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: Sure! I was born in Glasgow and lived there until I turned 8. Then we moved to Barcelona and I lived there for 10 years. In Spain I learned how to play piano, guitar and drums. After graduating from high school I left for Newcastle to study animation at university. It was there that I started composing my own songs, going to jams and learning how to use software. After university I moved up to Glasgow to become an animator and worked for a while but ultimately started going to music college.
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: I had formal piano lessons for 2 years and drum lessons for 7. For Guitar, bass, synths and singing I am self-taught.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘When Bored’?
A: My strongest musical influences are bands like La Plata, Julie, Molchat Doma, The Cure, The Eels, Fontaines D. C. and Radiohead. I chose the name “When Bored” as I didn’t want a name with “The” at the start. I also wanted something that was part of a sentence. In Spanish, there is a lot of analysis and dissecting of sentences that you need to learn for school. In my head I think of it as “When bored, make music, art, paint etc.” So I just take the When Bored part.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Blue Tinted Glass’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Usually my songs won’t be about just one thing. The song is about blue stained glass at Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona. It also has various verses about my past relationship. Some of the chorus lines are about the time I went on a school trip to Plymouth when I was 11 and I saw what the Blitzkrieg did to the old town. It’s a bit of a mess but blue stained church glass is what somehow ties them all together so that’s why I decided to call the song that.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: You can! I am releasing several singles that will be all tied up and bundled into a cute EP! The EP is called Arrival in Annares, inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s book “The Dispossessed”.
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 would personally describe my sound as post-punk or goth rock. Drum machine’s, eerie guitars, haunting synths and eccentric vocals are all elements that I would say would resonate with people that are into that sound.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: Yes, it does. Each song I write, record or produce is such a great process and enables me to be creative in a way that I really enjoy. I mean anyone would want their music to reach more people but I am so happy with my process. The act of creating itself is what I love about music so much. Especially if it’s with friends too.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: I usually start with a bassline. Since it contains the melodic and rhythmic information of the song I find it easier to build around it. However, each song is its own world and I really like experimenting and writing songs starting on any instrument. “Blue Tinted Glass” is definitely a bassline first song.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: Playing to a practically empty room wasn’t the best feeling. Having to worry about money all the time can be really stressful.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: Having all my friends come out and support me at my shows are memories I will never forget. Friends that aren’t necessarily into the same music as me getting into post-punk. Family listening and enjoying my music. Just knowing that some people care and enjoy the music I make is amazing.
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