A Q&A with Steve Hewitt

Singer-songwriter from Kent playing Americana-leaning folk…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
My new release is called ‘FLY’ It’s a heartfelt folk song that was birthed out of a creatively barren time for me. An almost coming to terms with the fact that what I wanted from the beginning was just a facade and that even having all the tools to get to the place I thought I was gonna get to didn’t mean anything in the end, but the hope is that I still have time.

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
The hardest part was the build up to writing it. It was such a hard time for me that writing anything that had any intricate guitar work attached to melody was too hard to even think about. But the song came very quickly. It came from a conversation I was having with a close friend from Houston Texas via FB, which led to me texting back: Well, it’s hard having wings and not being able to fly! and so the lyrics fell out of my mind from that line.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it?
It’s not flamboyant, and if anything I didn’t even think I was going to record it. I thought it was a throw away song TBH, but I presented the track to my good friend, James Kirby and he believed in it so much that he was willing to give up his time and talent to get the song recorded, shaped and to add some instrumentation along with producing it and even making a music video for me. That was an offer I couldn’t refuse. James Kirby is an amazing singer songwriter who knows how to graft a song, so I thought, he is definitely hearing something in the song that I can’t hear, and I’m pleased I decided to record it and work alongside him on this song.

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
That life doesn’t always give us the thing that we set out to achieve, no matter the effort, sacrifice, losses etc… And coming to a point where you can say: that’s ok, I did my best. And don’t let your dreams break the most important relationships in your life, because life is worthwhile when you have the loves of your lives next to you, and nothing is worth breaking that.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
I don’t really have a set way of writing, if anything it can be a very unpredictable process. A melody can come out of nowhere at any time and usually a song can come at inconvenient times, usually when I’m just about to get into bed. I write to and fro from work most days, but I can go 3-4 days without picking up the guitar lately, but when I do pick up the guitar 2-3 good strong melodies come out of a single sitting, and then I tend to work on marrying the lyrics and melody meet, but this is quite a new way of writing for me because of my work situation.

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
I have a lot of artists that I respect and that have influenced my sound in general, but no artists have influenced me since I’ve started this project. I was left with a few simple chords and a dire situation at the time of writing this track and that’s all I needed.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
The US (Nashville/New York), Ireland & Australia. I’d love to play the Hammersmith Apollo, Royal Festival Hall, Koko London and the Grand Ole Opry.

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
You’re only as good as your last job, so I would say this new track: ‘FLY’, but after that, I would recommend listening to my debut album Bigger Than Words – and then you can make your mind up about what I do, lol.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
My ambitions are to be respected amongst my peers, acknowledged for my songwriting and melodies and at some point to be a support act for my biggest inspiration (musically), David Gray. For my music to make my family financially secure, and to be able to help those around me who struggle financially, that would be nice.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
There are two kinds of people: those that search for truth no matter the cost, and those that just want to prove you wrong. Be the first.

For more info visit: stevehewittmusic.com