Who inspired you to make music?
My mom and my grandparents were a massive part in my musical development.
I will always remember my mom’s band rehearsing in my grandparents cellar when I was young and when they were done me and my sister would always go down there and have a bash on the drums from being 3-4 years old.
I loved it but I couldn’t get my head around it. My lightbulb moment came a while later when I was 12-13 my neighbour Dave Owden came round and brought his guitar, a beautiful bc rich and started laying down some old school Metallica riffs. I didn’t think much of it at the time until a few days later I noticed I couldn’t stop humming them to myself, at which point I started looking up some videos online. I watched them play in Russia to like 500,000 people and I saw Lars playing drums and I just knew that was what I wanted to do. So I started picking up the sticks and played drums until my hands bled and then played some more. I always think without that experience I might be an accountant right now (just kidding I’m too thick).
What is your creative process like? Do you start with lyrics? Instruments? Concept?
I will usually start out by finding a nice chord progression on guitar or piano. Then I will carry on adding a melody with some rough lyrics. But there really is no right way to begin a song, sometimes I start with a beat I like and some times a sexy bass line but either way it usually entails copious amounts of coffee and cigarettes. I’m quite dyslexic so it can be hard to keep organised whilst writing, but I think it can also give me a different approach to the process.
What do you feel is the best song you have released/written and why?
I think it would have to be my latest release ‘Pillows’ it’s a very personal song with ties to my past. It’s based around domestic violence and the effects it can have on children, so it’s got a pretty sad meta narrative, but I still managed to keep the musical side of things bouncy, fun and engaging. I really love the song and I found the writing process was very therapeutic and helped me see the situation clearly and for what it was.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Less is more when it comes to songwriting. I think it’s very important not to over complicate a song or just use a song as a means to show off your musical ability. You have to stay true to the music your making or the song can get lost into the void.
If you could be any kind of cookie, what would it be and why? (Most important question)
A cannibal cookie made of human flesh because I, myself am made of human flesh.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
Although we can probably all agree the streaming system is f–ed and artists are struggling to even make pennys off their music. For independent artists, the internet can be a blessing with a means of advertising and reaching out to fans that we wouldn’t have had 30 years ago- so it can be a blessing and a curse
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
Obviously as stated above I would change the streaming system or more specifically, the system in which money is distributed to artists, but I would also love it if there was more effort to develop artists from the bigger company’s rather than just expecting artists to emerge fully developed with the sheer amounts of music online, these days it can be hard to cut through the noise.
What is the most useless talent you have?
I can eat a full pack of hob nobs in one sitting (With a cup of tea obviously).
When you’re done with music, what do you want people to think when they talk about you and your work?
I just want them to have felt something different to their norm and to hopefully have had an emotional impact on their lives and for them to know how passionate I am about what I do.
What is your most recent project/upcoming project?
My latest release is my debut EP Pillows, but I’m currently working on getting songs down for another EP and hopefully a full album early next year, if covid allows me.
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