NAS 10 Questions with Harry Devereux

[Interview Number 27]

This time, we get to know Harry Devereux whose new track track "Rewind" is out now. His music is featured in the New Artist Spotlight Family of Playlists.

Link To New Artist Spotlight Playlists:

https://www.newartistspotlight.org/playlists

Okay, let’s get into the Ten questions for Harry Devereux!

𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘆?

I am from Chelmsford in Essex, a region of the UK just east of London. It’s actually the birthplace of radio, although I doubt you’ve heard of it if you aren’t from the UK. You may have heard of Brentwood, which is where I currently live, from a reality show called TOWIE – The Only Way is Essex. The show is pure trash and I would advise avoiding watching it at all costs! I remember I went to Napa Valley, CA and spoke to the most American waitress ever who was fascinated by the programme – she had box sets at home and wanted to visit the UK just for TOWIE – I just couldn’t believe it.

My hobbies are listening to music, going to gigs as much as possible, video games and tech in general.

𝟮. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰/𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

First instrument I learnt was the clarinet, not very rock n roll. Then I picked up the guitar later on in primary school and loved it. Got my first Yamaha and wrote my first song before I was a teenager. I actually just found the other week the music sheets for this, I thought I’d lost them! In secondary school I formed a band called “Flares” with some mates from school, and we wrote songs together and played locally. Loved it and although it was quite a small and very local affair, we did have one terrible gig up London, in Camden. Singer wasn’t old enough so didn’t get paid!

Ever since I had my first EP recorded in Flares, I thought “man surely I can do better than this”. No offence to the guy who produced it, but we paid cheap so we got cheap results. It was more that I thought I should really invest some time in production myself. In 2018 I started producing my own tracks, learning how to record and mix, master myself. I do everything myself on all my music now which is really refreshing. I wrote an EP, nearly albums worth of material, half recorded. I wasn’t sure on the styling of it, didn’t really stand out or represent me that well I felt so I scrapped most of it. Some of it may see the light of day, who knows.

The pandemic just made me sit and go stir crazy with ideas flowing and the time to finally have zero excuses but get recording. The first track for Harry Devereux was done and dusted in about a week of work. It was just so natural. I knew it just had to be released, and since then I’ve been working on ideas daily and cooking up other tunes.

𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀?

Great question, a hard one as well. There’s just so many, whether it’s for a specific track or certain sound/ideas I have in mind for overall production.

I’d say for Stone Cold Heart, my first single, it was mainly influenced by the sounds coming from bands like Queens of Stone Age, Royal Blood and Nothing But Thieves. For overall production, has to be Tame Impala, The 1975 and the last Arctic Monkeys album, Tranquillity Base, Hotel + Casino. The writing of those three bands is lifted that extra bit by the production, all of which is mostly self-produced which has inspired me massively.

𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰?

2018 properly for Harry Devereux, but before that in like 2014 I think. If you dig around you may be able to find some of music I used to make.

𝟱. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆?

I just want people to load up Spotify or ask Alexa to play my music. I’m not ego-centric in that I want a huge fan base or lines of adoring fans, but I mean… I want people to listen to this music I’m crafting. I’m making music I like and I just hope other people like it too. I want to be true to myself, but also hopefully slot in nicely to someone's music taste. I’d love to be able to do it full time too aside from my day job!

𝟲. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲?

Thinking a bit different from your usual Brixton or Glasto, I would say Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It just looks like the coolest venue I’ve never been to. It would mean there’s enough people that like my music to book a US tour for starters, which would be a big deal for me. I’d love to play Ally Pally in the UK too, it’s like the venue that’s a step-up from Brixton, and the one before playing the O2.

𝟳. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴?

Such a tough question to just give one song too so I’m gonna be cheeky and give three. ‘Sixteen’ by Bombay Bicycle Club has to be one of them. I remember before switching over to Spotify that in iTunes where I’d play all my music, ‘Sixteen’ was my most played song. It was on one of their first EPs and I think resonated with me so much as the guys in the band are just a tad older than me and it’s got a great modern indie rock sound to it. ‘Heroes’ by David Bowie. One of my Dad’s idols, and I’m so gutted I didn’t get to see him perform live. This song in particular has such good elements, whichever you look at. Production is sublime, vocal power is off the charts good and the story/situation behind it is what makes it really. ‘Paranoid Android’ by Radiohead. One of a kind band, and this song is just such a beautiful mess and mixture of ideas. Speaks for itself the song, but the sheer audacity of this song and scale of it is just amazing. It’s like a Bohemian Rhapsody rock parody almost. Guitar is sensational in it.

𝟴. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

Thought I was good at parkour at school and tried jumping down a set of stairs that was way, way too big. Ended up in bed for a couple of days. Dumb moment for me that!

𝟵. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

Probably putting out my first track, ‘Stone Cold Heart’. It was done so quickly but I was really pleased with the end result. I also made a video for the track from recordings around my area on daily walks during lockdown. Proud of that too as I did it all myself, including coming up with some lighting rig using my phone’s flashlight and some coloured glass tumblers. Check it out!

Also quite proud of my new single, ‘Rewind’. I wrote it 18 months ago or so and it’s been in the oven for a while ready to come out. I added some nice touches production wise that I’m really proud of and commissioned someone to add a final touch to the final chorus that I don’t want to spoil if you haven’t heard it, but it just adds that little bit extra! Quite proud of the timing of the release with the clocks going back in the UK, the first part of my day job in marketing influencing my music side of life! More than just a happy coincidence for 'Rewind' that.

𝟭𝟬. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲?

Matty Healy from The 1975 and Alex Turner. I know Matty can come across a bit wanky but I love the guy and think he’s a genius, and yeah the same goes for Alex Turner. Would love to get a week in the studio with them and see what we come up with!

"Rewind" on Spotify

https://ffm.to/rewind-single

and follow his socials

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devereux.harry

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DevereuxHarry

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devereuxharry

You will not be disappointed!

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