Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with HealeyBadger
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My very earliest memories are singing at school in the choir and harmonising with my brother and sister “Oh who would be a shepherd boy” which was one of my mums favourite festive tunes. I also remember my first purchase of vinyl in my home town, Xanadu by Olivia Newton John, not realising till much later that the reason I loved this was the amazing songwriting and harmonies by ELO in the background…
How did your passion for creating music begin?
“HealeyBadger” started with me challenging Rich, who was/still is the pianist for a choir I run called Knutsford Beats to write some original music. He sent me a beautifully aching melody and after a few exchanges “You” was born. This made it to the semi finals in the U.K. songwriting competition in 2022 and we’ve been writing music as “HealeyBadger” ever since.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Shifting Sands is our current single which is our first dance track. We like to experiment with genres and the song was originally written as a laid back dark, emotional ballad about toxic relationships….about the need to stay true to yourself and let go of the people who make you overthink and second guess yourself and essentially let you down…the energy in the dance track better suits the delivery and sentiment of the lyrics. We’d love your readers to listen to both versions and let us know what they think…
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
This is a tough question. Our sound is hard to pinpoint as we have experimented with many genres from R&B/ soul, through pop/ rock, dance, a bit of country for good measure and a number of down tempo adult contemporary songs. I think the best description is we have a diverse mix so there should be something for everyone but at the heart of all our music is beautiful piano/ guitar driven tracks with poignant lyrics.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
Harmony is the game changer for me. I’ve realised from a young age I’d never sing the main tune, I’d always be making up a countermelody. Harmony is what makes a song really connect for me.. I love vocal layers and in a way most of the songwriting is about me adding a vocal counter melody to the piano layer that Rich has produced. He has an amazing talent in this area and produces some beautiful melodies that make me want to write.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Piano guitar cello bass and drums are probably the cornerstone instruments for most of our music. Software wise we use Logic Pro to produce our music. We normally produce our mixes.. we feel if the musics good enough then it shouldn’t matter that it’s been through a million layers of production..others will disagree I’m sure but there’s something lovely about creating the music and then being integral in there mixing and production. We’ve still got lots to learn though…
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
We both absolutely love Ida. She’s a young up and coming artist who’s still at university but she’s gonna go viral when she starts touring. Her song “Replay” is one we love to cover. She has an ethereal voice and she is a very talented songwriter. I really admire her work and I don’t think there is any of her music that I don’t like.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Massively. I would say the more open and honest you are in your song creation the better… and you can only draw on life experience when you write. It invokes deep meaningful lyrics that are more likely to connect with listeners. Saying that, I like to keep my lyrics open ended so people can connect in ways that maybe I wasn’t intending? I’m also good at putting myself in the shoes of others. We wrote 8 songs for a friends play and that required me to write from different angles and perspectives and we were very proud of the result and the music won an award at the Liverpool Fringe in 2023.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope listeners feel the authenticity of the song and can connect with the situations I’m singing about whether it be love, loss, jealousy, being let down… the overarching wish is that people listen and enjoy the music. I’d love them to feel they’ve found an artist they will listen to time and time again.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Music is my absolute passion. I’d be lost without it. I run 2 choirs, I arrange other people’s music, I make my own and I sing and play the guitar. I love every part of music. I think it’s taught me that there is a deep sense of connection amongst people where music is concerned especially when people sing together or are watching a concert as a crowd… nothing can replace that feeling of unity and the shared experience. Music is the eternal healer for the soul.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
It’s got to be Glastonbury… isn’t that every songwriters dream…
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Oohhh that’s a tough one.. I’ve been inspired by sooo many people but I’d say Jeff Lynne from ELO for his insane harmonies, John Mayer for his prolific, honest and brilliant songwriting and Joni Mitchell for her ability to connect through her words… she is a legend in my world and her song “River” is one of my favourite Christmas songs.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
We would love your listeners to follow us and we’d love to hear what they think of our music. We aren’t brilliant with our social media and honestly feel a little overwhelmed with it all. However what we do post is thoughtful, specific to our music and hopefully interesting. The following links take you to our Spotify page, and our instagram and Facebook pages. We also have a website which is always in need of updating…
Spotify
https://www.instagram.com/healeybadger?igsh=MXNwYW5zZDFtaTNtbQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
https://www.facebook.com/share/14JeycmoYx6/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
Next chapter includes continual development of our music, getting our first vinyl cut (massively looking forward to this) playing at a few bigger festivals in the summer, a couple of headline gigs and experimenting with a few more genres, oh and hoping to produce a hit song.. obviously 😁.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I hope listeners will discover that we write diverse and catchy songs. I’d love people to feel that age is a gift not a hindrance when it comes to music and songwriting. We’ve got lots of life experience and we hope our songs reflect this and resonate with your listeners.
