Hiya Hybrid Kid, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
I did group guitar lessons when I was 12 and found out that despite having the worst kind of toy guitar with a massively high action, unplayable really, I was the best in the class. That made me think I might be onto something.
Introduce us to you and your musical history.
I learnt guitar off a friend of Paco de Lucia, (he looked like Yosemite Sam with a handlebar moustache and leather waist coat) then joined a friend’s prog rock band on bass. We had capes and smoke bombs and other stuff and once did a battle of the bands where Roger Taylor from Queen was the judge.
I did performance art at art college and then got into fronting my own band in London, playing the Garage, Water Rats etc. When that split I tried again in San Francisco, playing small venues again, then back to Brighton where I got another band together. Now that that’s split I’ve gone down the tech route so can get a full band sound playing solo. I have to play sitting down as there’s a lot of pedals to work but now I’ve figured it all out I’m killing it live, it’s just so much fun.
What’s the live music scene like in Brighton right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
It’s kind of crazy the amount of bands in Brighton right now.
La Luna are a really good shoegaze band, sound a bit like BDRMM and Downs Hotel have a cool 70s folk rock sound a bit like Neil Young
I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for support recently online. What’s your view on the industry?
It’s such an oversaturated market, I really don’t know how anybody gets ahead and I’m still plugging away. I must be a masochist.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
Definitely down the bottom somewhere
Tell us two truths and a lie about you.
I once played a gig to one man and a bunch of sealions. I speak Romanian. I hitchhiked to Turkey.
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….
I try not to get too paranoid
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories? If not, why not?
Don’t get me started, there’s so much crazy stuff out there. I’ve been reading about Bellingcat. Those guys are so cool trying to reclaim the internet from all the lies.
What was your best experience on stage?
I remember chatting to an old guy before a gig in San Francisco who’d seen all the greats back in the 60s and he was complaining that back then, going to see a rock band was like going to church but it wasn’t the same now. I looked down in the middle of our set and saw him down the front headbanging with a massive grin on his face. I think I sent him to church.
What was your worst experience on stage?
I once did a gig in an authentic matador jacket as I thought it would look great as stage gear. The thing weighed a tonne, was like wearing a suit of armour. All I could do was just sway from side to side and nearly fell off the stage.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
I can do cryptic crosswords
What are the next steps you plan to take to reach the next level?
The live gigs seem to be going down really well now. I’ve been getting a great response and the live vids I put on my socials seem to be getting me lots of bookings. Maybe if enough people see me live I might get somewhere.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
It’s come out really well. This first song ‘Cry’ has a really catchy laid back groove to it. I’m hoping it’ll really stick in people’s heads
What was the recording process like?
Ali Gavan recorded it at Brighton Rd recording and he’s really on it with all the technical stuff which just makes it really easy to concentrate on doing my thing. There was a bit of back and forth changing the arrangements but that was really worth it in the end.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
I was pretty nervous going into the studio without a band this time, wasn’t sure I’d be able to do everything solo but I pulled it off ok I think.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
No no no no. Ali would kill me.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
I wouldn’t want to overshare. There’s plenty of that going on.
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