I still remember to this day, the point where I wanted to become a rockstar and wanting to play the guitar. It was when I came across a CD in my dad’s collection: The Best Of Status Quo. I put it in the CD player and the first song that came on was “Caroline”. I was blown away by the energy and the sound of the guitars. Ever since then, Status Quo have been one of my favourite bands, with Rick Parfitt being one of my biggest guitar heroes.
After a few years of doing this, I had the opportunity to reform my high school band. This was the turning point of my music career and we managed to get a recording contract with a local label. We went on to record two singles and also recorded an EP. We won the battle of the bands at RAF Lakenheath, which was an exclusive event where only us and a handful of bands were invited to enter. We also had the opportunity to go on BBC Norfolk several times to speak with Stephan Bumfrey, performed live on future radio, and made our debut on local TV station Mustard TV. Unfortunately, the band went their separate ways, but we left on good terms.
Having achieved so much up to this point, I have so many proud moments. Trying to pick my favourite gig to date will always be a hard choice but I think performing at Norwich Waterfront for the first time was a special night. We supported an amazing band called “The Burning Crows” who at the time were probably the biggest band on the local music scene. After forming a good relationship with the band, we went on to perform more shows with them which was a fantastic experience.
After being involved with music and performing arts for 16+ years, I decided to take a couple of years off. But, now in 2023, I’m ready to go again - this time as a solo artist. I have reinvented myself by going back to my biggest influences - Lennon/McCartney, Jeff Lynn, Gary Barlow, Dave Grohl and Billie Joe Armstrong just to name a few. Now having found the right path that I want to go down, there is no stopping me.
Being a local Norfolk boy, I have definitely taken advantage of all the amazing surrounding scenery. I have had several photoshoots in some picturesque rural places, and it also gave me the inspiration to record my music video in the local area, which will be released alongside my debut single.
My debut single “In Search For New Mankind” is about someone who is searching for a place where they feel they fit in. The message behind the track is, you should never feel like you must be like everyone else – you should carve your own identity in this world – there is positivity in standing out from the crowd and being different.
Over the next 18 months, I have quite a busy schedule. I will be in and out of the studio working on my debut album, and I plan on releasing another 1-2 singles in between. This will also mean recording more music videos and having more photoshoots to go alongside this. At the end of 2024, I will be looking at playing some live shows so I will also be preparing and rehearsing for this.
“In Search For New Mankind” is available on all music streaming sites, so please go and give it a listen. Not forgetting to stay up to date with all the latest news on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok @Brownomusic so go and hit the Like, Follow and Subscribe buttons. To view these pages please see https://linktr.ee/Brownomusic
I would just like to say a personal thank you to Simon for all his support and giving me the opportunity to share my passion with you.
