Hiya Kev, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
Thanks for joining us today… Tell us bit about where you are from and how you got into music?
I got my first guitar in 1997, at the height of the Britpop era. I was thirteen at the time, and as I progressed through my teens I realised that working with musicians was a pain, so I got qualified as a classical guitarist.
Then in 2007, I happened to move to China to take a job. The second year I lived in a remote part of the country and the only form of entertainment was karaoke. The tinny soundtracks and grainy videos reminded me of the 1980s, so they were both nostalgic and aspirational.
One thing led to another, and by mid-2009 I was writing songs in Mandarin-Chinese. I daydreamed about becoming a Mandopop star but realised that a Caucasian singing their language would never be taken seriously. So to turn a weakness into a strength, I turned to musical comedy in 2012. I still didn’t become a star, but I got on television, was featured in international newspapers, and had the time of my life performing onstage.
It turned out to be the best way of connecting to people while expressing myself creatively.
What’s the live music scene like in Manchester right now?
There are big commercial gigs almost every night, but I hardly ever go to them. I am much more of a grassroots guy. The grassroots scene is absolutely thriving.
Getting involved with the music scene, which was my new year’s resolution in 2019, is one of the most fortunate decisions I have ever made. Talented oddballs on the fringes of society are the people around whom I am most comfortable.
Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
There are countless acts who are good enough to rise through the industry. There is Matt & Saxon, who used to be in Twisted Illusion. Square Wild have already had some festival success. Blob Halford, Katie & the Bad Sign, and many others deserve to be more well-known. Lexxi Raine writes breakup songs that make Taylor Swift look merciful. On the more mellow end of the scale, there is Dr Fabola.
Laura Farrow is an excellent songwriter. He’s left Manchester now, but so is Robin Mukherjee.
Having said all this, predicting anybody to break out of obscurity would be as pointless as predicting the next lottery winner.
Do you think its easy to become a victim of of our surrounds sometimes?
Our surroundings? Absolutely. The countries that top the medals table in the Olympics tend to be the ones who invest the most in the grassroots. Music scenes don’t necessarily need financial investment in the same way, but creativity needs to be nurtured, otherwise it wilts.
What are your ambitions for the band?
The title track of my latest album is called ‘Wishes in the Whispering Leaves’ and the last line of the title song captures my entire ethos – “live large and dream small.” Which is an allusion to a poem by R.S Thomas.
I would love to multiply my following and to sell out massive venues, but whether that can ever happen is for fate to decide. So instead, I focus on being fully myself, and creating as many magical on-stage memories as possible.
Whats your favourite social media platform to use and why?
They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I invest the most time in YouTube for my music, because it tends to cater for longer attention spans, and Substack for all things written. I update my Substack with an original essay every week. It’s a way of organising my thoughts and sharing them unfiltered.
We believe its essential to have a presence on Facebook, Instagram and X to introduce yourself to all the different types of audiences out there, what’s your thoughts on that?
Yes, whatever you think of those platforms, it is an unfortunate necessity. The Manic Street Preachers have a line in the song ‘This Is Yesterday’ – “the only way to gain approval is by exploiting the very thing that cheapens me.”
Then again, that doesn’t just apply to the music industry. It’s the job market in general.
What’s your view on the Music industry today?
Making original music has always been something that only exceptionally lucky people can earn a living from. But today I think the industry is particularly forbidding for aspiring musicians who want to hawk their wares.
Going on the road and touring involves a lot more up-front costs than at any other time in the recent past, so trying to break through is becoming a rich person’s game. Even Kate Nash, a fairly established popstar, had to join OnlyFans to fund her last tour.
It is a cliché to say “don’t give up your day job” to someone who isn’t very good. But in fact, it’s good advice to give to any creative person.
What’s your thoughts on AI generated music?
When I was a teenager around the turn of the millennium, older generations tended to complain about modern music being made up mostly of ‘beeps’. The fact that DJs and MCs were so respected was to some people a sign that people were losing sight of proper musicianship. Apparently we should have been idolising upstanding citizens like Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend.
It is too early for me to have formed a strong opinion about A.I. Only time sorts the gimmicks from the game-changers. I have yet to be impressed by any A.I generated music, so my tentative prediction is … nobody making A.I-generated music will have a statue erected to them in 100 years.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
Songwriting is a lifelong craft. Comedy is a lifelong craft. And performing is a lifelong craft. So I learn new things at every attempt. And none of those things enable me to earn a living
So sometimes I feel like I’m playing multiple chess games at once.
The approach I have settled on is to push myself to keep on top of the admin, eg recording new tracks, uploading a new YouTube video every week. But I never push myself to be creative. Ideas are stubborn, and they tend to happen in their own time, like snow falling off a roof.
What’s currently in your ears and on rotation at the moment?
Every week I listen to stuff I like, which ranges from Rachmaninov to Radiohead, Debussy to Depeche Mode. This is the equivalent of pigging out on ice cream.
At the same time, I push myself to get out of my comfort zone and try new music, which is like making sure to eat carrots and celery. One of the newly discovered pieces that recently enchanted me was ‘Roaring 20’s’ by Manuel Gardner Fernandes.
What was your worst experience on stage? Any funny stories to share?
When you perform comedy, bombing is as inevitable as getting punched is for a boxer.
Last year, at a gig in Swinton I performed some of my most extreme material when at least half the audience were pensioners. It didn’t go that well.
And there is an open mic venue in Greater Manchester that is developing a bad track record of allowing coked-up blowhards to colonise the place. So bad nights on-stage probably outnumber good nights, but it is worth ploughing through for the occasional moments of magic.
Got any fun, funny stories from life on the road?
Well, I was a satirist in China. So too many to list.
After teaching myself the language, I was able to land a respectable corporate job, which I enjoyed. But through my twenties and early thirties, I learned that being an outsider and an oddball was my lot in life.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
I finished my latest album, ‘Wishes in the Whispering Leaves’, much earlier than I expected. I have written ten completely new songs in just over a year. Standout lines include:
“I’ve fallen in love with a mermaid
It must have been love at first sight
She had clams for a bra
And I thought phwoarr
I’ll be ordering a fish supper tonight”
From ‘I’ve Fallen in love with a Mermaid’
“The only couples who enjoy genuine marital bliss
Are the ones so dull their favourite position’s the reverse mortgage”
From ‘Wishes in the Whispering Leaves’
“Now I’ve had some pointers from this mysterious old man
It’s time to embrace the cringe and beat the bland
With all the confidence of one
Who doesn’t know his fly’s undone
I’m gonna expose my throbbing emotional intelligence”
From ‘How Do I Say I Love You’?
And dozens more.
What was the recording process like?
The recording process is nicely undramatic for me these days. I record everything at home using Scarlett Studio hardware and Ableton Live software. When I need a session player I go to Fiverr, which is a lot cheaper than employing one locally.
Over the years I have found that the less of a relationship you have with the musicians you work with, the more seamless the process is.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
I tweak and rewrite old material all the time. This year I re-released two songs that were on previous albums. These were ‘The Great British Indie Song’ (which satirises self-serious indie music), and ‘Shut up and Sing’ (which mocks the pomposity of celebrity culture).
The production quality is better than before.
The problem with comedy is that it has to stay fresh. Whereas music fans tend to prefer the familiar.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
A line from Emily Dickinson – “I don’t like the man who squanders life for fame. Give me the man who living makes a name.”
Your chances of achieving fame and fortune are practically zero, so it’s best to just be yourself and dance to the music of reality.
FOLLOW HIM HERE
CHECK OUT THE LATEST RGM TRENDING MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS HERE