by Callum MacInnes
Hey Calum! Hull has always been a huge part of your journey. What’s it like representing your hometown on a global stage?
It’s a massive sense of pride and I put a big responsibility on myself to keep Hull on the map. Hull has shaped who I am – my accent, my values, my love of music and the ability to take the mick out of myself (or have others take the mick out of me, especially my best mates..). It’s not a city that gets a lot of attention, it’s not a through-city with tonnes of opportunity and loads of visitors but I’ve always tried to represent Hull in the best way I can.
Thinking back to your early music experiences, what was the first gig you ever went to in Hull?
Mum always took us to the panto growing up every year and it was great to go to Hull New Theatre and it was a bit of a spectacle as a kid. We would also go see my sister perform there with her dance class and seeing her take a solo singing moment is kind of the fire that started in me to want to be like her. Thinking through to when I went to gigs alone, I went to the first Hull Freedom Festival and Humber Street Sesh which was always great to see the city so buzzy and alive. I also remember seeing Ed Sheeran at the Ice Arena which is mental to know he’s now in my phone book..
There are some exciting musicians emerging from Hull, like Ellis Barraclough, Liam Leon, and Aimee Fatale. Are there any other local performers we should be keeping an eye on?
I am so glad Hull’s music scene is thriving at the minute and rightly so. Hull has always had hidden gems, it’s just about us having the opportunities to showcase them. Have always loved Chiedu Oraka’s journey and how he has flourished. He works hard and he deserves the success. Massive fan of Charlotte Jane who I have had open for me a couple of times now (and personally think she should be a superstar already) and I still think my sister Jade will have a moment in the future too. Hull has so much to offer!
Looking at your career since Britain’s Got Talent, how do you feel your sound has evolved since then?
I feel like I have gone from not believing in myself, thinking all I was good for was a few cover songs to finding my original voice, writing my own songs and having success I could never have dreamed of. On BGT, I was still finding my voice and figuring out what kind of artist I wanted to be with barely any songwriting experience. Since then, I’ve written songs that have been super honest and vulnerable, started to play around with tempo and see what I could do when I wasn’t making people cry, and now, having finished this third album, I am the most confident I have ever been with my sound.
Collaboration is such a big part of music – if you could work with any artist you haven’t yet, who would it be?
I’d love to work with Adele – I have always admired how real she is, how you feel like you could watch her show and then meet her at the pub for a pint – she just has that personability through her relatable lyrics and her live performances. I think Calvin Harris would be sick to work with too. Love country music too and would love to work with Chris Stapleton – what a voice..
What’s the best piece of advice another musician has ever given you?
I always remember when Ed Sheeran said to me on tour, ‘you never learn anything in success, only in failure’. We were talking backstage in Bahrain at the first show I was supporting him at for his Mathematics Stadium Tour and I was anxious about going on and he said to encourage failure because if it happens, you can learn from it. He is so right – it stays with me every time I feel I could have done better or I forget lyrics or the label don’t like the song I have written, that advice comes flooding in.
When it comes to songwriting, do you tend to write from personal experience, or do you take inspiration from what you observe around you?
Mainly all from personal experiences or stories of those closest to me. I find it easiest to write when I’m being honest with myself but sometimes it does come externally. For example, my new album ‘Avenoir’ borrows its title from John Koenig’s ‘The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows’ which is a word-construction project that defines ‘Avenoir’ as “the desire that memory could flow backwards.” Inspiration comes from everywhere and anywhere, but for me the most powerful songs are the ones that are lived-in.
Your song You Are The Reason has hit an incredible 1.1 billion views on YouTube. How does it feel to have a track resonate with so many people around the world?
Surreal. I remember when I put a homemade music video for my version of ‘Dancing On My Own’ on YouTube and when it reached one thousand views I literally got a bottle of champagne (but probably Prosecco) and was celebrating thinking I had made it.. as you can imagine it dumbfounds me to see that number. I am proud that we have managed to touch people all over the world with that song. It was my idea to have as many iterations of ‘love’ on that music video as possible and not just the obvious – I wanted to show a broken family that still loves their child, I wanted an older family member with her loved ones around her as she peacefully passes on – I wanted to represent all aspects of love and it seems that has resonated deeply with the people who have watched it.
You have made Hull proud and we wish you nothing but continued success! Before we part ways, if you had to sum up Hull in three words, what would they be?
Resilient. Passionate. Loyal.
