Your new release, "Waiting", artfully tells the story of anticipating a love that may never come. How did you come up with the concept for this new song?
Harry: It’s something that I think everyone has felt after a break-up, especially one that isn’t your decision. You feel like you found the person for you, but it gets ripped away from you, and you feel like there’s no one else out there. But there is!
When did you know you wanted to pursue music professionally? Who are some of your biggest influences?
Harry: I’d say my biggest influence growing up was my dad. He has been a professional singer all of his life so I’ve kind of followed in his footsteps and I’ve always known that I wanted to be a singer or a performer in some capacity. Some of my biggest musical influences are Michael Jackson, D’Angelo, Justin Timberlake, and Usher.
What's your experience been like on the London music scene?
Harry To be honest I’m still trying to figure it out. I’ve been here for less than a year and I’ve only started to go to open mic nights and promote my music as much as possible around the city in the past two or three months. But I have a lot of musician friends and it’s been great going to gigs with them and really working out the best path to choose when it comes to developing my artistry. The music scene is great down here.
Previously you've worked for an entertainment agency, singing covers of songs. During that time how did you balance your individual songwriting and career pursuits with singing covers?
Harry: As a job, I work as a guest entertainer for cruise ships which gives me the freedom to travel, perform and also not have to work a 9-5 survival job in the city. This gives me a lot of time to write and record which I do the majority of on the ships. I recorded most of my EP in my various cabin as I take my studio with me. Also, being at sea and visiting these beautiful places all over the world gives me a lot of creative motivation and things to write about, so it really helps me.
What is your songwriting process like?
Harry: It varies. Sometimes I write a song on the guitar and develop it from there, sometimes I’ll work with producers and they’ll send me a beat that I’ll write over, or sometimes a lyrical idea or phrase just comes into my head and sticks, and I develop the song from the rhythm of the lyric or the melodic phrase. I usually start with a chorus and work backward, that seems to work for me. Once I have the chorus down, I’ll figure out a good verse, and try and figure out a second verse that varies, and then I’m starting to see the picture of the song. I’ve really enjoyed working on middle 8s recently as I’ve been trying to go in different directions than my previous music. Once I have a basic structure, I’ll let it settle in my mind and in my body for a while, record a demo, listen to it on repeat and make adjustments when needed over the next few weeks or months.
In the near future, where do you hope you'll be in your career as a musician?
Harry: I want to be respected within the industry. I want people to love my music and be the first thing they want to listen to when they decide to put the headphones on. I want to work with the best songwriters and producers in the world and make some bangers. I want to make music that people dance to, I want to make music that people cry to. I wanna create as much emotion in my fans as possible…and making some money along the way would be wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world!
Interviewed By Hannah Conkin
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