Ed Brooking tells all...

The Electric Post interviewed Ed Brooking, a solo artist living in Teesside and he isn't your average musician. With an eclectic mix of musical inspirations and an eccentric instrument to match, Ed is sure to excite his audiences and he tells us why we should all love Michael Buble...

You play piano and ukulele as well as sing. What would you say is your favourite instrument to play?

I've never really considered whether one is a particular favourite. I started with piano and I adore playing it. But ultimately I prefer playing ukulele when playing live, just simply for convenience, and I can get more out of it in terms of effects and sounds. They both have their advantages and disadvantages really. Piano sounds far grander, but ukulele is far simpler to play.

Why did you choose the ukulele?

I originally intended to learn guitar, but found that my hands were a little too small to play. This was about five years ago, when I was 14. This was also just before the huge craze with ukuleles, because of songs like Five Years Time and Hey Soul Sister. My friend taught me how to play a pretty simple song on the ukulele, Creep by Radiohead, and I just fell in love with the instrument. It may be limited in terms of size, but with my effects pedal I can expand somewhat.

Who are your inspirations in music?

There are so many! For my first EP I looked at a lot of country and folk musicians, such as Kacey Musgraves, Kate Rusby, Mumford & Sons, and Johnny Flynn. For my lyrics and piano writing it's based on The Killers and Cage the Elephant. I'm starting to incorporate rap into my music as well, with influences from Hopsin, Eminem and Dr Dre. I also love Michael Buble, both his genre and singing, besides who wouldn't love that gorgeous man?

Do these influences help to define the genre that you play?

I'd say that to an extent, yes. I love a vast range of music, and hopefully later in my music career I'll expand into each and every genre in some small way. I don't want to be tied to any particular genre, which I think all musicians think to varying degrees. It's hard to define the genre that I play because of all the influences I have. The closest would be Indie-Alternative. I think it's easier to define a song as a particular genre than an artist, because each musician has varying influences and styles, so it can be hard to tie them down to one genre.

What about gigs? Do you gig much and is there somewhere in particular that you'd love to play?

I gig about once every two weeks, but sometimes it's more often. The most I've ever had was three times in one week. My usual haunt is Sticky Fingers (on Linthorpe Road here in Middlesbrough). I used to play at the Crown, but that's sadly been shut down. I'd love to play at Empire, or at one of the MixTape nights at the Keys. The ultimate goal being to play in big stadiums or festivals.

Have you always been solo or have you been in bands?

I've been in a couple of bands before, but we had to split up due to university, which is unfortunate. I've been solo for a couple of years now though, so I'm used to playing alone. In some ways I prefer being solo, mostly because I've found that in a band or duo there can be an imbalance in effort and passion. Whereas, on my own I know that I can put in my all and not have to worry about someone else messing around or messing up. However, it does mean that if I mess up, I have no safety net, it's just me.

What does the future hold for you?

Other than the EP that I'm currently recording, who knows? I have a lot of lyrics written, enough to last a whole career. I can only hope I sign to a label or make it big some other way. I've already mentioned my extension into rap and other genres, and I hope that comes out the way I've planned.

Facebook: Ed Brooking Music