Here's my interview with Chad from the moon A.K.A Nick Wallace who has some awesome tunes you can check out down below
"How'd you get started in music? And
Who are your inspirations or influences?"
I started music when I was about 12 years old doing keyboard but I was learning Mozart and how to play a different person, I wasn't into the music, at the time I was getting into Hendrix, stones, g'n'r, Queen, and then smells like teen spirit came on the radio and it was a changing point of my life. I was born schizophrenic with clinical depression and if I had been born 20 years later, I would have been diagnosed with a bunch of other mental issues. My dad had already taken off by then but after my 1st known suicide attempt, he cut me out his life. Anyway I'm 42 in a couple of months, I have a bit of a story but I'll try and keep it tight.
So, I was hooked by nirvana, then the bands I got into then like green day and pearl jam. Stone Roses, and then of course the 90s Dance scene. I'm not a fan of hardcore, but trance, drum and bass, people like chemical brothers, before they sold out, and the 2nd biggest influence in my music, the prodigy. So I picked up my mum's old Spanish acoustic that my dad got her while she was pregnant with me. It had a tune a day guitar book with it. I looked at the first few pages skipped to the back and learnt the basic chords and then I taught the rest myself watching my friends and learning by ear. I was making my own songs straight away and I did really well but I was so ill with my schizophrenia that I just couldn't make a band.
Then I found drugs, they saved my life, the best way I can explain it is that when I took speed or acid or any chemicals or weed that was what took me away from the evil Elves and to play with the Happy elves.
I grew inconfidence, but I only wanted to get high, I wanted to get away from what was in my head and needed the money so I was selling drugs and soon on heroine, injecting everything that I could put on spoon, so apart from a couple of open mic nights my music career died from the age of 18 to 35. I have wasted my life... Fact. And I don't regret it. Yeah I had shit times and was ill, but I had such a laugh, 1 night my upstairs neighbour came down about 3am and laughing himself said "please can you keep the laughter down cos we can't sleep" but I would always regret it if I didn't have a go with my music.
So I got clean nearly 13 years ago and just smoke a bit of weed and mushrooms now. Then 5 years ago I decided to try and get nowhere and have at least Tried to get somewhere. I would have always regretted and wondered what if?? I can't believe the response. It's been incredible, so anyway, I downloaded every music making app and found the 1 that works for me, I'm still learning with it but that's great after 5 years. I play the guitar and I sample a lot, to make it into a bass sound, then I also play with the samples so much you can't tell its a guitar. I do it with the drums too, with a few toms, I can edit them into more like a violin, and you will here on the next track especially that while there's 5 machines already and occasionally only 1 is playing the whole track, then I'll be adding full guitar and vocals. I don't buy beats, everything you hear, I made from scratch on my phone.
"What advice would you offer aspiring performers?"
And then I started uploading to soundcloud 4 years ago, and if I can offer you 1 a piece of advice if you are just starting, use soundcloud. To be honest, I'm an aspiring artist, so I don't have much to offer but, start with soundcloud. You will get royalties and with a good bit of work, I've got around 1700 followers and over the 4 years I've had 100s of 1000s of plays. Use Instagram and Facebook to promote yourself and get on twitter and you will have many people who want to work with you. And I started on twitter in March and I have got over 400 followers, but, I have found out how to get onto some of the biggest Spotify playlists and I have been getting onto Web radio. Mostly it's free and you get played but I have done a paid promo with 3 African radio stations, it seems I have a good following out there, and so 3 tracks have been playing morning, noon and night, 7 days a week for over a month now, they are still playing em so...You have to keep pushing. Then a few months back I was told to check out distrokid who is a cheap sign up fee and you will be on everything from Spotify to iTunes to shazam the rest, they will get your royalties just like soundcloud, have some great advertising and promo strategies, without which, while soundcloud started me, distrokid are why I have been asked to do this interview.
"How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?"
I believe that I am bound by no rules, I say that the music develops me, I have no idea what is going to happen. I do rock and dance at the same time and separately, I do dubstep with mozart, so I guess a bit of the keyboard rubbed off on me . I don't care if everyone likes it, I do what I do. Simples.
"Any new gigs or albums in the future?"
I'm constantly releasing new tracks though I do have 2 albums out and will be adding links. I have just started playing live with open mic night, but it's where you start. After covid nothing is ever going to be the same, but I have come so far. I've had some great help from fiverr but I have done the rest myself. So yes, more music and I will be building up the live performances.
Listen to Not no more, an album by STUN HUNTER on #SoundCloud
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