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Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with unsigned UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with unsigned Welsh singer Owain Felstead to find out more…

Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
Growing up in the South Wales valleys, I was surrounded by around a lot of Indie and rock music although when I was younger I had no interest in writing music or playing an instrument.

I remember in my first year of Lewis School Pengam my music teacher gave out a sheet asking us to tick whether or not we were interested in certain things and I had put ‘no’ for everything. Later after spending more time at the music department I became more inspired to learn and to get involved in music. I then decided to start learning the guitar and started gigging acoustically before making the transition to electronic pop music.

I’d always had an interest in writing at primary school and when I started to get into music, I adapted this to songwriting which has allowed me to write all my own songs.

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
My earliest musical influence was Guns N’ Roses. Although they don’t reflect my current style of music, at the time I was heavily into rock music as I was learning to play the electric guitar. I was very close to quitting guitar lessons when my friend showed me Paradise City by Guns N Roses. I was captivated by Slash’s guitar playing and luckily decided to continue lessons. Another massive influence for me is Lauv, who helped me make the genre jump to pop which I now enjoy and write within.

How would you describe your sound?
I would describe my music as fresh and current pop music that I feel many people can hopefully relate to and enjoy. My music can be similar to and takes influence from the likes of The Weeknd, Zayn, Khalid and Lauv.

What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
For the Night – a colourful blend of English and Spanish, this track means SUMMER. With youthful lyrics and hooking melodies, this song follows the story of a woman stuck in a relationship she doesn’t enjoy and a man who is intrigued to find out more. With an underlying flirtatious tone the song tells a story surrounding the topics of attraction and excitement

What’s your local music scene like?
There are some great live music venues in and around the South Wales valleys – in the near future I hope to expand my reach by gigging beyond the valleys and Cardiff, playing at larger venues.

What do you have planned for the next 12 months? Any albums or festivals?
I’ve got a few new releases lined up ready to release and am playing at a few summer festivals – links to specific events on my social media. I’m also planning to collaborate with other like-minded artists!

Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
Artists I would love to work with include Camila Cabello, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran and Marshmello. There are so many people I would love to work with that I look up to and could learn from that I’d find it hard to choose between them. I also would love to work with and learn from writers such as Amy Wadge as I feel you can always improve your songwriting and learn new approaches.

Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
I was playing an acoustic set at a venue in Cardiff. I had made a new fan who would drunkenly sing along and pretend to know the words to all my songs. Even after announcing a song with “this is the first time this song has been played live” she shouted out “Ooo I know this one! What a tune!” During my final song she was having a ball of a time, dancing around, totally in the moment when suddenly her joggers fell down. I pretended not to notice as I finished the song, stifling my laugh for the next two minutes. After the gig we chatted and I thanked her for her support. What a legend.

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
My music is better than my ability to answer interview questions. Trust me.

You can find out more about Owain on his website or via Apple Music, Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, Twitter or YouTube.