Like most guitarists/singers I know, I've been in bands since high school. When I was 19, my band's single was picked up by BBC Radio 1, and I started to take songwriting and recording more seriously. I learned the hard way that it takes more than radio play to "make it". We lost momentum, and I moved to Spain to study. When I returned to the UK, my band and I reinvented ourselves, wrote some more tunes and tried to be better prepared. We got some serious industry interest (and more national radio on Radio X), but we hit an identity crisis. The managers and labels we met wanted us to sound and dress a certain way; we didn't want to. Now, I'm writing and recording a new project. The aim is to cast off all expectations and make something for the love of music and art, a statement which means something to me. We'll see how that goes...
Music is art to me - it's a way to hold a mirror up to the world we live in, and ourselves. The best music gives me a physical, visceral reaction; like being compelled to get up and dance, or raising the hairs on my arms.
I'd love to be in a semi-successful indie band, where I could have a small, engaged fan base but not be dogged by proper fame.
Education for the youth.
Life on Mars by David Bowie. That was the first song that really made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
They change all the time. Some enduring favourites are Foals, David Bowie and The 1975. Current favourites are Low Island, Billie Eilish and Another Sky.
Musical ideas - melodies, bass lines, grooves - usually just pop into my head when I'm doing something menial like washing up. Sometimes, I'll hear an amazing track which will kickstart that instinct.
I want my music to be emotionally authentic, so I always want it to talk about what I'm feeling at the time. Sometimes that's political, sometimes it's personal - I've found that the more specific a song is, the deeper it connects with people.
It's a brilliant adrenaline rush. I've always fed off seeing people in a room listening to and enjoying my music as it's played.
I think musicians have to adapt to the new music industry landscape. Sadly, the old dream of "making it" with million-pound advances is dead, and music itself is readily available for free. We can't do much to change those facts, but we can prepare ourselves to either do it completely for the love, or monetise things other than the music itself.
I'm enjoying it - I love the Song Reviews, and the strong community aspect.
Seeing other musicians, who are incredibly talented and write fantastic music, give up because they can't do it any more in the current climate.
I try to get out to as many local gigs as possible. I've also collaborated with other artists in the north west of England before.
Music is half the battle - the music should sound professionally recorded/produced and be entertaining or emotionally engaging. The other half of the battle is marketing - how do you look, what's your story, why should people care? The second part is where I (and I think a lot of us) have always struggled.
Low Island, Larkins, Another Sky.