How did you first get into music?

Growing up in Bristol with Irish parents means I’ve been surrounded by all sorts of music and culture for most of my life. As a kid I played the violin in school and was always singing hymns in the school choir, as well as playing Snow White in my Year 3 musical too. Altogether I’ve just always loved being creative.

My interest in music really took over when I was about eleven. Home life started becoming difficult around this time due to severe addiction in the family so, learning music was honestly my escapism. From watching people play the piano on YouTube I started teaching myself to play, until I could play Chopin and improvise blues like it was nothing. I picked up the guitar along the way and spent a lot of my teenage years writing songs in my bedroom that no one would ever hear.

What interests or hobbies do you have outside of music?

I’m pretty easy-going and open-minded with anything and everything. One thing I spend a lot of my time doing, however, if I’m honest, is watching TV. I love TV so much and probably for the same reasons I love music - escapism, comfort, you know.

I love TV so much that I nearly went into screenwriting before I decided to study music. I have a whole archive of scripts I’ve written over the years, plays and pilots for shows, short films and more. I basically pepper all my conversations with TV references now without realizing - it’s honestly a disease.

I would love to work in TV one day though, as a writer. If I could get a gig writing for Black Mirror that would be a dream come true. I think they could benefit from my twisted brain and my deep love of technology.

How do you nurture your own creativity?

Someone once told me if you want to be a good writer, you need to be a great reader. To write great songs I’m always trying to listen to new music. I also love being in nature - being surrounded by trees and animals tends to have a very inspiring effect on me and gives me a break from the screens. My relationship with creativity is something I only recently learnt that needed to be nurtured. I’ve always struggled with perfectionism which has held me back, but I’m over it now. ‘The Creative Act’ by Rick Rubin has been one great read this year that I recommend to any artist with similar struggles.

What is your main inspiration?

If we’re talking about who then I could list loads of artists, I’ve been inspired by. In terms of what, it’s usually when I have too many emotions going on and I need to quickly exorcise them out of my brain.

I’d say I’m quite logical. I’m good at detaching myself from my emotions most of the time, relying a lot on this stoic approach to life.

I am still human though. When I can’t be stoic about something, like if something has really hurt me, I just have to get those awful feelings out of my body somehow. The fastest way to do that is to make a song about what I’m feeling at that moment in time, and then it’s gone. I feel it’s like a priest giving someone an exorcism to get rid of an annoying ‘demon’ (in this analogy I’m the priest, and the creative process is the exorcism).

What are your plans for the coming months?

Currently I’m finishing my final year of university where I’ll graduate with a bachelor’s degree in music and Sound Production. I’ll be a fully qualified sound engineer/music producer then looking for work, either in a studio or through freelance projects. I’m also working on an EP at the moment which will be released sometime in 2024.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I know I’ll still be making music. I’d love to get a contract as a songwriter for bigger artists (Rihanna, if you see this - hit me up). That way I could make a living through my art without the intense scrutiny of fame. I’d also love to offer my free time in the future to mentor young musicians looking to get into production, who maybe don’t have the means to do so. Without these people in my life doing the same thing for me, I’d never have had the chances I’ve had to learn these skills.

Honestly, I’m so blessed with the people I have in my life and the mindset I’ve spent years crafting that, no matter where I am in five years’ time, I’ll know how to be happy with it. And that’s the main thing for me - to be happy.