Singer songwriter Skip Curtis is excited to share his music with the world with the release of his debut single Wild Love, out now via Electric MVM.
A bittersweet, heartfelt offering, Curtis creates a sound that straddles the line between angst-ridden singer songwriter, think Elliott Smith, and the passionate alt.country rock music made famous by the likes of Ryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen.
Inspired by the desolate romanticism of parts of the Welsh Valley’s, Skip tackles themes of loneliness, isolation and desperation. Wild Love’s double entendre offers the listener hope that the attention of another can provide sanctuary; a reflective introduction from a gifted artist.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Skip Curtis about his debut single, motivations, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
I was brought up listening to a wide range of music. There aren’t really any genres I dislike but I guess my song-writing was built upon the artists I was heavily into as a teenager. Getting home from school and watching the music TV channels meant that I heard more US artists probably than British so I got really into bands like Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio, The Strokes, Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
From when I wrote my first full song at about 14, song-writing is my biggest passion. It’s the one activity I’ve never stopped. Writing and finishing songs gives me creative satisfaction like nothing else can.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
I know lots of artists and writers and influenced by visual art, film, books etc. But to be honest, other music is the biggest thing that influences my creativity. I hear something great and think, ‘Wow, I want to try writing something as good as that.’ My tastes have always been VERY broad, they still are really. I might go through a couple of weeks/months listening to a specific genre or artist, but ultimately, I’m open to everything.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
More creatively than anything else. I’m in a haze pop band called XY&O which is a great project to be involved in. But, I wanted to show versatility really with this new project and demonstrate that I can play and write songs just me and the guitar.
What was the last song you listened to?
Letter to Elise – The Cure (what a song!)
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Vinyl for sound, CD’s for collecting and MP3 for convenience.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Spotify would be the one that is the most common here in the UK and definitely the go to streaming service right now over here.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
Trying to show people who you are and why you make music. I think that’s what people really connect with, often more than your actual music itself. That’s a hard thing to get across via an Instagram picture or a tweet.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
Or Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc – search @skipcurtis and you should find me.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
Be good to each other and join the WWF if you can spare the funds. (The wildlife one not the wrestling).
