Hiya Paleblu, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
What was life like for you before you got into music?
I honestly can’t remember. I’ve always been into music. I got into performing from a young age (around 7 years old).
What’s the live music scene like in London right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
There is a lot of music coming out of London. It’s so much more oversaturated for independent musicians than I remember it being 10 years ago. As someone that was born and raised in East London, I like to try and promote local talent. Hak Baker is killing it right now and has been for years. Humane The Moon are a band from the same neighbourhood as me that are doing bits. And then I’ve gotta give a shoutout to some of my collaborators Laville, Kieron Boothe and Airz who are all from the London area.
It seems like being a social media curator has become added to the many jobs of a musician, how do you feel about this?
It feels like a bit of a circus at times, but we’re all entertainers so we have to engage with it. I think the best way to navigate this is not try and be cool or fit a box, you need to just be genuine and yourself. That type of content seems to work for me.
How do you manage engagement on your socials?
Most of the time it’s pretty ad-hoc. Recently I’ve been trying to post 2-3 bits of content a week, but that can be exhausting. If I have an idea or a concept, I’ll flesh it out and then either record it myself or with my brother Kyle (Play Pause Films) as he’s a videographer.
What’s your view on the Music industry today?
I think we’re seeing money taken away from the creators more and more. The adaptation of streaming platforms has led to people consuming music in a much different way. There are some music scenes where people still value physical as a product but they are very niche scenes.
And the mark-up on producing vinyl can be good, but you need to have that cult following. Overall, I think the situation is quite dire and majors seem to be taking advantage of artists more. I hear so many stories about people speaking to labels to sign work, for them to then turn around and say “well actually we
only sign people with X amount of followers on Instagram, or X amount of monthly listeners on Spotify”.
Well doesn’t that defer from the whole point of A&R and Artist Development – which is the role of a record label – completely? I know more and more people that are in an advanced stage in my career who also work full-time jobs (myself included). It is less easy for people to break-in the scene and daily, I become aware of more and more artists who essentially have inherited wealth that have been able to break into the scene early on in their career.
I saw a clip of Danny Dyer recently saying that only 7% of people working within the arts are from working-class families. This lack of
representation is so contradictory, considering where a lot of my favourite popular genres of music come from (Punk, rock, jungle, rave, house). A lot of these sounds came out of a counter-culture that all from struggle and generally all started with people who were from working class communities.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
I definitely think I’m at a nice breaking point in my career. I’ve released 2 EPs and have my debut album on the way. My music isn’t pop, it isn’t indie rock, it isn’t jungle. It’s an amalgamation of all my influences and I think people can see that it’s unique. I often have people say ‘I’ve never heard anything likes this’ or ‘you’re really different’ and to me these are massive compliments.
Aside from being an artist I have also worked for labels, radio stations and in venues. When people hear this about me I think they have a bit more of a level of respect for me, because I’m not a fresh-faced rich
kid looking for a major deal. I understand a lot about the music industry and I’ve worked hard to get to this point.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
Setting goals are important, but things are not linear. It’s peaks and troughs, but like life is.
What was your best experience on stage?
Glastonbury 2024 at the Strummerville Stage.
What was your worst experience on stage?
I won’t delve into this too much, but people that know me will know. New year’s eve when I was 18, in Kent.
Tell us something about you / each member that you think people would be surprised about.
Alex (Drummer), Ben (Bass) are both graduating from Trinity Laban Conservatoire this year. They’re so talented. Thiago (Sax, BVS) and Mike (Guitar) also play in another band called Popes of Chilitown. My co-producer Chris is a legendary and incredible person who was signed to RAM Records from a young age under the alias Chords. Aside from this, they are all some of my closest friends.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
Stay Away. That is all.
What was the recording process like?
I wrote this song in September of last year. I was in a bit of a fuck you mood. I often find that people come to me for help, support or networking. I’ve been learning to be kinder to myself and focus on myself recently. So this song is really about that, setting boundaries and not saying yes to everyone and everything.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
Authenticity shines out. Write what comes to mind. Don’t think about it too much.
Would you change anything now it’s finished? Absolutely not. I’ve grown to love this tune already.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Support independent artists. Big up to my band. Sending love to my friends and family. Big up to my manager Pat. And huge shoutout to Ian from Red Lantern for believing in my vision.
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