Scott Lloyd, a singer-songwriter based in Macheester who had an album track breakthrough on BBC Introducing on BBC radio, to be played everyday as Song of the Week by 3 presenters in Tees and be listened to by Radio 1, answers some questions about his upcoming self-titled album Scott Lloyd, due for release on Aardvark Records on 19th April 2019.

When did the first note or word of the first song included on the album get written?

Scott: "I started writing the songs in early 2017. I had just moved into a my first house as a home owner and I was writing songs as I always had, unaware that some of them would end up on my debut album. Looking back through my idea recordings of the songs I can see that the first song written was Looking Out To Sea and I began to write it on 9th January 2017."

What happened that caused it?

Scott: "I was at home and had the radio on in the background and I heard a song that just inspired me to go straight upstairs and start playing with ideas on the guitar. The song I heard on the radio had a very defining separate verse and chorus melody that I thought was an interesting idea. To have two completely different melody lines for the verse and the chorus, rather than having a similar flow or feel between them, which had been my thinking while writing previous to this. So I sat down with the guitar and started strumming chords and singing gibberish. It sounded good so I recorded it on my phone instantly, gibberish and all. This was the beginnings of Looking Out To Sea. I finished the songs over the course of a few months I believe."

What has been your highest point of putting this album together?

Scott: "There has been many but I think the top few moments were meeting Mathieu, my producer, and working with him on these songs. And secondly hearing back from Aardvark Records that they were impressed with my music and were interested in signing me. The latter has never happened to me before so that was really something special that lifted my spirits as a struggling unsigned musician".

What was your lowest point?

Scott: "I’d say the whole process has been enjoyable. Working so closely with a producer and label is something I have never done before, so it’s been really nice. I say the most stressful parts are deciding on different creative factors while making and writing the album. Some songs were easier than others to finish, but perseverance has helped me conquer them."

What is the album’s title and why did you choose it?

Scott: "I chose to leave the album self-titled as an indicator as to how personal the songs were, and to allow the album to be an introduction to me as an artist. All eight tracks are straight from the depths of my ideas, ideologies and experiences. The songs are more than just a selection of the best songs I have written over the past year but more a journal as to where I am mentally, physically and philosophically at this moment in my life. I wanted to create an album that the listener could listen to straight through and feel like they have spent time with me and enable them to understand more as to what makes me tick. This is an album of songs that could only come from my voice."

How did you find the recording studio?

Scott: "It was a joy to work with the producer in his studio. The producer is called Mathieu Garcia and he has a home studio. It was a very relaxed, creative and enjoyable place to make music. He has a knack of making the artist feel at ease while in his studio, this definitely helped with the flow of ideas and keep very authentic takes each time we would record."

What inspired you to work with the producer?

Scott: "I met him Mathieu at an open mic night I was running back in 2017. I expressed my struggle with the direction of my music career at the time and he said we should work together and see how it goes. He seemed like a very down to earth man and a very sincere person that make you feel you could put your trust in him to invest himself in your project, and he did."

Has Mathieu recorded anything we would have heard of?

Scott: "Mathieu is from Corsica, which is a French island in the Mediterranean sea. He moved here in 2016 to pursue a career in music. He has worked with many French artists in the past and has been signed to major record labels in the past and has also worked on some popular songs in the French charts."

Are any songs on your album about your home town/place of birth?

Scott: "‘Looking Out To Sea’ is a song that references to direct moments in my life in a very autobiographical way. The song takes the listener on a journey through my childhood, adolescence and adulthood; painting a picture of me as a person through my memories that I ‘reminisce’ about throughout the song, eventually leading to my feelings and outlook at the present day. The closing line being ‘She’s looking out with me…’, this is about how I am now sharing life with my wife, Grace, since we got married in Summer 2018."

Which is your favourite song on your new album and why?

Scott: "I am very close to then all at this moment. I see them as my children that I have raised and seen grow to become these pieces of music on my debut album, that I am incredibly proud of. But, Looking Out To Sea has had such a fantastic reception and has given me so much joy to think that I could write a song that is so personal to me and also connect with so many others who listen to it. I love the flow of the melody and the production, brought on by Mathieu, has lifted the song to another stratosphere for me."

Why is the nicest thing a journalist/blogger has said about you?

Scott: "James Wilson is a music writer that has followed me from the beginning. He has said some wonderful things over the years but I have managed to find a couple of lines which are really nice : "His storytelling quality and vocals are mesmerising..." "...his words form a wonderful landscape." - James Wilson (Indie Band Guru) - https://indiebandguru.com/scott-lloyd-looking-sea/".

Where did you shoot your photographs?

Scott: "The photographs were shot in London. The album artwork image was taken in Borough Market. The photographer is called Ben Turner, a very talented man. He is the boyfriend of my wife’s sister. We have worked together before, the cover of the single ‘Down To Earth’ was taken by him in Didsbury, Manchester."

Any stories from your photo shoot?

Scott: "When we went out around London together to get some photos for the album, we did a few staged stereotypical ‘posing’ shots that were all very nice. But then while waiting in a cue for some donuts in Borough Market, Ben said ‘Go and stand over there.’ Pointing towards a crowd. So I did and he took a few that were long exposure, so I was still and in focus and everyone was walking around me became blurred in the finished shot. I really liked these shots and decided to use one for the artwork. So the cover image came about from a very ‘spur of the moment’ idea that ended up being really nice."

Any interesting locations people will know?

Scott: "The photos were taken by the River Thames, next to the National Theatre and also in Borough Market."

What inspired you to start making music?

Scott: "I was inspired by my dads passion for music from a young age. He would listen to classic 70s music like The Eagles, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, Doobie Brothers, ELO to name a few. I guess all that music sunk in and I have always been interested in it. I have always enjoyed listening and creating music. The fact that I have continued to pursue a career in music to this day isn’t really a surprise to me, I was never entertained by the thought of doing anything else."

The album Scott Lloyd is out on 19 April 2019, however if you are reading this on Press Party, an exclusive preview listen (including Soothe My Soul, which can be heard on the BBC website here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tracks/n5bgwf

Press only album preview:
https://soundcloud.com/scottlloydmusic/sets/scott-lloyd-debut-album/s-3S323