Q: Hey, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What have you been up to over the past year in this big old mess?
A: Thanks, it is great to chat with you also! In the last year, I have been promoting the four singles I have released since December 2021. I really wanted to push these songs as much as possible as an independent artist. It has taken a lot of my time but I have managed to find an audience and get some great reviews and many Spotify playlist adds.
I have also been writing and recording new demos at home for the next album.
Q: What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
A: I would not put myself in the category of a great musician. Musicians and writers such as Neil Young, Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Pete Townshend would for me come under that banner. However, I continue to write songs in the hope that one day I might get close!
Q: Who inspired you to make music?
A: The four main artists who have inspired me to make my own music are Neil Young, Bowie, Leonard Cohen and The Who. There are lots of more contemporary bands as well but they were the ones I first got really into and who I always come back to.
Q: Congrats on the release of ‘It’s Only Now That I Know’, the album sounds great. How was the recording process – any studio meltdowns or unexpected dramas?
A: Thanks! I first made elaborate home demos for all of the songs. I even used some of the recordings from the demos on the album. The vocals on the song Animal, including the lovely singing in the chorus by my youngest daughter were from the home demo. The album was recorded over 6 x days at the Animal Farm Studios in London. The two brothers who own the studio, Ville and Mat Leppanen played the bass, drums, keyboards and electric guitar while I covered the vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards and piano.
It was quite intense recording 8 x songs in 6 x days but with a firm plan we were able to pull it off. I love how Ville and Mat get the best out of my songs and really bring them alive. They are brilliant musicians who play the song and don’t over complicate anything.
Q: What is your creative process like?
A: The writing process can be rather slow. It takes time for me to find a subject matter or something I want to say to kick off a song. Once I have an idea then the song usually comes together quickly. I do though try and play the guitar and piano most days to find chords and melody I want to take further.
Q: What is the biggest decision you’ve had to make?
A: Committing to recording and promoting an album with all the expense, time and dedication involved.
Q: You are also based in Burwash Common, United Kingdom. Can you tell us how the music scene there has inspired your sound at all?
A: Burwash Common is a very small rural village in East Sussex UK so rather limited for a music scene! Having said that Roger Daltrey from The Who lives nearby and he has certainly been a big inspiration. I actually got to meet him a few months ago. London and Brighton are only an hour away so lots going on there with music.
Before moving to Burwash Common I lived in London for many years playing in various bands and I was also lucky to see so many great bands play live.
Q: What makes you different from others?
A: Good question and a hard one to answer! Every artist has a story to tell so I hope that the songs on my album have some form of uniqueness but are still able to hopefully be universal.
Q: What is one message you would give to your fans?
A: Thanks for listening.
Q: How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
A: It has certainly made it possible for a mature artist like myself to find an audience but of course everyone now has the ability to release music so standing out above the noise is the hardest part. Also, unless you are streaming huge numbers there is so little money to be made from the internet.
Q: And finally, what do you hope to have achieved as an artist in the next five years?
A: I would like to have released another two albums and formed a great live band so I can play some shows and one day hopefully go on tour.
