What instruments do you play? / How are you involved in music?
I am a guitarist and vocalist, but also dabble in other instruments when needed. I have been in various metal bands throughout the years and am currently involved with multiple international metal projects as a vocalist and lyricist.
What styles/genres of music do you play / do you listen to?
Mostly metal music in it’s various sub-genres. Anything from classic ‘Heavy Metal’ to the more extreme sub genres such as ‘Melodic/ Death Metal’ and ‘Black Metal’.
How long have you been performing? / and where?
I have been playing live since 2011 (when I formed my first band), as a guitarist. I have played many gigs throughout the UK, particularly with my previous band ‘Forged In Black’. The most memorable gigs for me were playing ‘Bloodstock’ twice and ‘Hammerfest’ festival!
Moving from guitar to vocals, with the band Upiór last year it was great for me to finally jump the water and play some live dates in Poland! It has been on my bucket list for a while to play in another country. We had a great time and the reception was great!
Who inspired you to get into music? / Who continues to inspire you?
I’ve always been a creative individual and grew up listening to rock music. I played Euphonium for years when I was younger… but eventually switched to guitar. I remember playing the game Guitar Hero and that gave me the push to try again more seriously.
I am inspired by a lot of Scandinavian metal, the Swedish Melodic Death Metal scene in the 90’s/ 2000’s in particular was a huge influence on me.
These day’s I am continually inspired by the incredible musicians across the world I have the pleasure of collaborating with.
How often do you get to perform?
Currently live performances are rare for me, being in international projects, but I used to play live all the time and do miss it! The last time I played live was in Poland last year.
Do you have any plans for music in the future?
Most definitely! I spend most of my free time working on music. It’s pretty intense working on so many projects, but I love it. For instance, I am currently working on 3 albums for this year and have already recorded 3 EP’s due to release soon.
I also have multiple solo tracks in demo form that I hope to come back to when things are quieter.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Do it for the love of it and practice, practice, practice! Failure is the best teacher and no matter how good you get, there is always more to learn.
Here are some albums you can check out on all major streaming platforms (band – album) and my involvement:
Solstice Rider – Suffer to Glory (vocals)
Upiór – The Forest that Grieves (vocals and lyrics)
Forged In Black – Lightning in the Ashes (guitars)
SUMEN – Mors Certa (vocals)