Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I’m from Stoke, what can I say, I love the place as much as anyone, but it’s not without it’s problems. Since the major industries left about 25 years ago, we’ve become a bit of a forgotten entity, like plenty of northern towns and cities I suppose. I’ve always sang, since I was young kid, it just created a feeling in me like nothing else.. I guess as I got older I just chased that feeling. Once I started college I started singing for bands, and then a little later I started to write my own songs and do things my own way and now here I am.
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: Self taught pretty much, I had 4 or 5 guitar lessons at one point, but I didn’t really enjoy that so I just kept at it on my own. Vocally speaking I just sang and it felt great, I’ve never had any lessons with regards to that.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
A: My earliest memories are probably of my mum playing Eric Clapton records, and me and my brother playing tennis rackets along to Queen records, I also have a vivid memory of George Michael being played a lot too. My dad was into Zeppelin and Pink Floyd and there were old Beatles tapes knocking around too, so I took all of that in. The band I first became fixated on were Oasis and then from that I discovered more of the Beatles and Neil Young and Bob Dylan and later Nick Cave Bruce Springsteen. I take bits from all of the stuff I listen too, I think even the ones you don’t thin influence you, actually do in some way or another.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘The Weight’. Is there a story behind it?
A: It’s just about the emotional hangover of a broken down relationship. I guess the track works it’s way through some of the layers of that, an acceptance that you never really know the true effect of these things, they shape you even when you don’t realise.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: Yeah hopefully around Feb 23, with more stuff to follow by the end of next year.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: I think lyrically I always try to find an element of truth, a realness to what I’m trying to say. Hopefully that resonates in some kind of way with the listener. I’ve no idea how to describe my sound, my manager asks me this all the time… fuck knows… it’s a bit ‘singer songwriter’ I suppose but it’s not really specifically anything in my eyes.. though there’s probably someone reading this who would listen and disagree.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: In terms of writing what I want, yes, I like having creative freedom and making art on my own terms, but in terms of getting it out there, no… it’s hard to get in front of the right people, hopefully the tide turns with that at some point
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: I write on an acoustic, sometimes the chords come first sometimes a little melody hook or some words.. I tend to edit and edit and edit until I get into into a basic shape, I then flesh it out in the studio with my producer/guitarist Twem and and producer/drummer Bash..
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: I’ve done alright so far, losing people and relationship breakdowns are never easy but everyone goes through that, I’m no different. In terms of music, it’s the hope and promises that never quite work out how they should that slap the hardest, I’m not done trying just yet mind.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: Being played on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 were great, but there’s nothing better than playing live and having people appreciate what you do…
