fandom on Twitter, Moran also finds an athletic release through running, a nearly daily habit that takes connects her to the natural beauty of 21 Savage and Long Island’s coast (yes, we have beaches on the North Shore too). On top of her vigorous running schedule, Moran recently released an excellent split EP with Prurient and a new single with Kelsey Lu, Yves Tumor, and Moses Boyd.
When did you get into running?
I played lots of sports growing up and was always a super athletic person - I loved basketball, softball, field hockey, skating, and then in middle school I joined the track team. I was a good short and middle distance runner - my best events were the 200m, 400m, the hurdles, and the high jump. I really enjoyed both the social and competitive aspects of being on the track team. I loved the adrenaline of track meets and celebrating victories with my team, so the team aspect of it was super appealing to me. I would balk at the cross country team whenever they ran by our practices - I never imagined I could be the kind of person to enjoy long distance runs all by myself. I didn’t get into doing that until a few years later when I was in college. During the beginning of my sophomore year, I was trying to force myself to live a healthier lifestyle after an indulgent and wild freshman year at school, so I got back into running and started going on solo runs by myself. I had this preconceived idea from my years of being on the track team that I was not built to be a long distance runner, so I started by setting a goal that I would run a mile each day, and then I gradually increased the distance. I eventually got up to 3 miles a day, which has been my typical running routine for the past 13 years.
Can you describe a typical running schedule for you in a given week?
I can be pretty intense when it comes to running, I like to do it every day if I can. Running has become an important part of my daily routine, I like to run in the morning about an hour after I wake up. I like to do it before I start working or composing each day because I find that it calms me down and helps me focus a lot better. Typically I aim to run at least 30 minutes a day, but when quarantine started and I had extra time on my hands, I decided to just keep going longer and see how long I could run for without stopping. There was a stretch of months where I was running 50-60 minutes every single day. In the winter months (and for the pandemic), I like to use the treadmill at my house and can just go forever on it. I’ll put on an episode of Real Housewives and just run the entire time and zone out to the blissful superficiality. If I’m on a treadmill I like to put it at a little bit of an incline so there’s more resistance.
Do you try to run on tour? What’s that like?
Yes I do - I make a point of trying to keep up my routine on the road, as insane as that might sound. It’s actually pretty easy for me to do since I normally tour by myself and can make my own schedule. It’s nice to be able to do one thing from your normal daily routine to help ground you when you’re traveling. When I get to a new city, I open up Google Maps and try to plot out a running route near where I’m staying based on whether I’m near a body of water or a big park. For me, it’s also a great way to get a feel for the city I’m in. A lot of the time when you’re on tour, you don’t always have the luxury of being able to walk around each city and take it all in, so runs are a great way for me to squeeze in some sightseeing and get a sense of where I am. I try to be respectful of the local culture of where I am too since certain places are not conducive for running, so if it’s better for me to work out at the hotel gym I’ll opt for that instead.
What’s your favorite place to run?
There’s a nature preserve in Long Island called Welwyn Preserve and it’s my favorite place in the whole world to go running. There are all sorts of different trails that all eventually lead to the beach, and it’s just stunning. I love going on runs there during the spring and summer because there are so many different trails you can go down with lots of beautiful landscapes, and once you get to the northernmost edge of the preserve, all the trails converge at the beach before you circle back. It’s a really great natural arc for a run! In the summer I’ll use the beach as my halfway point and take off my shoes to go for a quick dip in the water to cool off before I run back.
Do you have any running goals?
I wish I could say I want to run a marathon one day - but I’m really not that driven. I think one of my goals is actually to be okay with running LESS from now on. It’s been such an important part of my daily routine for so long, but I had some health issues in the fall that prevented me from exercising. For the first time in years, I had to be okay with not having running be part of my daily routine, and it was really tough to get used to. But the experience made me realize that it’s okay to give myself a break every now and then, and that I don’t have to be super militant about running. It’s okay to give myself a rest, and that I can still be productive and healthy without doing it every single day.
What do you listen to when you run?
It really depends - the short answer is everything. I love listening to pop music and rap, anything that has a good beat and makes me want to move. I tend to go through obsessive phases with listening to full records when I run - I don’t usually listen to mixes of different artists, I tend to keep it as one artist for the whole run. When it was warm in the pandemic and I could go for outdoor runs, I was listening to Lorenzo Senni, Yves Tumor, and the new Savage Mode 2 by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin. When I first got into black metal in grad school, I ran through canyons in Southern California listening to Krallice because their songs are super long and it was nice to get lost in their endless shred. Future and Taylor Swift are two of my all time favorite artists to listen to when running, I’ve probably put in more miles to DS2 and 1989 than any other albums.
What do you think about while you run?
Usually not a lot - Running is a form of meditation for me, so I try to just focus on my breath and being aware of my surroundings. (Unless I’m on the treadmill watching Real Housewives, then I’m thinking about whatever stupid drama is happening on the show to distract me!) I learned this cool trick where if you get tired or get a cramp while you’re running, you should breathe in odd time signatures like 5/4 - where you inhale for 2 beats and exhale for 3 (in rhythm with your pace) because it changes up which foot you are exhaling on, and it will make you less tired physically. I don’t know if this is scientifically proven, but it has helped me in the past!
Do you have any running gear you’d recommend?
I buy the same pair of running shoes every 6 months, I get a pair of the GT-1000s in black from Asics. I’ve tried a few brands and Asics always feel the best to me, it has just the right amount of support and comfort. And they’re cool enough looking that I can still wear them for casual everyday wear. When I go on tour, if I’m trying to be really conservative with my packing, I will just take these as my only pair of shoes and also perform my shows in them!
If you could give advice to new runners, what would it be?
Start out by setting small goals! For so many years, I thought of myself as a short-distance runner and was convinced that I didn’t have the stamina for longer distances, but you’d be surprised at what you can work yourself up to if you start out small and gradually work on your endurance over time. I know that if I wanted to, I could probably work my strength up to doing a half marathon if I really tried, so don’t let your preconceived notions of yourself affect what you’re actually capable of doing! And remember, running is not supposed to be punishment, so find a way to make it enjoyable for yourself. If you don’t enjoy it, don’t punish yourself with it and allow yourself to take breaks from it if you need to. You need to have a healthy relationship with it just like anything else you do in your life for your well-being. Moderation is important.
If you could go on a run with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be?
Ooh this is a great question. I don’t know why, but for some reason I would love to run with Cher. She just seems like someone who is in really good shape and would be a very positive and encouraging workout partner.
Does running have any influence on your work as a composer? Do you think about composing while running, or is it a space to disconnect from work?
Yes definitely. Sometimes I’ll listen to mixes of my music when I go for runs, especially if I’m working on a demo or trying to figure out the next step of a song. Taking a song out of the context of the studio and putting it into that situation will always give me a new perspective on it, whether it’s about the pacing of the song, the arrangement itself, or some other aspect. Running always gives me really good ideas in general for creative work, which is another reason I love it so much. It feels like it keeps my mind sharp, and not just my body.
Follow Kelly Moran on Twitter.
I enjoy Kelly's work - and new prepared piano works when I can find them (Robert Thies, Thomas Peters) - which is how I found my way here. Interesting combo w/running, nice!