Featuring: The Entrancing Singer-Songwriter Julie Ludgate from Basingstoke
Julie Ludgate is a singer-songwriter from Basingstoke whose extraordinary abilities saw her on the TV show Tin Pan Alley and finishing in the top 10. From there on in she has been going from strength to strength in developing her style and presence in the indie music scene. Her music is soft and idyllic with lyrics entrancing you, so much so that I have found myself awaiting the next word with baited breath. Despite the softness in her voice, Ludgate still has the ability to match the power of her amazing band; she has a distinctly country style vibe yet it is clearly still pop.
Since discovering discovering Julie's music on Indiesound I must admit she has became one of my favourite artists, so much so I wanted more and what better way to find out if more is coming than to ask the artist herself? This resulted in the following interview with, in my opinion, one of this country's greatest mass-appeal indie singer-songwriters: Julie Ludgate.
How did you get into music?
"Although I loved singing at a young age and had the chance to sing at the Albert Hall in London as part of school choir, I wasn’t surrounded by music at home as my parents rarely listened to music so didn’t get into music until later on. I took to performing after my first job where a co-worker heard my voice and suggested I audition for a local theatrical company. I then took to fronting local covers bands and later on learning piano and discovering a love for songwriting."
How did being a part of the TV competition Tin Pan Alley effect your music?
"Being part of the TV competition was a great experience. It was the first time I had entered a songwriting competition so it gave me more confidence in my writing ability. Plus, I have just found out I am now through to the semi-finals of the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) with a different song in two categories which I’m thrilled about."
Do you have a songwriting process?
"My writing process takes many forms. Sometimes an idea whether melodic or lyrical will come into my head and I will take that inspiration and build on it. Other times I will be playing around with chords on the piano and ideas will start to flow. Although my writing process varies I tend to write from the top down so starting with the hook."
What makes a good song?
"I personally think there are a lot of elements that make a good song. For me the most important aspects are a combination of a great melody with a relatable lyric and delivered in a way that connects to the emotion of the song."
What was your latest release?
"My latest release was ‘Still into you’."
Do you have anything in the works?
"I’m currently working on my self-penned debut album for release later this year. I’m constantly writing and honing my craft so have a lot of songs in the pipeline."
What would you be if you weren’t an artist?
"Having worked in office jobs for a number of years, the spark just wasn’t there in terms of passion. I think I would therefore have to do something in the creative arts world like dancing or painting."
www.facebook.com/julieludgatemusic
Featuring: Joe Hurworth
Joe Hurworth is a British musician based in Newquay whose modern, comforting and soulful tones paint a picture in my mind of a candlelit dinner and a bottle of wine. His most recent song “Creativity” further emphasises this warm image with its strong Latin vibes and smooth vocals.
“Creativity” featured Chris Hogg on the guitar, Gareth Young on the keyboard and bass guitar, and Darren Hurworth on the drums. This song, like his other singles, was full of amazing performances by highly skilled musicians, artists in their own right, which only promoted Hurworth’s vocals further. This collaboration, community attitude is perhaps no clearer seen than in his original song “Part of your plan” which featured fellow Newquay artist Daisy Clark.
https://youtu.be/oyiHRUGE8Zs
Even in collaboration projects with fellow vocal artists Hurworth still retains a lounge style soulful vibe that is ever present throughout his music. His vocals could be likened to those of Ed Sheeran, perhaps explaining his fantastic cover of “Thinking Out loud”, again featuring Daisy Clark. Overall from what I have heard of his music, Joe Hurworth is a real rising talent in the English music scene and I was keen to find out a bit more about the man behind the music.
A Q&A with Joe Hurworth
Why did you decide to become a musical artist?
“I think I always wanted to be a performer I loved singing and live music because I'm lucky my dad is a drummer so I used to go and watch him playing in bands regularly, and he would always be playing soul music like Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, Average White Band etc. “
Why do you particularly connect with soul as a genre?
“I have always particularly connected with soul music because it is honest music with great heart and feel! I do also love Jazz and funk because of the uncertainty of jazz changes: with colourful chords that catch your ear and funky rhythms that lock you into the groove, which really resonates with me so I like to interpret that into my own sound.”
What is the most challenging aspect of being an artist?
“Personally, it was finding my own unique style and sticking with that, it is easy to be led down different paths but it can be useful in ways because then you find out what you don't want to do which can give you more clarity as to what kind of artist want to be and what message you are trying to send out to the world.”
What are the highlights of being an artist?
“The highlights for me are of course performing to the appreciative audiences from the amazing gigs, festivals and events that I have been lucky enough to play at. Watching people really connect with, and feel good because of, my music, that is a special moment for me. I am also very grateful for having the support from my home town fans and followers, I recently put out my first music video which has got 45k views I couldn't believe the response that I got. It made me realise this is why I want to make music for the rest of my life!”
