Hey people! 🙂
Last year I shared two songs from Billy Lockett, who was probably the closest of all the potential would-be’s to become my faza peep (but I’m so happy it didn’t happen, in the end, even though I really do like him quite a bit 😀 ). Recently I heard this song a few times on different BBC radio stations, and I thought I’d share it with you. Violet Skies is also a singer known to me whom I like, plus she’s Welsh!
So, guys, I’ve planned in advance what I was going to share with you today as part of the song of the day series, but just now, after posting Jack Cullen’s song, him being one of my most newly considered faza candidates, I had a sudden realisation. I’ve never showed you the most promising faza candidate so far. I mean, he’s no longer an actual faza candidate, he was a potential one back in March, but he used to be a very strong one and I haven’t had a better option ever since.
His name is Billy Lockett and he is from Northampton. He is a classically trained pianist, although he makes pop, mostly acoustic, music, (mostly sad songs about love 😀 ). Yeah, super normal, I know. But I really liked him. Actually, I still absolutely do! He just never ended up being my next faza subject, although it was very close to that. After all, although I really desperately need a new faza, I am kind of glad it was this way.
Of course I came across Billy on Spotify, and what first made me interested in him was his bio, which I think was written in an interesting way – it’s not bragging about yourself in third person but is actually quite raw and seems very natural. I’ll actually paste it here, hope it’s not illegal or something, just like I mentioned it’s from his artist page on Spotify so you can’t find it there as well:
Hello I’m Billy Lockett. I’m a piano man. I grew up in Northampton with my crazy hippy dad. He encouraged me to have a career in music. Things started to happen, I was playlisted on Radio 1 and went on tour supporting Birdy, Lana del Rey and KT Tunstall.
Dad died. I stopped everything and came back home. Went off the rails a bit. Got a cat. Spent the next 2 years in the cellar of my dad’s house writing songs. Grew an afro accidentally.
Moved to probably the smallest room in London. Played every open mic night in the city for a year. Sold out my first headline show. Got signed. Cut afro off. Went off the rails again. Got help. Performed on Made In Chelsea as Josh’s baby shower gift to Binky (obviously).
Toured with Lewis Capaldi and Electric Light Orchestra. Put my own tour on sale. Sold it out. Broke up with my label. Broke up with my Girlfriend (well, she dumped me…on WhatsApp).
Moved back to my dad’s old house (with cat). Wrote and recorded Reset EP. Became mates with James Corden. Performed live on the Late Late Show. Got new managers. Self-released a modern classical piano-only album. It charted and got played on Classic FM. At the same time a DnB track I sang on was getting played on Radio 1. Made History as the first artist to do that.
Put Reflections EP together. Loved every song. Felt empowered. The songs were written during a darker time. But now I’m feeling really good. This EP is me reflecting on how far I’ve come, and to celebrate where I’m going..
I listened to him and thought his music was really good and very emotional and, even though it’s all about love, mostly romantic love, which is something very foreign to me, it somehow struck a chord with me and I thought it would be super cool having a faza subject like this, and also who has a cat. I also really like the name Billy, so, well, why not?
The song I’m about to show you moved me particularly much and I thought it must be about his late dad. I read somewhere that, again, it’s to do with a breakup or something, but I am nevertheless sticking to my theory that it must be about his dad and saying that it’s about breakup is just more mainstream-friendly, it just doesn’t make sense as a breakup song. Then again I’ve never been through a breakup, and, based on how many songs about it and similar topics he has, he must have a lot more experience, which I feel deeply sorry about.
What I liked about him next was that I saw something he did on YouTube. He went on the streets and asked people anonymously what do they think of Billy Lockett’s music. I thought that was so brilliant and did requite some distance to yourself, and he seemed to even handle the criticism well although some of it was rather harsh to me. I also found some interview that was made with him, which was all about things to do with sleep. And he mentioned a very relatable quote there: “Sleep is like a cat, it only comes to you when you ignore it”. It is from “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn. I didn’t know neither the quote, nor have ever heard about Gillian Flynn, but thought if he even quotes something like this, he must be some sort of an akin soul to me. 😀
Even though I find love the most boring and unrelatable song topic in the world, I also quite liked the melancholy of his music, and his piano play.
But I felt really ambivalent for the first few days after learning about him and didn’t really know whether I am going to have/having a faza on him or not, so that’s why I didn’t write about him on here right away, and later on it all just really faded.
In the end, just like I said, I guess it’s actually a good thing I didn’t end up having a faza on him. With all my respect and liking for Billy, I think it wouldn’t last all that long anyway, as it wouldn’t be all that inspiring and brain nourishing as my previous ones have been.But such small, short-lasting or even not fully developed fazas are useful, pleasant and fun too, and can be helpful with some self-exploration. Also it was nice to have such a light in the tunnel during the time without major fazas.
Anyway, here is this song of his that I find the most moving, it is definitely my most favourite song of his and I love that it is about a different kind of love, or so I think it is. 😀
My Inner MishMash 