S J Denney is a singer-songwriter based in Essex, United Kingdom. He fell in love with music from an early age, after stumbling across vinyl copies of The Beatles’ White Album and Neil Young’s Harvest. S J was originally a choir boy and performed in a number of venues across his local county. His next stepping-stone was learning to play the clarinet. Whilst music theory gave him a solid foundation, Denney soon decided to focus his efforts on self-learning the acoustic guitar and writing songs. S J has performed in various bands, duos and now as a solo artist. These endeavours have seen him gig across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey S J Denney, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
I’ve always had music running through my veins. From an early age, I was a choir boy and learnt to play the clarinet. Then, a few years later, I discovered The Beatles’ ‘White Album’ and Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’. From that point, I knew I wanted to write songs.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
The honest answer is very badly… Family will always come first for me, and I work full time. That usually means very late nights in the studio, trying to shape my artistic visions in the limited time I have.
Your latest song is 'High Flying Birds'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
The song was written very quickly, as all the songs that I keep are. I’d just got in from meeting up with a friend who was going through some issues. The way that I process most information is by sitting with a guitar or at the piano, so that’s what I did. I built up the song in the way that I usually do… the drums were recorded, I played acoustic guitar and sung. Then all the other instruments were added. I’m really proud of the way it turned out.
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
In all honesty, I feel pretty lost in the industry. Whilst the current set up gives you the freedom to record at home and release anything out into the world, it also makes it so difficult to cut through. I don’t think anyone could have forecast that music would be defined by 15 second videos on TikTok, but unfortunately that’s the way it’s gone. I just try to focus on my own thing and do what I love.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
I guess I’d continue focussing on my other commitments, such as family and work. For me, music is something I’d really struggle to live without, whether it’s listening to my favourite records or making my own. I struggle to imagine my life without music.
How do you know when a work is finished?
I think it’s just intuition. When I start adding instruments or harmonies and they stop adding value, it’s time to stop. You just feel like you’re overdoing it and distracting from the overall feel of the song.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
I really love running. It’s my other escape mechanism. My favourite distances are 10k and half marathon.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
I just find that aside from my family, there’s nothing else that moves me like music. A great album just takes me to another place and I love tapping into what someone was feeling whilst making it. When it comes to my own music, writing has always been my vice, and I still find it so exciting to hear a song evolve. For me, it’s proof that magic exists.
Who is your favourite musician?
Sir Paul McCartney
What are your plans for the future?
I’ve got at least five other releases ready to go, which should take me to the end of 2023. After that, I feel like it’s time for a bit of a change in direction…