Solo Musicians Pt 1; Autumnboy

Updated: Aug 19, 2020

I'm sure everyone can agree when I say that the solo musician industry is ever-growing in this decade. The usual band unit is seeming to be strayed from more often, leaving musicians following a path on their own. Although this is a regular occurrence in most genres, it is only within the past few years that it has gained more prominence in the alternative scene. I have approached three solo musicians on the local circuit to see if there is a reason for the popularity.

Photo credits: Ian kelly

"God loves you, you have value and your feelings have value. I love you."- Autumnboy

Autumnboy

Autumnboy is a Spirit-Filled, Experimental Emo artist based out of a small town called Chippenham in the South-West of England. Taking influences from the emerging Emo Rap sub-genre along with both Melodic Hardcore and Spoken Word Poetic elements, he creates a new emotive blend that was previously unheard in the scene.

What inspired you to follow a solo career in the industry? Are there any particular artists?

When growing up and playing music it was never really my intention to be a solo artist, even if I wrote everything I wanted to be in a band because that was the model shown to me by those I took influence from. It was only when I saw Emo artists taking influence from the rap scene pushing their work as a solo effort that I really began to consider that I may be able to do what I do without being in a band. The first one I took notice of was nothing,nowhere.

Do you have any regular themes to your music?

I’d say that the two main consistencies of my music are my relationship with God and my struggles with mental health.

So tell me, is your music programmed or do you play any of your instrumental parts?

I sing and play the guitar, but apart from that the bass, drums etc. is all programmed. (Apart from the bass line in my song "Old Town, Same Me’". I played that.)

Choose one song you have written; Tell me why it has such prominence to you, whether it be positive or negative.

I’d probably say "Cold Brew". Although I love the music I write, oftentimes it is deathly sad. This had a much more hopeful feel to it. It references my younger self, my insecurities, aspirations, and recognises that growth and improvement are on the horizon. I need to remind myself of that a fair bit. As someone who has multiple mental health disorders, it becomes very easy to focus on the issues at hand rather than the hope set before me.

Do you have any words of wisdom you would like to pass on to readers who are thinking of starting their own solo career?

I would say firstly don’t be afraid to try it. There's a level of expression that you can access in being a solo artist that’s a lot more difficult to get to if you’re in a band! That being said, don’t be afraid to collaborate with others. If I had forced myself to do this without my friends help my music would probably suck.

When is your next live performance?

I have a load of potential stuff that I’m working on but nothing set in stone currently! But if you follow my socials then I’m sure you’ll see something pop up soon!

Anything else you would like to add?

God loves you, you have value and your feelings have value. I love you.

After finishing up my interview with Autumnboy I decided to take a look at "Cold Brew" to see if I could identify the prominence in this song for the artist as well as my own opinion of how the song makes me feel.

The beauty of a DIY music video really shines through throughout this track; it is quite rough and ready – not polished. But I think that this fits really well with the melancholic raw vibe that the song provides. The contrast of the vocal technique to me shows a conflict of interest within the artist's headspace. There is a clear difference between the sung vocals and almost spoken-word-esque section.

The artist has clearly used 'cold brew' as a clever metaphor to represent some of the changes or doubts that he is dealing with. A perfect blend of 'La Dispute and Hotel Books". There is an attitude of everything getting better simply from the warmth of the beverage used, and to me that is beautiful. Not only is this a song, but a spoken word poem in its own right. Because the song is left open to interpretation, I feel that it does leave a wide space for listeners to relate and apply their own emotions or situations when listening. And like a warm beverage, the track left me feeling contented and peaceful.