INTERVIEW
else other than music!” I didn’ t realise at the time why she said that, so I just laughed it off, much like some of your readers might right now.
I’ ve been through the industry up, down and sideways. I ' d tell them this, there is so much pressure on artists to produce. Fans really have no compassion, they just want the best of you, all of the time. They want the best tunes, they don’ t care what’ s happening in your personal life – You could of lost family members or be going through a break-up or having a financial issue... They don’ t care! All they want to know is that next tune, they know the last one was banging. Especially the fans that pay money to come to see you at a show, if you don’ t deliver, they will talk and comment things like“ Oh so and so is rubbish” or“ Oh he’ s washed up” and these things really hurt. When you’ ve taken the time to build a tune, sweat blood and tears go into it. You put your heart and soul into it and comments like that can kill you!
Other aspects of the music industry to be mindful of are the people who are jealous of you. Some will bad mouth you when you’ re in the limelight. People hating and trying to rob you of that moment and pull you down.
Then there are other elements like, when success goes to your head and you become a different person, people can turn on you. One cause of that is when you are doing really, really well, booking the big shows, the pressure is high. You have to perform and bring it as high as you did the last one. You’ ve set the bar and are competing with that last show every time, some people then start to think they need an extra little pick up. Some turn to drink to ease nerves before these shows and that’ s a pitfall because then you start to rely on it. I’ ve never been one for that, I don’ t have an addictive behaviour but I’ ve seen it happen first hand, many times. My thing is I always keep my family around me to stay grounded. Drugs also play a big part in the industry. I’ ve seen some turn to them to help
36 36 them in the studio. In this industry you’ re giving all the time, it’ s a constant piece of you that fans and the business side of things are hungry for every day. When you give like that, you end up exhausted. You’ re not eating properly, you ' re doing all these shows and not paying attention to your nutrition. It ' s a lot.
People really don’ t understand the pressures of the job. Look at someone like Whitney Houston or Frank Sinatra, even DMX and Elvis. When you’ re in the limelight it’ s not easy to deal with, the pressure is real. It’ s not all glamour and fame. There is a whole dark side to it. I’ ve seen artists, brilliant artists I know on a personal level in the UK, turn. They’ ve been swallowed by it all and have been admitted into psychiatric homes. I’ ve seen it with my own two eyes. It’ s not what a lot of people think it is at all. I’ m not being negative, that’ s the truth.
However, if you get over all of that and you ' re going to go for it with your music, you really have to know yourself. When I say know yourself, I mean know yourself. Be strong. What you like and what you don’ t like. Know what you’ re about, know your roots and be brave enough to have a bottom line and never go below or beyond that point.
What’ s your favourite thing about being an artist? Being able to travel and meet different people and characters. That and spreading the vibe and exchanging energy.
In 2017 are you touring still? Yes, Heartless Crew are back. We ' ve been been doing this since 1992 and we are just as ready as ever! So far we ' re going to Austria for the Snowbombing Festival( 3-8 April 2017) and then we ' re off to Malta, for Annie Mac’ s Lost and Found Festival( 13-16 April 2017.)
Sum up yourself in 3 words? Peace. Love and Pum Pum. Peace with myself, my fans and everyone I touch in the industry. Love. It’ s all about love. Love is the greatest and love conquers all. Pum Pum brings life and it’ s all about more life. www. soundcloud. com / bushbashrecordings
Interview by A. Sweeney