Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I grew up in the North West of England in a hard working, working class family. Working hard through the week and blowing out every weekend was the norm. The musical soundtrack to my childhood came in the form of 80’s rock and metal bands such as Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith. I was fascinated by the sound of guitars and the growl of rock singers from a very young age. As I grew throughout my teens I continued to love that music but began to explore more. I loved bands like Silverchair and Offspring in my teens, and on the ther hand would often seek out things with a mellow acoustic vibe. This continues to this day. I’m always searching for music. Guitar based music across a range of genres, heavy or soft, but with lyrics that make me feel something. The years of searching and listening to music has given me a real base to draw from when writing my songs. I’ll go from soft acoustic stuff inspired by bands such as Novo Amor to Bluesy rocking songs inspired by Guns n Roses or Rory Gallagher. I don’t know how or why but I try to feel everything, life, music, love, loss all of it, the music is the soundtrack to the life I’m living and it all comes out when I write. I have my own family now, young kids and a beautiful wife. I find inspiration from the ones I love. I use the past to pen the angry tunes and the present to pen the songs about love and hope.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Lee Richards”?
A: I’m an independent artist, pushing my music on my own. The whole self promotion thing can be hard. It can feel like you’re spamming people with it all the time. However, its necessary, to get people to hear your music you have to be posting and shouting about it on social media. I am performing regularly around my local area. My goal this year is to reach a wider audience through self promotion, play some festival spots and perform further afield outside my local area. I will be releasing another single before an EP within the mext month or so and already have songs ready to put together and record for more releases later in the year.
Anyone about to discover Lee Richards- my message to you is Thank you, I appreciate every listener. If you want to hear authentic honest guitar driven rock, americna, blues influenced music with lyrics about love, life, loss and hope written with a real heart on the sleeve attitude then my music is for you.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: Zach Bryan, right now I’m inspired by the sheer number of songs he puts out. I’m drawn to the lyrics and delivery. The simplistic style. He doesn’t over do and everything I hear really hits the spot for me currently.
I find inspiration in everyday life, from the freedom and joy I see in my children to the struggles of life I see all around me as an adult. I like to write sings about things that happen to everyday people in everyday life and hope that people relate to the words and music I come up with. I’m not frightened to put my own heart on the line and write songs about how I feel, or things that I’ve had to deal with personally. The main thing for me though, is the honesty and feeling the music gives me. It has to make me feel something, there has to be emotion in it. I hope that comes through to anyone who listens
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “Two feet in the driveway.”?
A: I wrote the song whilst going through a difficult time. We’ve all had those times in life when work, family, your partner or whatever is just not working out and you could get in the car and just leave, but you love them, you love it, you’re not giving up on the one you love.
Two feet in the driveway, but my heart won’t let me go. I’m simply saying I’ve got the keys in my hand, I’m stood here about to get in the car and drive away. Yet, I won’t, I’m not. My love is stronger than that and we can get through anything. In the end we made it through. It’s a love song really. I recorded the song in one vocal take on the acoustic guitar. The lead electric guitar lines were added afterwards. I wanted the lead guitar to be an extention of the lyrics, almost crying out. I am really happy with how it turned out.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Heartfelt.
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Two feet in the driveway”?
A: The song came together quickly, I picked the guitar and hummed the melody and the words fell out. I record at a small studio near Preston in England. It’s such an amazing place and any challenges in the recording process are dealt with by Nick who runs the studio. So, honestly, there were no challenges at all.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: My message is of truth, freedom of expression, and honesty. My music is aimed to take you away and help you feel something and if you relate to the music I believe you will.
My goals as an artist are to keep enjoying the process, Try not to get sucked into a numbers game whilst staying true to myself, write more and more, keep improving and play on bigger stages. Play Glastonbury one day. Have people sing my songs back to me in their thousands. We have to keep dreaming don’t we.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: An off the cuff spur of the moment one here. There are so many, but as I answer this today it would be Raye, a British artist who crosses genres with ease.
This is purely based on her live performance which I watched on New Years Eve as part of Jools Holland Hootenanny. It blew me away, vocally it was outstanding, blusey, jazzy, awesomeness. I would love to sit and write and duet with her, a Blues, Rock relationship break up song type affair.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Be true to yourself, write and play the music you love, it shows in your performance, it elevates your performance if you love it. Enjoy the process, enjoy it and just keep playing, singing and performing as much as you can. Don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t take yourself too seriously.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Due to the fact I came into the music business later in life. It would be to start sooner. I always put off recording songs, I messed around for years, wasting time. I wish I had given myself a shot years ago. Don’t let self doubt get in the way.
