FEATURE
Interview with Nottingham UK Based Singer Songwriter and Producer Joey Collins
Joey Collins is a singer, songwriter, and producer that crafted his musical roots in the Nottingham/Derby music scene with the alternative rock band ‘Saturn Ascend’.
Fronting the band for a number of years allowed plenty of songwriting and live performance experience from an early age and since the hiatus of the band, he has since ventured into a busy solo career.
When did you discover your love for your craft and what made you realize you wanted to pursue a career in it?
I remember vividly watching the Red Hot Chili Peppers Live at Slane Castle DVD at my Dad’s house in Wales when I was roughly 6 or 7 and thinking ‘that looks incredible, I wanna’ do that’. From that point on my obsession with music grew stronger and stronger and my yearning to perform and write music with it.
I played in the school concerts as a guitarist, but I was very self-conscious, like most people during that time of life. It wasn’t until I joined a grunge band ‘Saturn Ascend’ in Nottingham with my mates from college, that I became a little more confident due to fronting the band for a couple of years. I then went to London to study Popular Music, with the main goal of gigging extensively and networking to build a name for myself (Solo project) and haven’t really looked back since.
What are some of your greatest challenges, and what is your greatest attribute when it comes to your work ethic?
Without sounding too ‘woe is me’, my long term battle with my mental health problems really took its toll for a very long time, which then led to more problems in how I dealt with my issues. I feel this has been also my greatest strength as I’ve pushed through with support from my therapists, family, friends and myself, whilst pouring all of these experiences into both of my albums, hence the debut album titled ‘Take Your Pain & Turn It Into Art’.
My work ethic is to write honest music. I go through phases of writing loads depending on what’s happening inside my mind at a certain time. Currently, I’ve just released my sophomore album ‘Requiem’ which took me over a year to write, record and produce from my home studio, so I’m taking a bit of a break from writing as I don’t feel the need to force any creativity right now. I enjoy the recording process the most.
It’s a meditative state when you’re so in the flow of making a song and you’re constantly tweaking and problem-solving, it’s probably the only time I’m most free and at the moment as that’s all I’m thinking about. I have gigged extensively and I feel that comes from a DIY punk approach. Too many bands/musicians think they don’t have to do the graft of playing the toilet circuit and just expect to be selling out big venues. I dunno, I enjoy performing and feel it’s 50 percent of what being a musician is about. The other 50, songwriting and being in the studio.
What are your plans for the near future?
At the moment I’m currently on tour. Just had the first show in Wales, got some local shows in the East Midlands, then heading to Italy for more and back to Nottingham and London for the big ones. After that, I will take some time to myself as I’ve done so much this year.
How can fans find you?
www.facebook.com/joeycollinsmusic
www.twitter.com/myjosephcollins
www.instagram.com/josephofthejungle
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFPh-Upl6zE-QdIVupNWwDA
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/joey-collins/1429857419
What suggestions do you have for other artists like yourself?
Be true to yourself, work hard and don’t expect anything.
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