When I heard him on Craig Connelly’s single “One More Shot,” I just knew I had to learn more. I did some digging before the interview and realized he also did the vocals on “Eye of The Storm,” one of the best singles on Gareth Emery’s album Drive. I didn’t know much about Gavin before this interview, but this kid has a bright future ahead of him. His voice is incredible and I look forward to hearing more from him in the future. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Gavin Beach.
Your voice reminds me of Seal… Has anyone ever told you that before?
I have never heard that before, you are the first to say. It is a huge compliment, though. Thank you! Seal has a whole lot of soul in his voice.
Who wrote the lyrics for “One More Shot?”
I wrote the lyrics. I wrote maybe just a verse and a chorus idea about a week before I had heard from Craig. The first draft had a whole different vibe but there was something not right about it. Then, Craig sent me his music and everything came together. The lyrics, melody and music. It needed that uplifting feel. I was very happy with the outcome and the fact that Craig chose it to be featured on his debut album.
You also did the vocals on Gareth Emery’s “Eye of The Storm.” That track is a bit more upbeat. Does it matter what the song sounds like, or are you just excited to work with these legendary musicians?
“Eye of The Storm.” is still a song I am very proud of. Gareth’s sister is a great songwriter and I was so happy to be a part of it. The whole experience recording the track just flowed, similar to “One More Shot” with Craig. I definitely have to have some connection to the song in some way and I find the tracks I record that get a release are the ones that come easy to me when it comes to recording them. If your not having fun with recording a track, it will show. Gareth and Craig are both very talented and working with them has been amazing. I remember when “EOTS” had a remix contest shorty after Drive was released and hearing all of them submissions from so many aspiring artists. It was great! Not forgetting Craig’s official remix to it too, which was beaut!
Do you ever tour with these guys? I know Armin has done that with some of the artists that appear on his tracks.
No, I haven’t. I just get to watch mobile phone clips on YouTube. I would do it, though. I think myself and Craig are keen on the idea of maybe doing a performance in the future.
What else have you been working on lately?
I have neglected my YouTube channel lately so I would really like to find the free time to upload some covers again. Other than that all I have been doing is writing. Probably wrote about 2 albums worth of songs. Not fully produced yet, but hopefully I will look into getting the right ones finished for a future release.
Tell me more about “Try (Pink).”
“Try” is a cover song I recorded with a mate of mine Jamie Cleaton, who plays the keys. He is the pianist who performs on Callum Scott’s “Dancing On My Own.” Whenever me and Jamie write or record together it has always been authentic. We recorded “Try” about 4 years ago and only now it has started to get hits on my SoundCloud page. It is kind of crazy that 4 years on people are reacting to it more now than when we initially posted it. Its great though. We also recorded a cover of Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend” that’s starting to creep up on SoundCloud. I am grateful that the older recordings are still getting plays.
Any plans for an artist album anytime soon?
Yes! Hopefully sooner rather than later! Now that I have no ties to any external companies or agencies and I work solely for myself, I think I might have enough resources to pull off an album release. An independent release is so much hard work, I am realising this now more than ever that it takes a team and doing it solely by yourself will drive you crazy! Its not just having a few demo sounding decent songs thrown together I would definitely want quality and I believe I now know some of the right people to bring my tracks together. Fingers crossed.
Speaking of SoundCloud, you have some really good stuff on there. What other songs are you excited about?
I get more excited for the reaction. What people are saying. I listen to SoundCloud often, it’s a great platform! But, I rarely comment on other tracks which I should. So I always appreciate when someone takes the time out of their day to comment. Its nice!
We are going to Wales later this year. Just for the day… Where should we go? What can we not afford to miss while there?
So many places! If you are venturing down the Cardiff area then the Bay is a great place to go. There is St. Fagans, too, which is a free museum all about Welsh heritage and then there’s Barry Island, which became famous after “Gavin & Stacey” was filmed there. The nightlife varies wherever you go but the people are really friendly. If you are going more country than Cardiff then pick ANY walk. Wales has some sickening views. Proud Welsh lad here!
What’s next for Gavin Beach?
I definitely want to continue writing and performing! I want to try and make better decisions in what songs I work on for other people and what songs I would like to keep for my own project. About 6 months ago I made the transition from working my regular “9-to-5” job to pursuing music full-time. It was scary at first but now it is more exciting!
Another collab will be on the cards. I am already writing/recording with a few more producers and coming up with ideas and really focusing on what sounds right and not focus too much on genre specifics. It is going to be a hard year I just hope it will be worth it.
*For the record, I almost titled this interview, “One More Shot” with Gavin Beach. I digress.
