Hiya Sean, 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?
Hiya, it’s a pleasure to be doing this! I can’t really remember a time when I wasn’t into music, my earliest memories of loving music are singing along to 2000’s indie tunes that my dad had on in the car, but I think the defining moment for me probably came when he took me to my first Glastonbury in 2009.
What’s the live music scene like in Manchester right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
I don’t think there’s a better city in the world for an indie musician! I moved here almost a year ago today and getting to experience it has been wonderful. I work in the scene and see so many great acts so I’m not sure I could name everyone, but I’m really excited to play alongside Ambivalence and Black Tooth on October 23rd.
My hometown of Hull has also had a great year for music, it’s a really up and coming scene, Humber Street Sesh is just getting bigger and Hull’s own Chiedu Oraka just supported Coldplay at Hull KR’s Craven Park, so we’re all feeling really proud.
It seems like being a social media curator has become added to the many jobs of a musician, how do you feel about this?
Well, it wasn’t ever part of the dream, but I’m getting there with it. I hadn’t posted in years on social media before it was time to start promoting my music, so it definitely hasn’t been natural for me. I’ve never been great with technology, but I feel like I’m making gradual progress without sacrificing my creativity. It’s such a competitive industry and there are literally millions of fantastic musicians out there, so to be able to reach anyone new that chooses to listen to my music is really cool.
How do you manage engagement on your socials?
I think it’s just all about finding a routine that works for you. If you’d have told me a year ago that I’d have alarms on my phone reminding me to post TikTok’s, I wouldn’t have believed you. But I tend not to stay on my phone once I’ve posted, and I set it up to not notify me when people like my content, just so that I’m not keeping it on my mind once that part of the day is done.
What’s your view on the Music industry today?
I think it’s a pretty worrying time for anyone that isn’t rich or a robot. The positive side is there are real, down to earth, talented musicians working in every genre across the world, and it’s easier than ever for people to find them.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
I feel happy with who I am as a person and an artist right now, and anything else is a bonus. I love what I do, I’m in the right place and I’m enjoying the journey.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
It’s hard! It’s taking everything I’ve got but I love it. I live a much cleaner life now to give myself as much time as I can to be creative, get things done and still look after myself. I’ve just made it 10 weeks off alcohol, which is the longest I’ve gone since I started drinking in my teens, so I’m feeling really great – thankfully I’ve always written songs better while I’m sober.
What was your best experience on stage?
I haven’t had a lot of full band experience yet, but I always remember performing at Roadhouse back home, one audience member got his lighter out and everyone followed with lighters and phone torches. Coincidentally it was actually for a song called Louder Life, which is on the EP I’m bringing out.
DJing Spiders Nightclub back home has provided some of my most emotional moments. Being a performing musician I always tried to give it my all, Any time the audience takes something to the next level it always feels magical.
What was your worst experience on stage?
Well, DJing Spiders Nightclub certainly provided me with emotional moments! Good and bad. I started working there at 18, so I did a lot of growing up during that time. I had a panic attack while I was on shift last year, so that was pretty rough.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
The oldest anecdote I can give you is that I was born in a car park just outside of my childhood home. It all happened very quickly, my dad had to stop my head from hitting the floor, then drive us as quick as he could to the hospital, and everything worked out just fine.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
I wrote this EP during my time at uni back in Hull, I’d had a pretty rocky journey into adulthood, so I think it all just comes from trying to make sense of the world around me, Whether it was love, substances, or anything else I was getting up to, I felt confused, and songwriting has always been really therapeutic for me. There were moments where shouting my feelings as loud as I could was all I felt I could do, and you can probably hear that best on a track called Outside Looking Away.
What was the recording process like?
Really, really fun. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m useless with technology. An old friend put me in touch with an amazing producer from Hull called Francis Gill. My time in the studio has been some of the most fun I’ve had coming back home. I’ve learned so much about the production side of things and my home demos are improving too. I just love singing man, any excuse I get to do it is a great time for me.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
I feel like songwriting is a never ending practice. To me it’s just about expressing who I am to the best of my ability. The more in touch with myself I’ve become, the better at writing I’ve got.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Not at all. The version of me that wrote those lyrics isn’t here now, and neither is the version of me that sang it all in the studio. My job as who I am going forward is to give it everything I’ve got on stage. I like to write in a stream of consciousness style, I always have. I like to capture the raw emotion and I don’t like to change much around after that.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Never stop listening to new music, it’ll keep you more open minded, and it’ll support the future of music too. The future for the music industry feels uncertain right now, and the less that real, everyday musicians can succeed, the less of a voice all of us have. On that note, I also want to say thanks to RGM for this interview and everything else you do.
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