Tottenham’s common goldfish recently made his debut with ‘Feel The Fuzz’, the fuzzed-out ode to 90s indie-rock that was supported by Clash Magazine, Joy of Violent Movement, LDN Magazine and more. The UK artist’s sophomore track is ‘Shout Louder’, which is common goldfish’s answer to an elevating summer track as we all embrace getting back to normal. Produced in his studio in Tottenham, North London, ‘Shout Louder’ is a celebration of self-expression that aims to take listeners on a journey. common goldfish made a name for himself on the London gig circuit, performing at everywhere from Peckham Audio to Luna Lounge to The Salisbury.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
When was the idea to go into music born?
It’s always been brewing inside of me, having played instruments from a young age. Learning to produce about 6 years ago music was a game changer, and it meant I could really develop my song writing skills (playing multiple elements at once). Before that I was just using iphone voice notes and so a lot was left to the imagination!
Over lockdown I became a bit of a recluse and really honed in on my production skills. As with anything, you can always learn more and improve, but I’m glad I’ve now reached a position where I’m comfortable releasing music that I’ve produced.
What do you use when producing music?
Compared to a lot of producers I actually have quite a simple set up.
I have my instruments – Fender Telecaster Electric guitar, Fender Jazz Bass, Roland Keyboard and a Shure Mic.
The software I use to produce is Ableton – which is more commonly used by electronic producers. I love it though as there is the “Live view”, which makes it really easy to loop stuff – it’s a very fluid way of making music, and you can get a lot of ideas down, before actually structuring them into a song. I also use this to play live, through the Ableton Push controller, which is essentially my band..
I then have a load of software plugins, which mean I can pretty much play any sound via my keyboard.
Your latest song is 'Shout Louder'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
I had had a long day working on my own in the studio towards the end of last year, and nothing was really working for me. It was quite late, and I decided to start something new.
I created a fairly simple drumbeat, using a mix of 90’s drum break one-shot samples & then just started mucking around on different instruments. Quite quickly I had the bass line and piano that feature in the main chorus. For some reason it reminded of a Guy Ritchie film, which definitely lured me in!
The contrast in emotions when producing can be quite overwhelming – It can really get you down when things aren’t flowing, but then when you do come up with something you like, it can be a real rush. I think this sudden release of pent-up energy was probably the driver behind the vocal line “shout louder “. It literally just came out.
What was the most difficult challenge you faced?
With the bare bones of the track complete, the vocals took a bit longer to come up with. I think I was sitting on the track for a few months and running out of ideas.
Funnily enough watching the “Get Back” documentary actually inspired me to work on the song again, and in the next session the main vocal harmonies and guitar came together pretty quickly.
At the start of this year, the end of the pandemic was in sight, and summer was on the horizon. The track just made me think of being outside with friends in the sun, which was the inspiration behind the lyrics.
What does your music studio look like? What is included in it?
My studio is currently the second bedroom in our flat ha! I used to share a studio at Ten87 studios in Tottenham, but I prefer having my own space at home that I can use any time. You never know when you’re gonna be feeling creative and so having that flexibility is nice. Obviously a bit cheaper too!
As I say a very basic set up with the instruments listed above. Then some Rokit monitors and a universal Audio interface – and that’s it.
I have a novation bass station, but to be honest it gathers dust mainly…
How do you know when a work is finished?
I think one of the hardest things in production is to accept when a track is finished. I’ve slowly become a bit better at this, as I’ve released more and more music.
At the end of the day the track is the track – Either its good or it’s not. If it’s not, then time is probably better spent on a new idea!
You can agonise over small detail for hours, but at some point you just have to take a step back and acknowledge that someone listening for the first time, is unlikely to notice the changes your agonising over!
Easier said than done of course...
What are your long term goals?
Life goal is to play one of the main stages at Glastonbury. Definitely on the bucket list for me..
Shorter term I’m keen to get an album out, once I feel I’ve got a sufficient fan base to listen to it!
Do you have a mentor or coach?
Not really a mentor as such. I have some great friends around me that work in music who have been really helpful in guiding me on various things. Although it can be pretty tough as an emerging artist, I’ve found there are generally great communities amongst artists and other industry professionals in London, and people are pretty happy to give advice and help out new artists. Being part of a studio and playing gigs, are both good ways of meeting other musicians.
I feel like the common struggle brings people together!
What are your biggest achievements in your career?
It’s a short career so far but getting my debut music video premiered in Clash magazine is definitely up there.
Where is the best place in the world you’ve ever been to?
An impossible question.
Is it boring if I say London! Ha I’m definitely biased but it must be one of the most diverse places on earth which is what underpins such a deep and vibrant culture. Clearly it has its challenges (like any global city), but it will always be my home.
If not London then maybe New Orleans – I’ve never been anywhere so musical in my life. I was blown away walking around the French quarter and listening to the incredible blues and jazz musicians in every bar and on every street corner. I’ve never been anywhere else like it.