“A CESSPIT OF CREATIVITY” ELLIS J BARRACLOUGH ON HIS HULL HERITAGE, THE BEATLES AND NEW MUSIC

INTERVIEW | ELLIS J BARRACLOUGH by Anne Kelly

“My name is Ellis and in from a little city up North called Hull. I’ve lived here all my life and love it here (despite how some may describe it), I think it can be beautiful in certain places. I come from a musical family and have been playing and singing music more or less all my life, but really started penning my first songs at around 10. I’ve been chasing musician ship for as long as I can remember.”

How would you describe your single ‘Blasphemy’ in three words?

“Song For All”

Okay, now you have some more words. Can you tell us a bit about the song?

“I was in a bit of a rough place when I wrote Blasphemy. I just came out of a relationship and was preparing to move from my little town just outside of Hull to the big city, and this brought a lot of anxieties as well as excitement. So I guess Blasphemy just came as a bi-product from all the built up emotions I had at the time.”

Can you remember the first time you decided to pick up a guitar and make music?

“I can, it was at my Grandad’s house. I must have been about 7 and it wasn’t actually a guitar though, it was a mandolin. I can still remember the chords I was playing but I cant remember the song, and I am yet to pick up another mandolin to this day since then!”

Who were your biggest musical influences growing up, and how have these changed and shaped who you are as a musician today?

“Growing up, I was absolutely in love with The Beatles and I still am to this day. But they were all I ever used to listen to really. As times have changed and I have gone through different situations like college, meeting new people etc. my music taste as been altered in a way that most people find confusing! Now you can find me listening to bands like Tool, Wunderhorse, Jose Gonzales and of course The Beatles. I use inspiration pulled from all of these bands and their very different styles to create a cesspit of creativity, that’s where my music comes from.”

Coming from Hull, how do you find the local music scene compared to those in the bigger northern cities?

“The music scene is very different in Hull compared to other cities I’ve been in, and weirdly not in a way that’s easily explainable. There are some fantastic talents up here and everyone who is involved with this music scene knows that. But because Hull is a bit of a grey area in this country (geographically and economically) quite a lot of that great talent just kind of stays in Hull more often then not. I hope to break that cycle, and hope to see other musicians do it too!”

It’s noted that you were ‘discovered’ by Vincent Garcia, can you tell us how that came about and what impact has had on your career?

“My Grandad introduced me to Vincent Garcia a few years ago after he heard my song Blasphemy. This came about because they used to be – and still are – very good friends when Vince used to live up near Hull. Now he’s based in London so that means that I am really too. Vince heard some rough demos that I had recorded by myself and decided to go head first in pushing me to where I am today.”

What else can you tell us about what you have lined up over the next 12 months?

“In the next 12 months I will be cracking down on finishing my 3rd album and hopefully moving onto the 4th, so we can release them step by step from the song bank. But I will also be playing at the York Barbican on the 26th of July supporting Ocean Colour Scene, and I’m hopefully getting more gigs on Simon and Oscar’s acoustic tours.”

If you could record with any artist, dead or alive, who would be your top pick?

“Great question to end on!! I think out of anyone it would have to be Paul McCartney in the late 60s, around Revolver time. I think that is when he started his peak and he didn’t come down from it until many years later. But I would literally give my playing arm to jam and write some songs with him.”

Tickets for Ellis’ upcoming supporting slot with Ocean Colour Scene on 26th July at York Barbican are on sale now – TICKET LINK