Formula Indie Sessions Interview with Novelistme
Former BBC 6 Music Recommends artist Novelistme recorded work spans a whole range of styles ranging from indie, alternative, punk, post punk, no wave, rock, electro to ambient. The songs typically aim for the sweet spot between pop and the road less travelled.
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Listening to Abba Super Trouper on my parents record player that was in general rarely used!
How did your passion for creating music begin?
It started with a passion for listening to pop music when growing up.
Then I became obsessed with Prince for quite a few years and I guess the fact that he wrote and played everything on a lot of his albums probably made an impression.
Then around 14 I started playing guitar.
Around 16 started playing in bands and pretty much from day one I was more interested in writing stuff than playing covers.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
New music is always happening.
Right now the promo cycle for my last single “Sugar Husk” is coming to an end.
As it’s coming to that time of year where everyone starts compiling their album of the year lists I’m refocussing a little on the album I released earlier this year called Fabulous Nonsense.
For me Geese’s “Getting Killed” is far and away the best album of the year. But I think Fabulous Nonsense has a fair shout for being the 2nd best. Obviously I’m not biased! ;)-
And then I’ve already lined up my new single EP which will be called “The Post Punk No Wave EP”. It marks quite a departure from what I’ve been creating the last couple of years and I’m excited to see and hear what people make of it.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
I guess indie alternative guitar rock at the highest level. Lots of people seem to say it sounds like Beck. Whilst I like Beck I don’t hear that so much. The most recent single was a collision between Oasis, Sugar and Husker Du. Whilst Fabulous Nonsense channels the spirit of the likes of Sonic Youth, Blur, Suede, Television, No Age, Ty Segall, RHCP, MBV, Bowie, Fripp and Ride. I know that’s quite a lot! ;)-
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
It’s about feeling more than ability. If you can convey a feeling through what you play, that’s what it’s all about for me. Johnny Greenwood’s crazy guitar noises speak to me a million times more than a Stevey Vai or Joe Satriani solo.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
A guitar.
And these days Logic is also part of the process.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Geese, Getting Killed. The first track off the Caroline 2 album is pure genius. And Ty Segall. Always Ty Segall. How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Everything you write create comes from your personal experience, even if you are projecting it elsewhere. What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
At the end of the day I always want my music to represent hope. Creativity in all its forms I find massively uplifting and inspirational. Whilst I think you can deal with dark subject matters I think great art lets the light shine in.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
I think music teaches us to feel. It teaches us the sense of the other. It broadens our experience and nurtures our soul. Music is life.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Brixton Academy. It’s the perfect intersection between feeling both massive and intimate.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Past: Prince. Although I get the sense that he wasn’t a great collaborator! ;)-
Present: Radiohead – their ability to change, evolve and capture magic is pretty special.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
Twitter: @novelistme
Instagram: www.instagram.com/novelistme
Web: novelistme.com
Spotify: Novelistme
Facebook: Novelistme
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
Right now I’m excited by the “Post Punk No Wave EP” that’s coming on Jan 1st 2026.
And I’m already in amongst a bunch of songs that may form the basis of the next album.
I wrote one the other day that has the working title “Completely Different & Fresh” and I think there’s something quite special about it. It’s a long way from finished yet but it’s great when you create something like this and can’t stop listening to it and being excited about where it goes and refining it to be as good as it can possibly be.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
Discover about me? Not so much.
I know how much listening to music means to me.
So all I hope for is that some people enjoy what I’ve created in the same way.
And that it reaches a large enough audience to justify the painstaking effort that goes into it.
Whilst you can see the act of creation is justification enough.
It is / would be nice to get some validation that hey actually this is pretty cool and it brought me some joy / happiness.
I’ll go for this:
