Photography // 220 Kid by Glashier
Words by Mariana V. Honorato @marianavhonorato
Peachy Magazine talked inspirations, creative processes, and future ambitions with the UK producer/writer/DJ and artist 220kid. His latest hit Don’t Need Love, with Gracey, has now more than a million listeners on Spotify and features on playlists national and internationally. Put your headphones on, press play, and read the interview below.
Peachy Magazine: How did you get into the music industry?
220 KID: Five years ago, I was working as a carpenter on a computer tour around Europe, and I realised all the spare time I had in hotels and flights I could be making the most of (Calvin Harris said this in an interview I randomly watched), and I realised I could be travelling around the world to make music and not cello tape cables down! A friend and my godfather passed away in the same month, so this really kicked me into living life to its full and chasing my dreams.
What are the biggest difficulties or obstacles you see in the music industry nowadays?
Just maintaining self-belief, there’s a lot of setbacks and confidence knockers. Whether it’s just not being right for a label or people going out their way to shoot you down with negativity. You need to stay focused and stubborn and know your self worth and believe there will be a time for you to succeed.
Listen to Don’t Need Love by 220 KID ft. Gracey while reading the interview:
What are your biggest inspirations in the music scenery? How about your other sources of inspiration?
Just my collaborators on the day, the world around me, and other sources such as films or books. I think you can observe people in social environments, and ideas will flow. For me, it’s very important everything is real and genuine if it’s going to make a song people can connect with.
What was the most significant event or experience in your life and/or career? What did you learn from it?
As mentioned above, my friend and godfather passing away, it “awakened me” and put me on this path I’m on now. It focused me on what I wanted to do with my life and not to waste any time being unhappy.
How does your creative process flow?
I’m always writing down concepts for songs, phrases or imagery… so when I get into the studio I can use them to reflect however I or my collaborator is feeling… I often dream lyrics or phrases; it’s a bit weird! I also love using the voice as an instrument, so I will choose a chord progression and then loop it with people in the room jumping on the mic and then selecting bits of these to warp into sounds. I think it adds a real connective soul to a piece of music.
You now collect more than 220.000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and your last release Don’t Need Love, with Gracey, features on the 50 viral list on the platform in the UK, with more than 1 million listeners per month. What are your ambitions for the future, and what’s the biggest challenge you pursue in your career?
My ambitions are to just remain artistically satisfied in myself, to keep pushing both my boundaries and those presented to me. I think that’s the biggest challenge to keep making music that’s both fresh, exciting, and also maintaining true meaning and soul to it.
