Ever popular than ever I’m proud to bring you another interview in my series of “Who’s the Band” and this week I bring you an interview with HealeyIsland, so I’m going to stop rambling on and get on with the interview..
Q: So how did you come upon the name of your band? Is it the first name you chose?
A: I originally made music under the name Milo Moesche and His Light Music Orchestra, but the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton kept trying to book me for their winter tea dances. So I decided to change it. The name HealeyIsland came about because where I live is surrounded by water on three sides and quite remote. It also resonated with creative concerns I have around the nature of 21st Century culture and its tendency to produce feelings of isolation in the individual. I still make music under the Milo Moesche name and am available for tea dances.
Q: Tell me a little more about HealeyIsland?
A: HealeyIsland is a one man project. My name is Greg and I sing, play keyboards and guitars and do any programming needed for the drums etc. As well as being an artist/producer I am a net radio DJ with Penwith Radio, where I have a show called Analogue Island, and with Dandelion Radio, where the show is simply called the Greg Healey show. I also write from the net audio magazine Phlow and the American arts and culture magazine Redefine Magazine.
Q: So what genre of music would you say you are in and who are your major influences?
A: That’s always a difficult question for me to answer. I tend to dislike genre labels, but I would class myself as being an electronic music artist. My influences are diverse, from Burt Bacharach to Brian Eno, from Magazine to Aphex Twin, from Jarvis Cocker to Johnny Cash. I draw inspiration from all kinds of electronic music, jazz and classical, including film scores. I like to combine different elements from different types of music to see what happens.
Q: How long have you band been performing/producing music? What inspired to to produce your style of music?
A: I have been performing and producing for over 15 years. I began in bands with friends, as a teenager, and it went from there. My style of music is fundamentally inspired by music I heard growing up, a love of books, the cinema and things I see around me.
Q: Are you signed to a record label (Indie or major)?
A: Yes, I am signed to Marc Hunter and Ann Shenton’s independent electronic music label, White Label Music.
Q: Have your ever performed live? If so where and to how many?
A: As HealeyIsland I have, to date, not performed live. Though this is about to change in the very near future. In the past I have played live in various bands I was in. The largest audience I played to was about 1500 people in an old factory building.
Q: Who writes/produces the music and/or lyrics to your tracks?
A: I do all the writing, performing and production.
Q: How would you describe your music-making process?
A: I write a basic structure and take it from there. I mix as I go and let the sound develop organically.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
A: The biggest challenge so far was finishing the second HealeyIsland album. Life kept getting in the way and I found it difficult to capture the mood and atmosphere I wanted in the music. Did I over come that challenge? Yes. The album, which is called Not Afternoon, But Evening, is coming out at the end of October. It took two years, but I’m very happy with it.
Q: What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
A: I’d like to reach a larger audience, for more people to hear what I do, and to be able to carry on making music.
Q: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
A: Keep your sense of humour and pespective. Use the internet to meet all those wonderful, helpful, encouraging musicians that are out there around the world.
Q: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
A: You can hear HealeyIsland on LastFM http://www.last.fm/music/HealeyIsland . There are few free to download track on there as well as streaming tracks. The White Label Music website has a shop where my new album will be available from http://whitelabel-music.co.uk/musicshop/
Q: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering support and inspiration?
A: My family, Marc and Ann at WLM, Pixieguts, Tony A Ward, Gus, Chris.
If you enjoyed reading this post, then please remember to post a comment, Subscribe to my RSS feed. Please check out my other project Remergence Electronica Music.
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- Who’s the Band – Middleton Band
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- Who’s The Band? – Digital Beat
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Who’s the Band – HealeyIsland…
Ever popular than ever I’m proud to bring you another interview in my series of “Who’s the Band” and this week I bring you an interview with HealeyIsland…
I think that a one man production can be awesome, there are plenty of famous producer/musicians with that talent. His production reminds me of a 70′s instrumental Violent Femmes
Yeah a one man team that is, He is really awesome and can do all of the things that all band members can do. I mean he has great talents I admire him for that.
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