INTERVIEW: Craig Heath

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Craig Heath

Front-man of rock-group Velvet City, Craig Heath is set to release his first solo single off his recently launched own label, Global Records. His first single All Because Of You featuring Rick Springfield, was co-written with Keith Urban and Monty Powell is out this March.


On His Solo Music: "I don't think it's country. It has the full banjo and the twang with a crossover with a bit of pop in it. A lot of the records done these days in Nashville are rock and pop so I think it's country/pop with rock elements in it."

On Working With Rick Springfield: "[It was] very enjoyable. He's been through his ups and downs so it was just a really great, nice experience. He's just a really nice down to Earth guy. When cutting the song, I just sounded like it deserved to be a duo. We sent it to Rick and he loved it. He put his voice on there and it just sounded great together. Rick's voice suited my voice quite well and I think it's turned out really well." 

On His Solo Ambitions: "I've always gravitated towards that kind of writing - you know, from the heart. Nashville, their motto is 'three cords and the truth' and if you can make a song stand up by just sitting there playing it on an acoustic guitar then you know its good without adding all the bits and the production and trying a bunch of stuff to make it sound like a good song."


On Being Pigeon-Holed: "I mean it is country for sure, but I think the songs have got potential to cross over into pop. I think Australia finds it difficult and like to pigeon-hole it straight away. It's very different here than in America. It's slowly catching on here, I think."

On What We Can Expect From His Upcoming Album: "More of the same good wholesome songs. The old school way. You know, good songs that make sense from start to finish. They have a meaning, they go somewhere. They say something. You want to be taken on the emotional journey and also the physical. You want to feel good, you want to cruise along in the car and be excited, or you want to cry to it, you can do that as well. You know, I think its about having that connection. If someone gets something out of it  that gets them through a period or a time or something in their life or they can feel that someone else is relating to the experiences that they've been going through then, I'm happy."

On Upcoming Tour Dates: "There's some dates booked in already. We're playing some acoustic shows. We're just starting to book shows now. The Breslin Gallery is booked for April 19th, Sunday afternoon acoustic session. And there's some concerts in the park that Glen Eira Council puts on so we're doing some shows there. Hunter and Collectors played the last one."

On Velvet City: "I come from a rock background. I grew up listening to Metallica. I was in a Metallica cover band - hard rock. Velvet City was pretty much my songs and my thing any way I put a band around it and packaged it up that way. I just wanted to do the band thing for a while and have that three musketeers feeling. And felt like you know, have a good group of people together and play with great artists which all of those guys are very talented in their own right."

On McKinnon Hotel: "It's a great spot isn't it? Where we first started playing gigs was at the McKinnon Hotel in a Metallica cover band called The Four Horseman. That place used to be bikers, strippers, - it was an absolute riot. There used to be punch-ons every night of the week there. You had to be tough to play there."

On Launching His Own Label, Global Records: "It's a really good way for artists to be in control of their own destiny and their own product and their own image. Also with being able to put out the songs you want to put out without any restrictions from major labels. I have the freedom to do my own thing, which is great. I have the final say."

On If He Could See Himself Doing Anything Else Other Than Music: "I couldn't is the short answer. I'm very entrepreneurial. I've got a lot of things happening. Music has always been something I've done from a very early age. You name it, when I was a baby I'd start shaking my leg and that would be the end of it. It's always been in my blood."

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All Because Of You is out this March. He's a lovely guy and the single is definitely worth a listen! Trust me - it's good! I will share the video once it is released =D 

You can find out more about Craig at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/craigheath12
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craigheathofficial

Originally posted at the AU review.