Following the release of his powerful new single For You, we caught up with artist and songwriter BC to find out more about the release, his musical journey to date, what inspires him, and his plans moving forward. Here’s how it went.
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Hi BC – great to catch up, congrats on the new single and video! For those new to your work, how would you describe the music you make?
Thanks for having me. I’d describe it as honest! There is a rock/pop element to the majority of the stuff I do but it all comes from the heart.
Everything I’ve written is something I feel, something I think about, something I’ve been through. Everyone goes through experiences in life and it connects us all in some ways.
What can you tell us about For You – how did you write the song, and how does it feel to listen back now that it’s in the hands of the audience?
It was back in 2014 or 2015 when I first started to write it. It was just two chords and the chorus. But, I liked how it felt and sounded so I revisited it last year.
It’s about love I dreamt of, experiences I never had money for and adventures I never had the balls to take the chance for and I guess the lyrics are sort of like a longing to right the wrongs or a yearning for some of those things. But as I said, we all go through emotions and thoughts like that which connect us. Especially when you lay bare the vulnerability and insights of your heart and soul
The song is notably poetic – are you inspired by poetry and literature, or other art forms, as much so as music?
Mm-hmm. Being Irish and from a country that is/was essentially a conveyor belt of wonderful writers such as Patrick Kavanagh, Yeats, Joyce, Wilde, Heaney, Beckett, up to modern Irish songwriters like Bono and various novelists, I always found it to be an emotional rollercoaster reading or listening to their work.
For You, How I Feel, Heart’s Desire and future releases, their lyrics are all poems I have written. I have tons of notepads and journals filled with poetry and lines that I have written over the last few years. I can’t remember what the catalyst was but, I found it a great escapism from constantly wrestling internally with my emotions. But you can draw inspiration from anything. A lonesome pint of Guinness by the fire place can act like a vehicle that brings you on an introspective tour of your feelings.
I sometimes walk along a hill in Dublin, overlooking the Irish Sea. On a sunny day, when the sunlight dances and glistens over the waves, it’s like staring into the eyes of someone beautiful, something beautiful like your dreams, hypnotic and provocative. I sit there for hours and it’s like looking at the most beautiful painting in the world. How can it not inspire you? 🙂
What’s your favourite lyric from the song, and why?
Very good question and I honestly don’t know haha. Lyrically, I’m proud of all of it. There are a number of lines that hit home for me but, overall I love the bridge in the song. Lyrically but, it’s the guitar hook behind the lyrics that drive home the tearful emotion of that part and it’s what makes it for me.
“Dark Times in Life You Become The Light” and “But The Dreams I Dream are always For You” are quite universal lines that you can apply to any situation in life, be it a person, place or thing.
Brilliant solo on the new track – how long have you been playing guitar, and who or what first inspired you to start?
Oh, thank you! 🙂 God, it’s sounds so long ago when I say it but, 19 years I’ve been playing, first lesson in August 2002.
It was and still is a band called Status Quo. Their guitar sound, the image of the band in the 70s and earlier 80s, the songs, the solos, just turned me on like nothing ever has. I was hooked on them and Queen since I was 3 or 4 years old. So them, Queen/Brian May and then came the likes of U2, AC/DC, Rory Gallagher, Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac, Guns n’Roses and Slash, BB King, David Williams who played on Michael Jackson’s albums Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad, an amazing guitarist from the Netherlands called Paul Davids, that I discovered recently on Instagram and so many other wonderful different Blues and Jazz guitarists.
Every guitarist has their own thing that we can all draw inspiration and learn from.
Initially there’s a distinct difference between this song and the likes of How I Feel – what inspires you to write, and how do you decide which direction to take a song in?
What inspires me? I guess I’m a pretty emotive guy. I look around at the world, my life and other aspects to it and just write the story. I never really had anyone to talk to about how I felt and what was going on with me. Sort of suppressed emotions I guess and, at the end of the day, I had all this music so the lyrics had to come from somewhere. My lyrics are my life, my story and my thoughts. Someone has to tell it 🙂
I don’t decide what direction to take the song in; the song tells me where it wants to go. Music dictates to you where it wants to go. I’m just its chauffeur, bringing it to its destination. It tells me how to sing it, what guitar sound, what instruments to bring in, what tempo etc.
You can’t control music and try to be its boss. It’s magic! You can never get in the way of magic.
Do you perform live much, or hope to in the near future?
That will need to be addressed in the coming months. I love performing! It’s been my life! Anyone who has seen the videos for my previous two videos, Heart’s Desire and How I Feel knows this. It’s the best thing in the world, live music. Unites as all in a common, celebratory goal!
The Pandemic put the brakes on that but, I have plans for some in studio live videos and then, after the next release, fingers crossed, I’d like to take this on the road.
Is there anything else we should know?
I’m just in the middle of recording the For You music video and that should be out on YouTube in a few weeks. Other than that, follow me on Spotify, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
I hope you enjoy what I have released so far and what I will in the future.
Music is my life and my sole reason for existing. Hope you join me on the journey. Much love to all. BC x
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Check out BC on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
