This month we interviewed London born and based artist, Geo, about his creative process, sound and how he got to where he is now.
Written by Stephanie Kleanthous
Illustration by Ruby Hinchliffe
Geo started playing music when he was just five years old and began creating it at ten. At 27, he is creating and writing music, playing gigs at venues such as The Lexington in Islington and has recently released an EP titled, Remember Me, Pt.1 which Sanctuary features on.
Geo uses an eclectic mix of genres to define his sound; Experimental, Soulful, Smooth, Alternative but with pop singer/songwriter structure.
“I like smashing together weird and wonderful textures with soulful rich harmony. I was a bit of a punk and hip-hop head in school, then fell in love with a lot of alternative electronica/broken beat stuff. Originally, I came from a Classical and Jazz background, so a bit of that is in there too.”
With influencers such as; Radiohead, Queens of the Stoneage, Herbie Hancock, A Tribe Called Quest, Little Dragon, Joan Armatrading, James Blake, it’s no wonder Geo has such a distinct and original vibe.
He strives to create music that is “genuine and that a lot of people can connect with while showing a new perspective on things”. He does just this with his personal lyrics about his own feelings on love and more. His velvet textured voice and harmonies compliment the ethereal nature of his raw lyrics.
In his song, Falling, he sings, “life is too short to spend it with people like you”. Love will always be known as blinding but this song expresses the moment reality kicks in. An increasingly popular movement of removing the toxicity we tend to cling on to out of familiarity and finding your own self-worth is captured in this song.
We asked Geo why he found it so important to stay in London rather than testing the waters elsewhere. He studied in Leeds for a few years but told us,
“London is my true home and my birthplace. It’s a melting pot of amazing culture, I had to get back. I missed being a part of that and all of the influence it brought to my creativity.”
Like many young creatives in London, the city is seen as a hub for inspiration and connections.
However, with expenses, rent and the cost of studio space, creatives tend to be juggling more than just their dream job. Geo explained, “being an artist is only one facet of what I do at the moment. I work as a Producer, Writer and Mix Engineer for other artists, and also as Musical Director involved in the creation and playing of live shows for artists”.
This is what allows him to survive in the industry until he becomes more recognised but luckily, he enjoys dabbling in a range of roles.
We asked for his opinion on the current state of the industry which he believes is ‘in neither a good or bad place’.
“A lot of people are really struggling, not being gratified and being able to earn a living doing what they’re good at because their music earns so little from streaming. People don’t want to pay for music and its creation anymore. It’s wrong that anyone should be paid with the promise of exposure or opportunity instead of money as we all have bills to pay.”
He believes that “the best new artists and best creativity come from people who are fearless and the most genuine form of themselves”. He sees the importance in not rushing your craft and focusing on “making great music and connecting with people rather than the streams, likes and social media stuff”.
Geo left our readers with some advice on how to make your art a career:
1. Don’t give up. There will always be tough times where you question if you’re doing the right thing following your passion, but if it feels right, do it.
2. Don’t rush. It can take years to build up your career and catalogue to the point of being highly acclaimed, just keep working and improving in whatever you do and naturally that acclaim will find you.
3. Know your worth and set boundaries. If you work smart and practise, you will improve and your confidence will grow so that you can be thoughtful in your choices and how/where you spend your energy.
If you like what you see you can catch Geo at his upcoming show:
Wednesday 3rd April 2019 – The Lexington: click here for tickets
Music:
Spotify: click here
Apple Music: click here
Social Media:
Instagram: _geomusic
Twitter: _geomusic
Facebook: Offical Geo
