After having a 15-year career as a drummer with bands all over the world, a singer-songwriter from Manchester is preparing to release his second single as a solo artist this week. BB.Green, a singer-songwriter from the Manchester suburbs, is releasing his second track, 'Just Like An Angel,' after deciding to pursue a solo career during lockdown. When he was 13, he was inspired to start his musical career after witnessing John Bonham perform 'Moby Dick 'at the Royal Albert Hall on television. He has toured with Bez from The Mondays as a drummer, and he was a member of Manchester band The Marivaux, who supported musicians such as The Futureheads and Bluetones leader Mark Morris.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey BB.Green, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
Hey Kamil! Great to chat with you too, and thanks for the opportunity! Ok, so being a drummer first and foremost I think that my sense of time and rhythm are definitely my strong points. Also I think always having absorbed a wide and varied mix of music has helped me to develop a good ear and improve as a musician all round.
What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?
I think pre-pandemic, the biggest challenge for a modern day artist was having financial freedom to pursue their craft full time, but after the pandemic hit it the issue was more that we weren’t able to perform live!! It really put a massive strain on a lot of my fellow artists. Though I do believe we have to try and find light in the dark times, and a positive I would draw from this whole situation would be that we were able to spend much more time creating!
Your latest track is 'Just Like An Angel'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
Ok so this song was actually written a few years ago, but I have only just got round to releasing it. It was written about me girlfriend at the time, and I tried to encapsulate all the things that made her so special! She was my first and only love to date, so I tried to make that come across in the song too. Nothing particularly unusual happened during the creation, though I did actually set a date, sent it off to all the platforms for distribution, and then decided I wasn’t happy with the way it sounded, so I pulled it, and we started fresh, re-recorded the vocals and all the guitars until I was happy!
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Other than music I enjoy going to the gym (with mum) and running (with sis).. I also enjoy practicing yoga, and get a lot out of cooking, maybe it’s the creativeness of it! I like try and learn as much as possible, so audiobooks in the car are something I’m enjoying too at the moment.
Do you have a mentor or coach?
I wouldn’t say I have a mentor or coach per se, not anymore anyway, but I do feel that life in general can be our best teacher.. we can learn so much from all of our experiences, our ups & downs and challenges that are thrown at us during this crazy ride! My biggest musical mentor was an old friend who tragically had his life taken from him a few years ago. The knowledge he had was truly unparalleled, and the small chunk of it that he passed on to me has inspired me so much over the years!
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
I’m always trying to absorb new information, mostly music, but also films, documentaries, books, art, podcasts, interviews etc. I think you have to feed that side of the brain in order to grow and evolve as an artist. I’m also a big believer in learning from the masters. As much as we should keep our fingers on the pulse, you can’t ignore the pioneers of whatever field you’re in. To me the most successful hit song writers were The Beatles, so I’m currently trying to learn 1 or 2 Beatles numbers a day at the moment.
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
Ooh great question! It kinda depends on whether these artists have to be active or it could be any artists of all time. If they have to be active I would go with Foals.. one of my favourite bands, their energy is just insane! If any, I would have to say The Doors.. my all time favourite band, and the chance to watch Jim perform after I opened would be incredible!
How do you structure your week?
This one made me laugh a little to be honest.. I’m not the most organised person in the world, but I do believe in the strength of habits. I don’t necessarily structure my week, but I try and maintain healthy and productive habits every day.. whether that be playing guitar, writing, developing older songs, working on harmonies, exercise, learning etc.
What made you want to become a musician?
So an old friend of mine started playing the drums when we were both in high school, and me being the inquisitive little soul that I am asked him to teach me what he knew when he first got his drum kit. I picked it up very quickly and he soon ran out of things to show me, that was when I decided to take up lessons. The moment I decided that I wanted to do music full time was when I got my first taste of touring drumming for Bez of the Happy Mondays. I just fell in love with being on the road, playing different stages every night, and meeting new people!
What are your plans for next year? Do you have any productions ready to be released?
I’m very excited about what’s to come next year. Mostly because I plan to record and release my debut album! We have already started the pre-production process, and the songs have been chosen, so now it’s time to record them all and start releasing! The first single from the album will actually be released as soon as January, alongside a very cool music video! This, along with lots of live shows, and maybe some other content for people to wrap their ears around! It’s gonna be a BIG year for BB!