As "Furious" Tops Billion It's No Axident Moss and Honua are Involved

As the "Fate of the Furious" roars in to theatres breaking a billion dollars world-wide already, theres more going on than just a great action film. Over the end credits is the hit song "Don't Get Much Better" and it tells more than the story of the movie. Because behind that song is one of the busiest music publishing companies headed by a true industry veteran. The company is Honua, and the man is Ron Moss, who with partner Producer/Writer Axident are Honua.

It's not easy to write a story about Ron Moss; and not because he doesn't have much to say or isn't interesting. On the contrary: that's the problem. Ron Moss has TOO much to say for one story; too many interesting stories about the music industry past, present, and future.

You see, he has one of the most famous initials in 20th Century music. His father is Jerry Moss, the "M" of "A&M Records," with Herb Albert being the "A." And Ron is the very Hollywood story: son of the head of the label, starts in the mail room learning all aspects of the business, grows up on one of the most famous lots in music and film (The Chaplin Stage is part of A&M's lot, now a film/TV production company for Henson), meets legends, one-hit-wonders and every other member of the business along the way and ends up an executive himself.

That journey makes for some stories.

But Moss is about the present, about the future, and as much as he likes to reminisce about the past (I used to work with Vesta Williams who was on A&M, met Ron, his father Jerry, Herb, and many others at A&M from Diana Baron to Barry White, Janet Jackson to Shanice Wilson so we have a lot to talk about) he certainly has his feet in the present and his eyes on the future.

Because Moss, and his latest incarnation, Honua Music, are quietly making hits, which in this business is almost an oxymoron. Honua Music, Moss and his partner Producer, Writer Axident (Andreas "Axident" Shueller) are behind over 10 million sales a nearly a billion streams of hits from Pitbull to Tim McGraw, Sage The Gemini to Jason Derulo. Honua is a music publishing and management company that now may add an Oscar to their covert takeover of the music industry with the end-credit song in the hit movie "The Fate of the Furious" the final incarnation in that series of films. That track, "Don't Get Much Better" by Jermih, Ty Dolla $ign and Sage the Gemini was (and is) a hit out of the box and only further pushes Honua higher.

"One thing I learned along the way," Moss began on my syndicated radio show/podcast The Karel Cast "is that music is a collaboration, a process, and that it always starts with the song," this former Senior Vice President of Rondor Music/Universal Music Publishing went on. "That is why I've really loved being on the publishing side of the industry, finding the songwriters, the music that is going to shape and define the industry, while also protecting those writers and their interests in it."

"I couldn't agree more about the collaborations," Axident interjected as he was busy writing at another location and was joining us via Skype. "That's why I believe so much in our workshops, our Beet Retreats," he began. "We get a group of writers, producers, musicians together in Los Angeles annually and we break down music, the beats, the lyrics and the music and then we totally change everything up, change our roles, change sounds, create. That can lead to some remarkable things. For instance, we took a .99 cent store flute and loved it. It became the driving force behind Jason Derulo's song 'Wiggle,'" Axident recalled. "That came out of that workshop, and so much more."

Honua is not new, it has been around for seven years. Moss feels you really have to invest in a company and the artists if you are going to succeed.

"I learned a lot on that lot, at A&M," he recalled. "And one thing I learned is that you have to be dedicated to what you do, to the music, to the industry and to each other. You can't be in it for the one hit, the big pay day, the Platinum albums. Yes, those are great, and if you do your job well, they may come. But you have to remember music is alive, it changes, it grows. The business itself changes almost daily, so everything about the business is constantly evolving. Songs are the foundation, and a music publishing company that realizes that, that takes care of its songwriters and the music itself is crucial. And yes, it is a business and that's why as an independent voice in the industry we feel it's important to safeguard and protect our writers while giving them every opportunity to excel with their music, our music," he added.

And while Moss has the publishing side covered, Axident is keeping it fresh artistically. No stranger to hit records or the Billboard Hot 100 with artists such as Justin Bieber, it is Axident's passion that is one of the major forces behind Honua.

"I first met Ron and Rondor/Universal and we really connected. He listened to my music, really listened, and it all just sprang from there. Finally, we knew we had to work together and it's been an incredible journey ever since. We've been so busy working, we haven't had time to look up, now that we are, we see we are almost a decade in to it and are really creating some hits. It's such a rewarding feeling to actually be living your passions," this Norwegian born-Los Angeles transplant told me.

The duo are going to continue to drive Honua to be one of the largest music publishing and artist management companies in the business. While they seem heavy in the Pop/R&B/Rap explain Tim McGraw?

"We want to do it all," Axident laughed. "There's no boundaries to music, who can sing it or what you can make it with. That's the excitement, that's the fun of it. Music is cross genre, if a song speaks to you, it speaks to you," he concluded.

Moss maintains a busy schedule both heading Honua and traveling and speaking to people in the music business about how to thrive in it. After all, music is his family's business.

"I never really could stray far from that lot, could I?" He laughed, referencing his life-long affair with music. "I mean, it's the family business. And what a great way to grow up and then live my adult life, surrounded by talented songwriters, singers, producers. If I can help the new or established ones with what I've learned, well, you almost have to, right?"

Absolutely right. And it's those stories that could be a book, let alone a column, and perhaps one day they will. In the mean time, to find out more go to Honua Music.

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