George Glew, the Bristol based singer-songwriter making a big impact in the world of music right now with releases of his own amassing tremendous critical acclaim as well as writing credits for a plethora of artists having written some emotional bangers for/with the likes of Emie Nathan, Keir and James Cherry. Glew’s EP ‘Gravity dropped in 2020 and features some of his most expansive, thoughtful and emotive work to date as well as gaining significant traction during and following its release.
Amassing a tremendous amount of Spotify streams on his own music and a monthly listenership of around 114k you have to ask if it’s a matter of when and not if. George Glew’s unique blend of vocal technique and delivery of off-kilter melody with silky guitar tones and experimentation, including the clever use of auto-tune and falsetto’d harmonies, really set him apart from what could otherwise be considered quite an oversaturated music scene.
We caught up with Glew to gain an understanding around his creative processes, future musical direction and endeavours for the remainder of the year. In addition WetheDee aka Dean Harries, Photographer/Videographer and fellow Noizzey, managed to capture an extra special acoustic performance of “Last Light” which we are showcasing below.
“"I've always wanted to create something sonically unique which they have done multiple times."”
Firstly, the emotion, ‘Gravity’ is thematically a very personal collection of songs that allows the listener to pull out their own meanings and connection at the same time. The depth is multifaceted. Is this a conscious part of the thought process or did you just go and create with this being the end product?
Whilst I was writing all the songs for the ‘Gravity EP’ I happened to be going through a lot of hard times personally but I seem to have an aversion, in hindsight, to being overly specific about what is distinctly happening with names, places etc. I hope people can find/take what they need in these songs without my story guiding them too much. For better or worse I probably went in too deep, specifically sonically, over the course of creating the EP and I probably tried to create too much meaning and weight within everything without providing levity at any moment.
Taking those thoughts, on music you have created since, has this process changed or is it a case of “don’t fix what ain’t broke”?
I am constantly changing how I do things to try and keep things as fresh as possible for myself. Hopefully I will continue to change but manage to keep my essence within what I do, there is still so much to explore.
So talk us through your own musical influences and experiences that led to your sound and composition of the music you make. Has this changed over time and would you consider this as a constantly adapting and evolving influence?
I grew up playing a lot of guitar and thus being inspired by music with a lot of real instruments in. My tastes were far heavier when I was younger (I was a massive Biffy Clyro and Deftones fan) but I eventually stumbled upon John Mayer who influenced a large amount of my playing to this day. As far as songwriting and the art of creating full works my biggest influences are probably Bon Iver, Frank Ocean and the like. I’ve always wanted to create something sonically unique which they have done multiple times. Also I feel there are many creators that I’m inspired by without overtly showing the influence.
You released “Pull You Back Down” in September which is more of a polished electronic and experimental shift in comparison to the stripped back vibe for most tracks on the Gravity EP. Is this a sign of what we can expect future music to sound like? Or are we to expect the unexpected in terms of experimentation and sound?
For a moment I thought that ‘Pull You Back Down’ would be the blueprint for future creations as I loved it so much, and there will be more of that but I think that single will sit alone as a one off. The consistent use of auto-tune is something I waiver in and out of love with. Ultimately I’m aiming to create some parts that feel more experimental, some parts that are rooted in songwriting and hopefully there will be times where I marry both.
On that, what can we expect this year in terms of your release schedule? Is the goal a debut album or will you release singles/another EP?
I have a couple other projects I am working on, one in particular that will be announced relatively soon. More experimentation sonically and working with collaborators from other ends of the spectrum are the early part of the years concern, then hoping to release something by myself, of a bit more substance (maybe an album), towards the end of the year.
With an ever-expanding creative process, more influence, experimentation and collaborations aplenty you can expect the unexpected from George Glew in 2022 and beyond.