Hiya folks 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 think the first time that I was on stage I was about 4. I performed in musical theatre shows and pantomimes throughout my whole childhood and I absolutely loved it! As I got older I realised that as much as I loved the theatre, it was always singing that was my favourite part and I developed a real love for lyrics and the stories behind them.
Introduce us to you and your musical history.
Of course! Hi, my name is Aimee Iris, I am a Brighton based singer- songwriter specialising in musical theatre-influenced pop music. I’ve been performing for as long as I can remember and I love to bring my narrative musical theatre background into upbeat pop music.
What was life like for you before music?
Honestly, I don’t really remember life before music! I think just about every element of my life is music-filled and it has been for as long as I can remember.
What was the first song you heard that steered you into a music path?
That would probably be ‘You are my sunshine’. Growing up we used to have this toy sunflower that sat on the windowsill at the top of the stairs. There was a button on it and when you pressed it it would play ‘You are my sunshine’. Every time I went up or down those stairs I would press that button and sing along! I later found out that my Nan used to stand on the stairs and sing that song when she was little so it seems to be an unintentional family tradition!
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
I feel like I’m only just starting off really, I’ve just released my debut EP ‘Chasing Butterflies’ and I have so many more songs that I am currently recording, I can’t wait to release them and continue to develop and grow.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned from someone else in the industry?
I was lucky enough to sit in a guest lecture with John Altman last year and he said something about songwriting that really stuck with me; ‘if you’re stuck in the middle of the page, go to the bottom left corner, then go to the bottom right corner and so on, and then the rest will get filled in’
If you could wish for one thing to aid your career what would it be?
I think as a musician getting people to gigs is really hard work, especially when you’re a relatively new, independent artist. I would love to get more people to gigs outside of Brighton. I’m currently booking a UK tour in January and I would absolutely love to get as many people out to those as possible!
How can people find out where you’ll be touring?
Well I’m still confirming the venues at the moment but as soon as it’s all booked in it will be on all of my socials @aimeeirismusic
What was the worst experience on stage?
I think one of the toughest experiences I’ve had on stage was actually during a soundcheck. I’d like to start this story by saying that 99.9% of sound engineers that I’ve worked with have been absolutely amazing and have done a wonderful job. However. I played a gig earlier this year and this sound guy was so sexist!
He insisted on over explaining every single thing to me. To the point he was saying ‘This is a lead sweetheart and it goes into your guitar and into this box on the floor and then it comes to my desk at the back and out through the speakers’. Now I’ve been gigging for about 6 years now, at this point I know what a jack lead is.
However, he didn’t feel that it was necessary to explain any of this to the 17 year old support act who was very open about it being his first gig. It really threw me off for the whole gig, I felt so belittled. But hey ho, we live and we learn, I won’t be playing at that venue again!
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
Maybe the fact that I ran the London Marathon last year to raise money for a local children’s charity. It was such hard work and very unlike me but I got through it (somehow)!
What makes you stand out as an artist?
I think the blend between musical theatre and pop is relatively unique. I take influence from artists such as Sara Bareilles and Ben Platt but there are not too many of us! I also think that my positivity is a huge factor in everything that I do. I’ve actually been described as the human equivalent of sunshine, which was really lovely, haha!
I hear you have a new EP out, what can you tell us about it?
Yes! So ‘Chasing Butterflies’ came out on Friday 3rd November. It’s a colourful, energetic display of everything Aimee Iris! From the passion of ‘Harbour’, the positivity of ‘Dancing on Tables’ and the heartbreak of ‘Nothing Ever Last’ this EP has something for everyone.
This has been about 2 years in the making now and it’s so wonderful to finally have it all released and available for people to listen to!
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