Born Crain
Already an international phenomena, Born Crain is now heading into the UK with his debut 'Outer Space' on June 30, followed by a debut single release on July 7.
Female First got the chance to put some questions to the rising star about what to expect from his music, how he puts material together and a lot more.
How best would you describe yourself as an artist?
Well, although I do (co)write, play and sing my own songs, I don't think I'd fit your typical 'singer-songwriter' image;
I don't carry a guitar everywhere I go, didn't have a messed up childhood, don't take myself too seriously, I don't beat or cheat on my wife, I don't have a drug habit. And I don't wear a feathered hat.
I am however very passionate about what I do and have lots of fun in writing, recording and performing my music, and like to think that shines through in the feel-good pop tunes I make.
Where do you draw influence or inspiration from as an artist?
Life. Travel. People watching. Anything that triggers my creativity, puzzles me, moves me, occupies my mind, and makes me want to tell a story.
I never realise it in the creative process, but looking back on what I've made so far, every album seemed to have a very personal main 'theme'.
In reflection, my latest album 'Identity' is clearly my way of preparing for upcoming fatherhood and gratitude for being where and who I am today.
Food for psychiatrists this!
Oh yeah, I can also feel pumped with creative energy and get the urge to write right after seeing a great gig.
What kind of creative process goes into making new material?
When it comes to my own music, I'm not the kind of songwriter that writes 3 songs a day. I do have a dozen ideas a day, but really need to focus and get into 'the zone' to transform them into songs.
Over the years, I've noticed I work best in 'stints' of a couple of days or weeks to get the best results. Hold up all creativity and ideas for as long as I can and then let the bubble burst and let it all out. Ideally just eat, sleep and breathe nothing but music in an inspiring - secluded - environment.
I noticed over the years I started developing a pattern when writing my material. Just sitting alone behind my piano in the wee hours of the morning is something I still love, but in order to create something new and different, I felt I needed to get out of that comfort zone.
So for this album in particular, I gathered a bunch of vintage analog synths from other artists and friends and set them up in my studio to play around with whenever I got inspired.
This approach proved to be really refreshing to my writing and it was good to find a new sound in the process.
Do you like to have a lot of control over the music you put out, or do you not mind sharing the load?
Since I write, record, produce and release everything myself, it's really hard to let it go at some point. But I do realise it's healthy to take some distance from my work and let other people come in and do what they do best - on every level. When it comes to the music, I've noticed that it can be a real asset to bring in other writers, musicians and mixers and let them shine a different light on what I've been doing so far.
On the business side of things, I've had my share of bad experiences with major record labels and major f-ups in the passed. I figured instead of blaming and depending on others, I'd rather take responsibility myself. Having my own label is liberating and rewarding, but also nerve-wrecking, scary and time consuming. It's important to have people around I can trust, so I don't need to kill my creativity while filling out tax returns.
I think I just need to be in control and have a final say about everything, as in the end it's still my name and my red head on the cover!
You've seen massive success so far, why have you made the UK your next target for music scene domination?
Because you guys invented pop music! There's so many talented British artists and so much good music hales from your island, that it's almost intimidating to bring my music to the UK as an artist from the continent. But I also have a deep love for British life and culture, having studied and lived in London for 2 years. Writing and working with people form the UK, something I've been doing extensively over the last 10 years, has - seriously - always been a pleasure. And your sense of humour still is the best in the world.
What should we expect from your single 'Outer Space'?
'Outer Space' is one of those tracks that came together like a breeze - or rather a pretty intense tornado... Everything just seemed to fall in place at the right time. Devine intervention style. The song has a special meaning to me and invokes a particular feeling of nostalgia, euphoria and gratitude. It definitely turned out one of my personal favourites of this album - and it's still kind of a trip every time I play it live.
Musically, I'd say you probably hear I'm a child of the eighties - in a piano synth pop kind of way. I also have a thing for big choruses that hit you in the face when they come in, and hopefully haunt you - in a good way - for the rest of the day.
If you could work with anybody going forward who would you choose to work with and why?
The best moment in collaborations is when you realise there's a spark and you're actually making each other perform better. The 1 + 1 = 3 kind of thing.
It's always great to work with talented people, and it becomes even more interesting if they come from an entirely different culture or musical background.
To be honest, I'm kind of hesitant if I would really want to work with my true idols, as there is always a chance they might let me down. I'd rather leave the mystery and magic instead of being disappointed.
But if you really need some names: Nik Kershaw, for writing some of the best songs of the eighties. Thomas Bangalter, because all projects he's involved in are absolutely brilliant. Gregg Wells, for his catchy songwriting and production skills. And Rihanna, for more obvious reasons.
What do you hope to get out of the next 12 months?
I love the creative process, I'm passionate about the recording and production phase, but the most fun part of every new album definitely is going out there and play it live!
So in the next few months, I'm hoping to get on stage with my awesome band as much as possible. However, I do feel that come Autumn 2014, it will start itching again to record new material and lay the groundwork for a new album.
Going forward what should fans expect from you?
To be honest - I don't know what to expect myself. I only know that I want to keep making music for as long as I like it, and will always be looking for new musical adventures and challenges - as an artist and as a musician. I'm not saying I'll start making completely different things as an artist every album, but I'd hate to wake up one day and realise I've been doing the same thing for 30 years.
On a side note, I'm also finally embracing social media and the fact the contact with fans becomes very direct and personal.
Are you involved in any other projects you can share some details about?
I think I'm very fortunate being able to combine all of the things I like in the process of making music. When I'm not writing songs for myself or other artists, I've enjoyed doing scores, soundtracks and adverts. I've even had a thing for 'French Touch' house for about 15 years now and enough material for 5 albums. But that's just for fun. For now.
As a producer, I'm involved in quite a few - mainly Belgian, Dutch and French - productions. There's a part time nerd in me that just loves putting up a microphone and do some knob fiddling. And it's just awesome to be creative with technology and help artists find their sound.
I also have a blast doing a weekly satirical item on Belgian hit radio Q Music called 'The Musical Bros', where we make a funny, fictional musical with that week's news.