I first saw Maelor at Deerstock where I captured quite a hilarious photo of him...(Haven't put it on here just in case!) He did a cracking set and I have seen him many times since. I always find his music really powerful with his guitar, voice and stomp-box. He has since done a cover of Elation by Levellers for the Bostin' Days album which is one of my favourites on the album! Here's my interview with this Milltown Boy... (See what I did there!)

 

 

 

As a musician, you must get asked asked this question all the time, but when and why did you start playing and writing your own music?

Ha, Yea it is a question that crops up a lot. I started playing guitar through the influence of my Dad. He is a talented Guitarist, Banjoist, Bassist etc and it was inevitable really that I would pick up the guitar at some point. I used to go to Irish sessions with him and watch everyone jam along. I first wrote a song called “A thousand Miles”, I remember coming out of my bedroom when I was 16 and my dad was in the room next door. He asked me what the song was I was playing to which I embarrassingly replied “its one I wrote”. He smiled and asked me to play it again which I did. After that I spent the next few years following and eventually playing with a covers band called Celtic Cross where I would get up at half time and play “Boatman” and “Sell out”. It wasn't till I was 20 that I joined a band and co-wrote a song called “Tell me everything”. After the band split I concentrated on fitness and Ju-jitsu. I didn't really do much with music for some years as the training was intense and I was teaching Ju-Jitsu and Kickboxing after grading to Black belt. I became a Dad, much to my delight and settled into that life. When I moved on from that relationship years later, I joined another band called “New Rumours”. We practiced hard and wrote a lot. It was in this band I really found my feet and my individuality again. I had lost it for some time to drink and depression. One night I turned up to band practice and said to my mate Mick (who was the main songwriter and talent behind us), “what do you think of this”, I played the intro riff to “Fight with me” and he said “Please tell me its yours”, of course I replied “it was” and the song wrote itself. I sang the verse and suddenly Mick belted out the chorus. That was it, literally about 10 minutes later the song was finished…..another fantastic collaboration. Of course bands split and I think we only played it once live. Our band version of that song still remains my favorite I woke up one day and decided that I wanted to be a full time musician. I had managed to get a slot in Gail’s tea tent at Bearded Theory and needed a way to make some money to get me back home again. I committed myself to writing and recording an EP I could hopefully sell at the festival after the gig. The EP In-between dreams was recorded and mixed in about 8 hours start to finish for that sole purpose. I borrowed a guitar off Paul Hallam from Shanks’ Pony as I had brought the wrong one that didn't have a pick up….guess what? people bought the EP and I made about £80. It got me home and I carried on gigging and writing stronger material….The rest as they say is history.

As a child, what music did you hear the most and does that differ to what you listen to now?

As a child, I was into The Beatles as my dad had recorded himself singing “Yesterday”. I only had 2 albums - A Kate Bush one with Babushka on it and a Meatloaf one, but would listen to the Beach Boys when I visited my Dad. I suppose the music I listened to the most was Oasis, Stereophonics, Stone Roses, Waterboys, Reel big Fish, The Beatles, and The Levellers. I was usually out and about watching gigs or at Irish sessions. It is still very much the same nowadays. My music was once described as indie folk and I suppose looking back it makes sense now. The only difference nowadays is due to my own journey in music I have learned to not just go and see the big named bands as festivals but to catch the acts you don't know too. A few years back I went for a walk at Bearded Theory and found a solo guy playing in one of the tents. I stopped and listened and was blown away by his songs. I bought his album and listened to it on repeat on the way home. He sang a song about bullying and skinny jeans….he has since become a great friend and we have done many gigs together. The festival/gig circuit I play introduces me to such wonderful music I tend to just listen to my friends nowadays. There’s so much good stuff around me I don't really need anything else.

You do a lot of 'live music' performances, what would do you to get more people to support live music?

The people I surround myself with all have a love and passion for live music. Locally, it was the late licensing laws that cocked us up. People can now come out at 2am and still drink for 3 hours rather than going out at 7pm and catching a band. I would urge people to not worry about travelling 100 miles to watch a band you have see numerous times if you can’t really afford it but to check out the new talent in your local area.

 

Do you have any other interests or talents which people don't know about?

I really enjoy cooking. Its pretty much my main role within our house and its certainly a passion of mine. As for hidden talents, ha I dunno really. I can Ice Skate and have a black belt in Ju-Jitsu and Kick Boxing. I wouldn't really say they were talents as such. I can lift one eyebrow up on its own but that's about as rock n roll as it gets ha.

What has been a strong influence for you to continue performing the music you do?

In all honesty, it fits the life I want. it’s simple really, I don't do well at 9-5 and I like the ease of choosing when I want to work or not. Apart from that it is the love and support I receive from friends and fans. Each gig I look forward to the next one and I don't know what my end goal is yet but I'm happy with the way things are. For a solo artist there are a million of us all competing for exposure and bigger gigs…I am enjoying my own ride and don’t really compete that much to get gigs. I would love to support my favorite band The Levellers but it has to be at the right time and not forced. It would mean a great deal to do so and I would want to savour the experience of it all.

 

 

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