Exclusive Interview
We talk with indie rock artist, Groundsman!
We talk with indie rock artist, Groundsman!
Let’s start at the beginning, what first pulled you toward music, and when did you realize this wasn’t just a hobby but something you had to pursue seriously? I grew up surrounded by music actually, because my father was a drummer in the 60's & he worked in a music shop selling guitars, drum kits etc. (he served Elton John, Rod Stewart and several others instruments, who went on to have big music careers). That store went on to become one of the first shops in the UK to stock vinyl records & my father became a mobile DJ from the 70's through to the late 90's. This meant that when I was born in 72, pretty much everything my Dad was doing involved music on some level. Needless to say he was always encouraging me to play drums & other instruments, along with trying to get me into bands at a young age. Saying that, as with most children, they get bored or want to start rebelling, so I lost interest in making music, until I reached my early 30's and started to learn the guitar properly. I've not looked back since. Although there has been plenty of hurdles to overcome along the way that's for sure.
Your sound carries both grit and vulnerability. How would you describe the emotional core of your music? Ultimately, the emotional core of my music, lies within the act of creating & recording it really. I was always so frustrated by being let down with band members, that when I went solo and got to the stage where I could produce myself, it was like the shackles had been taken off & I also felt like I had discovered a pallet of endless creative tools. It meant I could make the music I wanted to make, without any restrictions, other than time and my own motivation.
Rock often lives in the space between raw and polished. How do you decide when a song is “finished” without losing its edge? I definitley think as time has gone on, I've become more aware of how to polish up my arrangements swiftly, which was probably something I didn't always get right at the start. The same goes for awareness of dynamics and letting a song breathe sonically. I had the habit of overloading parts of songs with sound, when removing elements made things sound so much sweeter. I think with most of my songs, I reach a point when I say to myself "ok, that's 99.99% done now", and I like to leave that little bit leftover for the "edge"!
Are you inspired by specific bands, eras, or even films and visual art when crafting your music? Sure, I guess the term "British Invasion bands" like The Who, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zep, Pink Floyd is accurate, and the 60's/70s era films like "the warriors" which I considered the epitome of cool and still do. But also more modern British bands like The Verve, Kasabian, Oasis, Stone Roses are heavily influential, along with international acts like The black keys, Kings of Leon and others too.
How do you approach production in the studio? Are you hands-on with layering guitars, textures, and atmosphere, or do you prefer capturing live energy in the room? I like to be hands on with every element for most tracks, but with acoustic guitar tracks I tend to strip them down to as live a sound as I can get. I don't think they work as well otherwise.
How do you balance writing from personal experience while still making songs that feel universal? I don't feel too much difficulty with it really. It seems to come quite naturally to me. I guess because I'm very much a "straight shooter" and don't do BS, my songs are mostly rooted in realism and carry a natural grit because of that.
What has been the most challenging moment in your music journey so far, and how did it shape you creatively? Definitely the whole reliance on others, when being in bands. It's literally what shaped me becoming a solo artist, as I wanted to make music and being in bands was holding me back from doing that. As for creatively, forcing myself to learn music production & how to play guitar, bass, piano at top average levels, meant I had an entire Pandora's box of creative tools and avenues I never had before that point.
How do you navigate marketing, branding, and staying true to your artistic vision? Again, I don't find too much difficulty in it, because I'm my own person when it comes to the entire control of my brand. I can take my time with things, or put things out quickly if I feel a promo push, or some buzz is needed for my socials. I'm in complete control at this point with the image/brand and my publisher takes care of some marketing directly anyway.
What have you been working on lately? I just recently put out a new album called "Stick Em Up Punk!" Please go and check it out exclusively on my "Bandcamp" page. (https://groundsman.bandcamp.com/album/stick-em-up-punk) & full distribution on all digital platforms is imminent. This album is a concept album really, based on a robbery within a crime film. I designed lots of stuff for a film project back in 2013, which never came to fruition, so I decided to put my favourite tracks together and release them on an album myself. I have written a couple of acoustic guitar tracks recently though, with one called "Where did we go?" which I'm really proud of and think is one of my best ever.
Where do you see your music career at in the next five years? I'd like to think I'll continue to grow & develop in production and musical skill. Then as my music gets better, I'll get better results and success.