Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with unsigned UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with unsigned Hartlepool singer James Leonard Hewitson to find out more…
Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
I’m from Hartlepool in the North East of England, and I got into music through my older brother and older sister coz they always had CD’s, music lessons or Napster on the go and I was just kind of around that. Then I got asked if I wanted to take music lessons after the whole year group (think I was in y3 or y4 8/9 y old) took a relative pitch test and I scored quite highly in that lol. I chose to play trumpet and off I went on my musical journey. Picked up guitar and did guitar bands through my teens, then at uni I decided to try a solo project, which is what you’ve got here.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
Then: Oasis, Queen, Elvis Presley, The Fratellis
Now: Roxy Music, Talking Heads, Television and more stuff like that really, ‘art music’, you could say.
How would you describe your sound?
The songs vary but it is all quite jangly and distorted with pop sensibility, generally speaking.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Dance Track – I wanted to create something a bit electro/brit-pop as it’s not something I’ve really done before. I suppose sampling and looping was a big element of this song, and as we were building it I was thinking about bands like Devo, The Young Knives, LCD Soundsystem and NGHFB.
What’s your local music scene like?
It’s cool, there’s loads of different music kicking around, no two bands sound at all like each other and everyone gets on pretty well. We’re a bit deprived of regular music nights, but that doesn’t stop the writing and the determination to get out there. I started a festival this year called ‘Hartlepool Live’ with our local council to showcase all of this, and it is now an annual thing because everybody loved it! It just goes to show how good music in/from Hartlepool is right now.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months? Any albums or festivals?
My album ‘Only The Noise Will Save Me’ is coming out in February and there will be a tour in support of that! Then hopefully just more and more shows afterwards. I also hope to make a new record next year as I’m enjoying some of my new ideas I’ve been working on.
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
Adam Green is the best, so him.
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
My band line-up is rarely the same, I’ve had about 15 band members so far! (I just so happen to be a fan of The Fall too.)
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
I drive an 06 reg Toyota Aygo and I still live with my parents.
You can find out more about James via Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, Twitter or YouTube.
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