Sheldon Riley

by the partae
Where are you currently based? Sydney How did you first start playing music? My earliest memory was listening to the Amy Winehouse album (Back To Black) at my grandparents house, they had a piano and I decided to learn how to play the song by ear. I have always loved music but that really was a definitive moment on why I wanted to start playing music.  What's been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been? I just finished up on this year's season of AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, and jumped straight into the studio. Covid has given me a lot of time to think and feel to write my music so it has been good in that aspect. I just released my debut ‘More Than I’  Your new single 'More Than I' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting? Writing "More Than I" I wanted the single to be Cinematic, Dark & Emotional. 'THE HUNGER GAMES' X 'BILLIE EILISH' X FLORENCE & THE MACHINE'  How did you go about writing More Than I? I have had this song written for a few years now, it wasn’t until I got back from LA and had to quarantine that I spent time at the piano and put the music together for the song!  What does this single mean to you? The song is very personal to me. I wrote it about a time in my life where I came out to the world as myself. There is this very silent moment between coming out and waiting for the other end to respond. For me this song is reflective of that moment and the build up to having the courage to be my truth.  Please tell us about any new music on the way and what we can expect: The music that I’m recording and creating now are even more personal, they deep dive more into more obvious moments in my life, moments that I believe the audience will connect to a lot more. With ‘More Than I’ it was really the epic movie trailer music that just like a movie trailer gives you the sneak peak, in the most epic style, of what is yet to come in the all new music coming soon. What was your experience like being involved in America's Got Talent and The Voice, how do the two experiences compare? Well look, I’m so grateful for both. The Voice was very difficult for me, I was learning and growing to be the person that I am in the two seasons of the voice that I was on. There were a lot of great moments and moments I wish I could re-do but in saying that I was able to experiment with my fashion, my voice and how I wanted to present myself.  AGT was a TV giant, but I was prepared, although I was still nervous, I was very confident in myself and my talent. I was not expecting to get 30 Million views on my audition in the first week. Like I said AGT was just GIANT haha!  What did you learn from the experience of being on both? From the aspect of both shows, the biggest thing I learnt was that originality over predictability is key. Authenticity and truth is always the golden ticket and trusting in who you are and not doubting yourself is so important but listening and taking on critique is just as important!  What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the experience of being on both shows? The hardest part really is that it is TV and everything is uncertain till the second you're actually singing. Things change and being a performer who has always been a perfection, AGT and the voice have really pushed me to work fast, work smart, think creatively and always out of the box.  Who are you listening to at the moment? Billie Eillish always but right now, Catie Turner from American Idol. Genuinely obsessed.  What do you like to do away from music? Fashion, I love to design and make. For me, the creative and the visual aesthetic is almost if not just as important as the music. I’m a very visual person and the outfit that I’m performing in can be the cherry that makes the performance. Just like a song written uses metaphors to tell the story I use my art to tell the story. I’m always working on something new.  What's planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021? WRITING WRITING RELEASING! Favourite food and place to hangout? I love art galleries, I can walk around all day haha. Sushi is always my go to meal, I had it three times yesterday.. it's ridiculous haha.  SHELDON RILEY INSTAGRAM https://www.facebook.com/thesheldonriley

Where are you currently based?

Sydney

How did you first start playing music?

My earliest memory was listening to the Amy Winehouse album (Back To Black) at my grandparents house, they had a piano and I decided to learn how to play the song by ear. I have always loved music but that really was a definitive moment on why I wanted to start playing music.

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?

I just finished up on this year’s season of AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, and jumped straight into the studio. Covid has given me a lot of time to think and feel to write my music so it has been good in that aspect. I just released my debut ‘More Than I’

Your new single ‘More Than I’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

Writing “More Than I” I wanted the single to be Cinematic, Dark & Emotional. ‘THE HUNGER GAMES’ X ‘BILLIE EILISH’ X FLORENCE & THE MACHINE’

How did you go about writing More Than I?

I have had this song written for a few years now, it wasn’t until I got back from LA and had to quarantine that I spent time at the piano and put the music together for the song!

What does this single mean to you?

The song is very personal to me. I wrote it about a time in my life where I came out to the world as myself. There is this very silent moment between coming out and waiting for the other end to respond. For me this song is reflective of that moment and the build up to having the courage to be my truth.

Please tell us about any new music on the way and what we can expect:

The music that I’m recording and creating now are even more personal, they deep dive more into more obvious moments in my life, moments that I believe the audience will connect to a lot more. With ‘More Than I’ it was really the epic movie trailer music that just like a movie trailer gives you the sneak peak, in the most epic style, of what is yet to come in the all new music coming soon.

What was your experience like being involved in America’s Got Talent and The Voice, how do the two experiences compare?

Well look, I’m so grateful for both. The Voice was very difficult for me, I was learning and growing to be the person that I am in the two seasons of the voice that I was on. There were a lot of great moments and moments I wish I could re-do but in saying that I was able to experiment with my fashion, my voice and how I wanted to present myself.

AGT was a TV giant, but I was prepared, although I was still nervous, I was very confident in myself and my talent. I was not expecting to get 30 Million views on my audition in the first week. Like I said AGT was just GIANT haha!

What did you learn from the experience of being on both?

From the aspect of both shows, the biggest thing I learnt was that originality over predictability is key. Authenticity and truth is always the golden ticket and trusting in who you are and not doubting yourself is so important but listening and taking on critique is just as important!

What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the experience of being on both shows?

The hardest part really is that it is TV and everything is uncertain till the second you’re actually singing. Things change and being a performer who has always been a perfection, AGT and the voice have really pushed me to work fast, work smart, think creatively and always out of the box.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Billie Eillish always but right now, Catie Turner from American Idol. Genuinely obsessed.

What do you like to do away from music?

Fashion, I love to design and make. For me, the creative and the visual aesthetic is almost if not just as important as the music. I’m a very visual person and the outfit that I’m performing in can be the cherry that makes the performance. Just like a song written uses metaphors to tell the story I use my art to tell the story. I’m always working on something new.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?

WRITING WRITING RELEASING!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I love art galleries, I can walk around all day haha.

Sushi is always my go to meal, I had it three times yesterday.. it’s ridiculous haha.

SHELDON RILEY INSTAGRAM

https://www.facebook.com/thesheldonriley

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