Interview - Ghostpoet

You've received a lot of plaudits for your album. Did you make it with any specific genre or intention in mind?

Not really. I didn't try and make it fit within any particular genre, just what came naturally. I just made sound, and tried to incorporate the sound into my music. What goes into the music is life itself, living life, smelling it and partaking in it day-to-day, then performing it and interacting with the audience, which fuels my performance.

So would you say that performing live has an extra edge over recording in studio? Well, you can't perform live without the recording. The two go hand-in-hand.

How do you start the recording and performing process with your songs? What do you think about? To be honest, I only think about this when I am asked about it in interviews. I soak up life with as many experiences as possible, and I guess they work into my subconscious when I perform. I try and focus more on emotions than anything physical or tangible, emotions that I might have left last month or last week.

Recently you've been touring with bands like Metronomy. Have you learned anything from them?

I have definitely learned tips for playing and performance. I've taken many tips from their professionalism that I hope to work into my own performances. It's been a pleasure to work with them.

You were born to London but moved to Coventry. What were the differences in the musical scene and how did that affect you?

Well the main thing is Coventry is a lot smaller than London [laughs]. I was born and bred in London, moved to Coventry for university when I was 18, and stayed there after university. There, I found my personality. In Coventry there's a lot less money going round, so you have to be much more resourceful, and be able to adapt. It was a very interesting experience. I don't think I'd be where I am today if it weren't for learning to adapt while I was there.

What was it like performing at Glastonbury

It was completely different than what I am used to. Usually I perform in smaller venues where there's a lot less choice and no milling about. At Glastonbury, you really have to hold onto the crowd, because they can go elsewhere. At the same time you see other performers and how they work, and learn from them.

Did you ever expect to be nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. You must be sick of talking about by now...

Believe me I am not bored at all talking about it! I never ever expected it. I thought it'd be just something I saw on television. It's given me a massive boost to my confidence and my career and it's humbling to be considered on the same terms as performers like Adele and Everything Everything.

Have you had offers flooding in?

Well there were some coming in before that, but there's definitely been a lot more interest. People are more intrigued about me; you get people checking my music out, coming to gigs who haven't heard my music before but want to hear it.

Being nominated for the Prize is one of the best ways to get noticed. Can an upcoming artist still break through?

Yes, of course. It's not easy though, you have to work hard like anything else you want to be good it, doing gigs, interviews. Any performer can get to a certain level if they want to. You have to hold people's attention span - I know that mine with the internet has got shorter- but it's not impossible.

What are your future plans? Do you hope to collaborate with anyone?

I'm just going to keep do what I've been doing - I've got a tour coming up, so a lot of my focus is on that. I felt that for my first album I was still learning production. I don't think my sound is going to change dramatically, consider it a natural evolution. As for collaboration, there's far too many for me to pick out any one person. I'd like to work with anyone who has a passion for music and pushing it forward into the public

Ghostpoet's album, Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam is out now. He tours at the Duchess in York on the 12th October. The winner of the Mercury Music Prize for Album of the Year will be announced on Tuesday 6th September

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.