Interview: Robbie Boyd

Following the release of his acclaimed debut album 'So Called Man' Robbie Boyd is set to release his single 'Brave' on the 7th December. Tying in with the breezy optimism of his album, 'Brave' has reached the ears and received the praise of Radio 2 and 6 Music due to it's quintessentially folk, home-spun sound.
Robbie was kind enough to give me a quick low-down on his single and his career so far.

You learnt your trade by busking in major cities such as London and Paris. Do you take anything from these experiences to put into your live sets or even your songwriting?

'Absolutely, when you play songs in their raw form on the street, you discover which ones have the immediate effect of grabbing people’s attention as well as feeling which new songs you get the most enjoyment out of playing. Another thing you really learn is stagecraft and how to refine it – how to grab an audience and keep them there, whether you’re doing your own material or covers. If 10 people are playing ‘Imagine’, you need your version to stand out. From the start, I often made more money playing my own music, which gave me even more belief to carry on. I’ve had many interesting experiences with passersby on the streets, including one whose words of encouragement were “they want to see you have your face in the dirt!” - so I used that as inspiration for one of my songs. I have many other references to my busking experiences in my work.'

Alongside many other of your tracks, 'Brave' enjoys much positivity. Is this a theme you deliberately stick to or does the optimism flow naturally in your songwriting?

'It’s not really a conscious thing, it’s where I go when I write and I like to approach many difficult subjects with a sense of positivity. The world can be a very difficult, lonely place and we are told about it a lot in the media, so to say a few good things, and to say that this world is also a place of great kindness and beauty once in a while, can only be a good thing, I reckon.'

You've worked alongside Ray Davies, did he share with you any words of wisdom?

'Writing a song with Ray Davies was one of the most wonderful and surreal moments of my life. He taught me how to really hone my lyrics and about the power of imagination using fictional or real life characters in my stories. The song we wrote together is called ‘Modern Man’. I wrote another song called ‘Front Page News’ which is all about my encounter with him, and also has references to my busking days. Ray also recommended I keep as much control over my songs for as long as possible.'

How does it feel to know you're marked in history as the first ever Brit to perform on the O2 Arena?

'Epic. I’m very proud of all my achievements and that’s definitely up there, pun intended. My next goal is to perform on the main stage!'

'So Called Man' is available to purchase now on iTunes with 'Brave' set for release on 7th December