Photography // Joel Baker – press.
How has the process of creating your new track “Part Of Me” been?
It was a wonderful process and helped me a lot with the grief. My Mum had been ill for a year before she died but I hadn’t told anyone. I’d carried on my life as normal and kept this huge burden inside. The songwriting session with JC and Sam was the first time I’d explored this grief in the context of “work”. It was awkward for me at first, the vulnerability of it all, but it was so refreshing to get it off my chest. Since writing it I’ve been performing it at every show and it has really become a focus point of solace for me.
If you were to select a line from “Part Of Me” that for any given reason stands out to you, which one would it be and why?
“I need you more now than I did on Sports Days” – I love that line. My Mum came to every game, every play, every school event, everything. She was so reliably ‘there’. I guess this line just emphasises that as much as I needed her as a kid, I need her even more now. It’s not the most fascinating or complex lyric ever, but for me, it means a lot, and triggers lots of the best memories of childhood.
“Part Of Me” is a very special song. What thoughts go through your mind when releasing such a personal song?
It feels wonderful to release something so personal. As exposing as it is, it’s also wonderful to connect with others who have been through the same thing.
Has the lockdown affected your creative process? If yes, how so?
Lockdown. Hmm. I think at the start I found it really difficult because so much of my creative energy comes from collaborating. However, once I recalibrated I found the time to be very fruitful. I can be easily influenced by others opinions, and therefore doing lots of sessions and travelling all over can leave you quite confused. The forced hibernation allowed me to reconnect to why I started making music in the first place. It was never for stats or success, it was only ever to share my heart in its rawest form. It’s been refining in the best possible way.
What’s next for you?
I’m hoping to release a longer body of work in 2021. The rest of the year will be focusing on that. I’m really proud of the songs to come.
