Durham is a lovely city and area, I lived nearby for long enough and in the place itself for some months. Who knew it could generate a noise merchant like today’s Headline Act?
Simple things first – where are you from?
I’m from the North East of England, the great County of Durham. This is my base and it’s integral to my perspective when creating music.
How long have you been playing as a solo act?
I’ve been a solo act for four years now, but the gestation period to becoming a solo artist was much longer.
What are your influences?
I’m very attracted to the dynamic sound of Royal Blood and I admire the authenticity of artists like Johnny Cash and NIN, especially regarding my latest song My Deepest Darkest Friend. However, I come from 80’s rock & metal with bands like Metallica and Guns ‘n Roses being my early influences.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
My music is brutal and beautiful. I’m open to whatever the song tells me it needs. If the track needs a rap vocal, I’ll embrace it; if the track needs a choir, I’ll make that happen. If the track needs a thrash metal double bass hammering all the way through, then guess what, it’s in there. I guess each track I write and produce hopefully has its own sonic identity.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
I don’t write lyrics thematically but I do like my lyrics to have a dark but playful tone to them. Mischievous almost conversational at times, I think that’s where Johnny Cash influences me.
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What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
I haven’t played a live show as a solo artist yet, but plans are afoot!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I don’t know if this is wild or just a bit crazy, I was playing an open air gig in Germany and my snare skin split and I had to actually change a snare skin while keeping the song going, that felt pretty mad at the time. I’ll tell you the funniest thing, when me and my mates were watching Kiss perform at Monsters of Rock in the late 80’s we were very impressed with the walls of speakers they had… but at the end of their set some roadies just came on and stuck a couple each under their arms and walked off, they were just plywood! Anyway, it made us laugh!
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I use a Premier XPK drum kit and Zildjian cymbals. The kit is 30 years old and I love the warmth and power it has. I’ve used Zildjian cymbals ever since I saw Chuck Biscuits play for Danzig supporting Metallica on the Justice For All tour. He was awesome.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
I am promoting and plugging my brand new single “My Deepest Darkest Friend”. It’s a deeply personal song about the demons that lie buried in all of us. I have chosen to release this song particularly at this time when we are coming out of a manic period when everyone has been forced to look inside themselves to a degree, and it’s not always pleasant. I am also promoting the official music video that goes alongside the track. I have created an anti-hero character called Vex Ryan to tell the story through a sort of nighttime adventure. I directed and edited the video and have combined live action and comic book aesthetics to make it feel like a movie. The music video premiere is on youtube and Vevo on the 25th June.
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What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
The next six months are going to be crazy, hopefully! “My Deepest Darkest Friend” is the first release in a three single campaign, of which I’m also going to use the Vex Ryan concept as Vex’s adventures. So I’ll be finishing tracks, making more videos and planning live shows.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
I’d like to support Sex Pistols and I think Hi Fi Spitfires (mates’ band!) to open for me.
Check out this month’s Headline Act Playlist on Spotify and YouTube
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