Q: What has been one of your most favorite memories along the path to making “Tea for two”?
BLAKE BAKER: The single is very special for me, it describes the early moments of a blossoming relationship and the wonder and excitement that fills you when thinking of the future with that person. I wrote the song for my girlfriend a few years ago, but I think it resonates with anyone who has found, or is looking for that special person in their life. As a result, all those fantastic early moments of our relationship come flooding back whenever I perform or listen to the song, and I hope it makes the listener reflect on similar memories with loved ones in their lives.
Q: We love your songwriting! What first got you into music?
BLAKE: Thank you! I’m not really sure, I have always been fascinated with music and wanted to tell my own story through it. I was really shy when I was younger and even though I had the dream to perform, it wasn’t until much later when I made those dreams a reality. Since then, I have just dived deeper into the rabbit hole. I’ve had some incredible experiences already in music such as writing and releasing my own original music, playing festivals, and hearing my music being played on the radio, just to name a few!
Q: What do you do when you AREN’T working on music?
BLAKE: I’m very active on all social media @blakebakermusic, where I not only promote my music but I promote other musicians too, and give guitar lessons on YouTube. I think that collaboration is fantastic and everyone that is interested has the right to learn, compose, and perform music, so I love being able to help people do that in any small way that I can.
Q: Walk us through your writing and production process in making “Tea for two”.
BLAKE: As I’ve mentioned, I wrote the song a few years ago, and it has actually been recorded a few separate times. Originally the recordings were fine, but not exactly the sound I was looking for. Anyway during a local open mic in Hertforshire I met Mark Tug (of the band The Fishes and I for any grunge fans out there!). I played ‘Tea for two’ as one of my originals at the gig and Mark offered to help me record the track in his studio. We spent lots of time recording and layering the track to get it sounding exactly as I wanted. What I love most is that through Mark’s efforts, the production sounds fantastic, but it is also minimal enough that the sound can be pretty much reproduced well in a live gig – which is ideal for an acoustic song!
Q: In your own words, how would you describe the music that you typically create?
BLAKE: Honestly it’s a bit of a mix. ‘Tea for two’ is a great example of a heartfelt, wistful acoustic song, whilst other tracks that I have written (and will release very soon) are more focused on experimental ideas, such as interesting rhythmic patterns and blending other genres (i.e. neo-soul) into the songwriting process. Ultimately, I really value lyricism, and so every song I write is based on particular ideas and personal experiences in my life, which hopefully also resonates with anyone listening to the music.
Q: What is coming up next for you?
BLAKE: I am currently recording more music which I hope to release soon, but as well as that I am constantly active on my social media channels, teaching guitar, and making musical content. I have a decent number of gigs planned (including a few festivals) later in the year so there’s lots of exciting things coming, and if you’d like to stay up to date on my journey, you can find me @blakebakermusic everywhere! Thanks =)
Interviewed by Stephanie Pankewich
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