July 2018

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

I’m based out of London and have been for a while. Obviously London is known for its music and has been since forever. I think the best thing about the London music scene is that there is a little bit of everything. From techno to rock to classical, it’s all there. I think the mix definitely opens doors for a lot more collaborative work as well that crosses lots of different genres, which is cool.

How did you first get into music and producing?

When I first got into music i was about 15 years old and bought a guitar. After I learnt a few chords I started a band with some friends. We loved stuff like Kings Of Leon and Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes at the time and so we tried to emulate them. After a while I started to write and record songs by myself. It was mainly acoustic music I was writing, so I learnt how to record vocals and guitar on my laptop. After doing that for a while, I realised that there was so much I could add to the music I was recording by using electronic sounds. I kept on experimenting with that until the electronic aspect kind of took over. That’s when i started to release music under ‘Elderbrook’.

You’ve been nominated for Grammy, how did this come about and has this nomination changed things for you at all?

Being nominated for a Grammy has definitely helped open doors for me. It’s just put me on the map a little bit and got my name out there. What’s great is that it has meant I can work with some amazing producers and other musicians. I’ve been making some great stuff recently as a result, which I cannot wait to share.

You have an upcoming Australian tour which includes a slot at Splendour in the Grass, shows supporting The Wombats and shows of your own, how do you prepare for your live shows and what can the Aussie audience expect upon seeing and hearing you grace the stage?

Before a show I just try and chill out, to be honest. That’s the extent of my preparation. Although before the show I obviously have to warm up my voice a bit. I do that by singing old gospel songs until my voice is well and truly warmed up.  It’s just me on stage. I play a bit of keys, a drum machine and use a Launchpad through which I loop things and trigger sounds. As well as all this, I’m singing almost all the time. Audiences can also expect some outrageous dance moves, if I do say so myself.

Who or what influences your sound?

I like to try and make sounds influence my sound. I like to mess around with different live organic sounds until something sounds good. After that, I just try and see where it takes me. Vocally though, I’ve definitely been influenced by my indie background by bands like Bombay Bicycle Club and Kings Of Leon and other bands like that.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Right now I’m listening to a lot of things like Leon Bridges, Cardi B, a lot of country music and Rufus Du Sol. That’s just this week though, my tastes are always changing!

Your new single ‘Sleepwalking’ is out now through Parlophone and has already hit over 1 million steams!! What do you attribute to the huge popularity of this track?

I think it’s just sonically quite interesting. It has that tribal drum sound at the beginning that lasts throughout, which I think brings people in. I think it sounds kind of exotic as well with the ‘mm bab bada’ that i sing. Almost South American vibes. Ultimately though I cannot say why people listen, I’m just happy they are!

How did this track come about?

I was on a writing trip to Los Angeles a couple of months ago and was working with a few different people out there. One of the people I was working with was Nick Littlemore from Empire Of The Sun. I was looking forward to writing with him a lot actually because I’m a big fan of EOTS. We had a couple of days in the studio and wrote a whole bunch of stuff. ‘Sleepwalking’ was the one that stood out though. We started with the tribal drum sound at the beginning and tried to keep it preppy minimal with vocals over just that. After then I took the parts and worked on it a bit more in London until it ended up how it has!

Your previous single with Camelphat ‘Cola’ is now ARIA platinum certified and received massive airplay this year; do you have a secret recipe for creating sexy music?

No secret recipe I’m afraid, that’s just me I guess. Although having said that, whispering on a song always helps…

What do you have planned for the remainder of 2018 going into 2019?

I have another headline tour of America coming up in September that I’m looking forward to. There are a whole lot of new cities that I’ll be playing that I’ve never been to, so I’m excited about that. Then shows across the UK and Europe after that. I also have a new single out on the 10^th of August called ‘Capricorn’! In between all of that, I’m just writing and finishing trying to get an album together which will hopefully be released next year at some point.

What do you like to do outside of music?

To be honest music really does take up most of my life but, when I can, I do try and find time for a cheeky game of badminton.

Favourite food and place to hang out?

Love hamburgers. Love to hang out in hamburger shops.

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