(Wasted)
Wasted: A simple but beautiful 2 camera shoot of “Wasted” recorded live at Tipatina’s this summer
Wasted: A simple but beautiful 2 camera shoot of “Wasted” recorded live at Tipatina’s this summer.
How did you get into music?
“I come from a musical family, so I started off on classical piano and violin when I was seven years old and saw those instruments through the grades during my teens. I got really interested in the guitar aged about 13 and taught myself, learning mainly blues licks. From the age of 15 I played in bands, through to relatively recently. It was only a few years ago that I began focusing on my own singing and songwriting.”
How did you get your big break?
“There never has been a single big break – the breaks came as a result of me getting some good material together, recording it on a computer and sending it out there myself. I think there is a big misconception among young bands and artists that you need to be discovered – that a label will turn up at your gig and sign you up. That just doesn’t happen in the same way as it used to.
“My advice to any upcoming band or artist is to make it happen yourself. Produce songs in your bedroom, put together promo packs and send them off to radio and press. That’s what I did, and I was lucky that some people at BBC 6 Music picked it up. From there it was passed up to Radio 2, which led to a session for Dermot O’Leary’s show and then on to management/publishing deals.”
What are your ambitions?
“Some of my ambitions are being fulfilled right now – to be able to play in big concert halls in front of thousands of people is amazing. From here I just want to raise my profile further, sell more records and play bigger venues.”
What’s the best way to build a fanbase?
“Make sure you’re on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo, iLike and so on. You need your own blog/website to enable you to connect with people after a gig – I use WordPress so I can upload videos, photos and updates from the road.
Any tips for aspiring singer/songwriters?
