Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Innes Sibun
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I used to like punk rock when i was a kid but it wasn’t until I was 12 years old & heard BB King on the radio that I knew I wanted to play the guitar & be a musician, before that moment I always wanted to play football for West ham united. Hearing BB King was like a religious experience, the sound of his guitar was like angels singing, I then discovered other blues artists who went on to inspire me.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I worked a paper round when I was at school & bought a very bad acoustic guitar for £10, it was my first instrument & I tried to teach myself blues songs from records, I listened to Otis Rush, Freddie King & of course BB King but I was also aware of rock bands like Led Zeppelin & Free as well as Motown & jazz so I listened to everything & tried to play it on the guitar. I played in bands at school, punk or blues or reggae, anything as long as I could learn.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
I’m writing for an album we will be recording next January at Cube studios in Cornwall England. This album will be more basic & blues based than the last album “The Preacher” which came out last year on Sireena records, that album had a much more jazz & gospel influence & was mainly instrumental, I’m going back to my blues roots with the new album which will be recorded live as usual with as few overdubs as possible.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
My sound is a melting pot of blues, rock, gospel, soul & jazz. I have so many influences & I hope they all add up to my musical voice. I love the sounds of the old 60’s & 70’s records but I love using modern technology & I work with musicians like Charlie Jones (Goldfrapp/ The Cult/ Page plant) & Clive Deamer (Portishead/ Radiohead/ Jeff Beck) who share that same vibe & use modern technology to their advantage.
I hope the emotion & feeling is what people hear in my music, it’s more important than being very technical, I like taking risks when recording & playing shows.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
To follow my heart but always listen to other peoples ideas & not be afraid to change my mind about a song or part I’ve written if someone suggests something that sounds better. I’m always learning & not afraid to completely change a song if someone comes up with a better suggestion. I was very lucky to work with the legendary producer Mike Vernon on my first album, Mike had produced the early Peter Green Fleetwood Mac as well as the John Mayall album with Eric Clapton on guitar that started the whole British blues rock movement off, he was so inspiring to work with.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
My guitar whether it’s acoustic or electric is where I start a song, usually I’ll come up with a chord sequence I like or a groove, then build verse, chorus, bridge etc. At home I use LUNA software so I’ll record a demo on my computer playing guitars, bass & sometimes keyboards , I use EZ drummer to get a basic drum pattern, then I’ll live with the rough demo for a while, if I still like it after a week or so I’ll finish the lyrics & record a guide vocal, then I do a rough mix & send it to the band & we will rehearse it & maybe change a chorus or a hook before going into the studio & recording it, if we are lucky we may play it live before recording it.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’m listening to a lot of Marcus King at the moment, he is a phenomanal guitarist, singer & songwriter who spans across blues to country to rock & soul but has his own sound on everything he does, he is a very rare talent. Theres another exceptional guitar talent out there called Billy Strings who just blows me away with his playing.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
I think I’ve always been quite a shy person so it can be quite daunting to play on stage & keep an audience entertained & happy so playing music has made me more confident.
I’m so lucky because music has allowed me to travel the world & experience different cultures & lifestyles, I’ve met & been influenced by so many other musicians which has been such a blessing, without music I wouldn’t have had these experiences, I would never have travelled to America, Russia , Japan & many other countries that music has allowed me to visit.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope they take away joy & hope. Music is about communicating feelings so I hope people are affected in a good way by my songs. I know how I can listen to a beautiful song by Donny Hathaway & it can bring me to tears so that would be something I would love to be able to do.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
To be humble & be yourself. No matter how good you are there is always someone better just around the corner. Also to be grateful for what music has done for me.
In 1993/94 I played guitar in Robert Plant’s band touring America, Europe & South America playing Robert’s solo material & a lot of Led Zeppelin songs too which was an amazing experience & I learned so much about music but more importantly about friendship & how to treat people, it was a wonderful lesson & that I enjoy playing a huge stadium in Brazil just as much as I enjoy playing a small bar in London, it’s all the same.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I’d love to play at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads guitar festival, that would be amazing, as I said before I’m so lucky to have played in countries like Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Anguilla & many other countries I would never have been to if it wasn’t for the guitar.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Stevie Wonder would be my choice, I’d love to play a club show with him, Willie Weeks on bass, Bernard Purdie on drums & if we got really lucky maybe we could have had Donny Hathaway on Hammond organ & vocals too but that would be my fantasy band.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
https://www.facebook.com/493594630504357
https://www.reverbnation.com/isibun
www.youtube.com/@innessibun5989
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I have shows in the UK this week, then a festival in Bergamo, Italy on 3rd October, then more UK shows & festivals for the rest of the year, then we record the new album in January 2027 for release later in the year on Dixie frog records.
In February we have a tour lined up in Germany & the Czech republic, after that we have shows booked in May in Holland & there are summer festivals coming in now for next year in Germany & the UK.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I really hope they can find joy in the music & that it makes their lives happier.
Maybe people who may not usually listen to blues will go & discover the great names like BB King & Robert Johnson through hearing my music, that would be very cool.
Innes Sibun – So Tired of Living
