Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with The Company of Amateur Souls

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

Probably my uncle who played guitar and sang. We used to go to family gathering and parties and as a kid it was just adults standing around chatting and drinking until my uncle would bring out his guitar. Then the whole dynamic would change and people would be singing along, dancing or even listening quietly to a sad song. From my perspective it went from something boring and adult to something fascinating and magical.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

When I was in my teens I used to babysit for a a couple that played in a local band. They would often get back quite late. He had an old 8 track machine and had the blue and red Beatles compilation albums. Now I was born in ‘64 so clearly I would have heard the Beatles growing up but I had never really taken much notice of them as I was only 6 when they split. However listening to these tapes was mind blowing. I listened to them over and over and fell in love with the music. It was this that sparked my interest in writing.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

The Company Of Amateur Souls was started as a way to record and publish my old and new songs. The original idea is that it would eventually turn into a real band but that has never happened and it is still just me.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

I struggle with this. I think my tastes are quite eclectic and so are my songs in many ways. I guess it mostly Pop-rock but there are certainly folk elements and plenty of experimentation.

As it is just me there are many aspects of producing tracks I am still learning (e.g. mixing, arranging, mastering etc.) so you will often see more than one version of a track because I have released it, then heard it again sometime later with fresh ears and realising some part of it isn’t working had a another go at it..

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

I guess way back when I first moved to using a DAW. That would have changed things significantly and allowed much more elaborate arrangements than would have been possible before.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

The DAW of course (Cubase 14 at the moment) I still write a lot on guitar.

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

I find Aimee Carty’s work really charming.

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

I spent quite a bit of my 20’s playing in various bands and duos and had some near misses you might say in terms of brushes with (minor) success but that all changed when I got married and started a family. Although I carried on writing it was very much just a hobby and had to take a backstage to everything else going on. It was quite liberating just doing it for the joy. My family has brought me a lot of happiness which i think is reflected in many of my songs but we have also had tragedies that have made me reflect on how fragile live can be. This too has impacted some of my writing not in a depressing way but in songs expressing how important it is to live in the moment and enjoy live when you can.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

I have protests songs that rally against inequality, unfairness and lack of compassion from those in charge. I have many songs celebrating love and just life in general. I have story songs that reflect on ordinary life and with all of them I just hope that maybe a few will connect with people and their own lives.

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

It’s fun, it turns a boring pub into a party, a crowd into a movement, and consoles us when we are down.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

Ha Ha Glastonbury

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

I would love to have written a song for Aretha Franklin as she is just such an amazing interpreter of songs it would have been fascinating to see what she did with it.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links, also add a Youtube link that will appear below the interview)

The Company Of Amateur Souls – YouTube

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