Q: You have had quite the artistic journey, initially releasing instrumental rock to now releasing indie new wave. How has the journey been for you?
TWOBOX: It’s been quite a change but I think it’s a journey that I’ve really enjoyed and one I’m quite proud of going on. Part of the reason I produced instrumental post rock initially was that I didn’t believe I was good enough to sing, as someone had said that to me previous and that had really stuck with me, so I didn’t even though I really wanted to say something lyrically and wanted to sing. Eventually it got to the point where I decided that it was something I felt like I had to do, so I set about learning to sing and many years later here I am. It is a huge release for me being able to sing and feel confident enough in my pwn voice to express myself that way.
Q: Tell us your songwriting process from the initial idea to the final form.
TWOBOX: This can change from song to song. Sometimes there’s something going on in my life that I’ve maybe wrote a few words down about and from that I think ‘this is what I want to write about so how do I go about making a song that fits that emotionally?’ Other times I can be messing around on the piano or on guitar and I’ll play something that will stick with me and then I’ll find the words that fit the vibe of the song. So it changes and I’m always looking for new places to start. Recently I’ve been looking at messing with samples or bass lines and using those as starting points and seeing where that takes me.
Q: Your songs have quite complex lyrics that are deep and personal. How has songwriting helped your life?
TWOBOX: It feels kind of embarrassing but a lot of times I find it easier to say things through singing that I. Would otherwise struggle to articulate in a conversation. There’s a kind of freedom that comes with singing and it just comes much more naturally as a way of expressing myself so I think it really helps me get some thoughts out there.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
TWOBOX: Being able to express myself in a creative way and having multiple different ways of doing that. I’ve always been a creative and artistic person and I really can’t imagine what it would be like if I didn’t have those ways of expressing things that are sometimes hard to put into words or have conversations about.
Q: What are your ambitions as a songwriter and musician from here?
TWOBOX: I was hugely inspired by how music made me feel, particularly in my late teens when I was feeling particularly lost and down. I remember listening to music and feeling like the person singing through your headphones had somehow managed to capture exactly how you were feeling and that sense of connection was really powerful and really helped me feel better. So I’ve always wanted to write something that hopefully has the same impact for a stranger and hopefully can help make them feel better about themselves.
Q: What is coming up next for you?
TWOBOX: I’m planning on doing a lot more stuff for YouTube in the short term. There’s a number of different songs I’ve been inspired by or mean something to me that I’m looking at doing cover versions of. So over the next few months that’s my goal and then from there get back to releasing more of my own material throughout the autumn.
WATCH THE “HOW IT USED TO FEEL” MUSIC VIDEO:
Interviewed by Stephanie Pankewich
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