Hello George, how are you?
Hi Del, I am very well, thank you for asking.
Hi Del, I am very well, thank you for asking.
Congratulations on the release of “Take My Name”, how does it feel?
Thank you very much – it is always a little nerve-jangling putting something out, but happily the lack of expectation that comes from being such a small fish also means there is a very low chance of disappointing anyone.
What’s the story behind it?
It was an unloved offcut that had been loitering for some time – I found a recording of the backing and a scratch melody I don’t remember making and it all seemed to fall into place quite quickly, which is unusual for me. I imagine that being relatively simple and concise was what made me dismiss it out of hand, but ultimately was what compelled me to finish it – it seems I am unable to pull together songs that are any longer than two minutes at present.
You are from Stoke On Trent how did it all begin for you?
Although I am indeed currently Stokeward, I am originally from a town in Oxfordshire – though I think both places have left indelible marks upon me to the point that I can claim dual citizenship. I think most of any sense of beginning I have can be traced back to the dislocation from where I grew up, and the fresh start that was being somewhere utterly new.
What did you listen to growing up?
My parents have quite different tastes to each other so it was quite an eclectic mix, and there was an ace teacher at my primary school who did all the music duties – we would sing The Beatles in assemblies and our school orchestra even (somewhat ambitiously) did a version of Tubular Bells.
How did Morning’s Thief come to be?
It dragged (and is still dragging) itself into existence over the course of many years – but it has become a place/name under which I can put ideas and pretend that they don’t belong to me, then poke them around to see what happens.
What’s your typical writing process?
Errr – long! I tend to have a lot of plates spinning at once, but as a general rule I will have ideas for a melody and chord structure which I chip away at until some words form around them.
COVID impacted the creative industry in a big way what has kept you motivated?
Well, I don’t think I could claim to be part of the creative industry in any significant way, so I remained untouched by COVID in this particular aspect. If anything, it gave me more motivation as I felt like the whole world was reduced to my level – plugging away at making music from some dark corner of a room.
2020 was a time to reflect what did you learn about yourself?
With all that time cut off from most people I learned that, despite my many protestations, it is important to me to have my music heard by other human beings. This did eventually lead to me releasing my first song in October 2020.
Did you learn any new skills?
I have never been a willing (let alone competent) singer, and although I couldn’t say I will ever be either of these, I was able to spend a lot of time trying to work out exactly what my limitations were, and hopefully how to work within them.
Being from Stoke on Trent what are your three favourite things about your town?
As I mentioned earlier, I can’t quite claim to be from Stoke, although I think that helps me appreciate it – it often feels like I am on a permanent holiday here, with a wrong turn or two still able to propel me into the unknown which has a peculiar thrill. I live just outside Stoke and there is some stunning and dramatic countryside which I enjoy exploring, vastly different (and dare I say superior) to the landscapes I grew up in.
What are you listening to at the moment?
A lot of old favourites. I have found that as time goes by, it is with increasing irregularity that some new treasure falls into my net, although I always remain hopeful. That said, some of my favourite music has been the (relatively recent) output of Richard Dawson – I really hope to see him live sometime soon.
What are you looking forward to next?
I am hoping to get some other musicians involved for forthcoming releases – I have a fair few songs I think would greatly benefit from the inclusion of drums and bass – though this will undoubtedly slow my already lamentable pace. I would also like to start taking some of the music to the stage.
