Indie label owner (Birdland Records) and producer Nick Heath, who has been involved in the careers of Rod Stewart, Peter Frampton and The Alan Parsons Project (amongst many others, as a music publisher, record label owner and manager) conceived the idea for The Birdland Project at the start of the Covid pandemic. Trawling through YouTube music videos for hours on end - like millions of us at that time - he came across a BBC concert from 1971 featuring Carole King performing her songs from 'Tapestry' - one of the all time great singer-songwriter albums.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
The ability to visualize sounds and build arrangements in my head.
Who inspired you to make music?
My father - who was one of the great musicians of all time in my home country England.
Your latest track is 'You've Got a Friend'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
The inspiration for ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ came from sitting alone (like millions of us) at the beginning of the Covid pandemic and hearing Carole King’s song ‘So Far Away’ from her great ‘Tapestry’ album. Suddenly those lyrics, from 50 years ago, seemed to so pertinent to me when forcibly separated from friends and those you love. I put together the arrangements with my other musicians for the recording (along with four other songs from the ‘Tapestry’ album) in advance, so when we went into the studio we were so well prepared we recorded everything in a day. Doing it this way — almost like a live performance - allowed me to capture the excitement of the moment and I believe it shows in the eventual release.
What is your creative process like?
My creative process is sparked by something that resonates — usually everything starts with a lyric and then layer by layer I create the arrangement in my head. Sometimes a track calls for many layers — other times like ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ the lyric is so apt and poignant it benefits from a very minimal arrangement so the emotion is felt with the directness of the vocal.
What is the most surprising fact you’ve learnt about yourself?
I think any artist is insecure about their work - they always think that someone else is better. But the most important thing is to do things and not just talk about them - and I think I’ve become good at that.
Do you think that education is important?
Yes obviously - but the ‘education’ of self learning and awareness is more important still. All exceptional ideas come from thinking ‘outside the box’.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Enjoy the songs - listen to the lyrics - always be in touch with your heart.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
The internet has transformed the music business. Initially of course the music business nearly died when piracy was rampant but streaming and YouTube and now platforms like TikTok offer huge opportunity to great talent - provided you’re prepared to work for it! Nothing comes easy!
What do you think is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen or experienced?
The tranquillity and serene beauty of my wife on our wedding day.
What are your plans for the future?
To go on making music that I love. I hope others will like it but essentially I do it because I love doing it. If it’s a success that is a bonus.