Experience the Poetic Brilliance of Singer-Songwriter John Tibbits as He Inspires and Transcends with his Raw and Honest Songcraft
John Tibbits © 2023
Today we have the pleasure to have John with us at Goathead!
GH: John, as a singer-songwriter, your journey into the music industry is always fascinating. Could you share with us how you initially got started in music and what inspired you to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter?
John: Growing up, my Dad was a major influence on my decision to start writing songs. He is a fantastic songwriter in his own right and having songs lying around the house made it easy to start and, at the beginning anyway, plagiarise his ideas!
GH: Your music incorporates a diverse range of genres, including folk, rock, and pop. How do you approach blending these influences to create a cohesive and unique sound that represents your artistic vision?
John: You are right to say my music is a blend of various genres – my music taste is pretty broad! I would say most of this blending happens in the studio with the help of my producer, Jak. The majority of my songs will start as ‘folky’ sounding tunes, as 9/10 I write in open tunings on an acoustic guitar but evolve to capture aspects from the genres you’ve mentioned (as well as blues and classical music). I often have a vision of what the song will sound like when I’m writing it but this only comes to fruition once I’ve nailed the basics in the studio!
GH: Your new single, "Our Moment," has been generating a lot of attention. What inspired the song, and what message or emotion were you aiming to convey through it?
John: "Our Moment" was actually written on the tube home after I’d had a couple of pints of Guinness after work. I was in a particularly good mood and had just discovered a new song which I had on repeat for the whole journey (I think it was ‘Bring Me A Boat’ by Kate Rusby but I could be mistaken). The song is really an ode to music itself and the rush of emotion that I, and I'm sure many others, feel when a new great song reveals itself to you.
GH: You have an upcoming EP titled "Light of the Flame" set to release this week. Can you give us a sneak peek into what listeners can expect from this project? Any particular themes or musical directions you explored?
John: This is a record that captures an array of themes: growing up (Stupid and Dumb), romance (Find the Key), political cynicism (Light of the Flame), a passion for music (Our Moment), and embracing life (Make What you Will). Me and Jak (my producer) had a lot of fun recording the EP and allowed ourselves to experiment with different sounds, from reversed and slide guitar on 'Light of the Flame', strings on 'Make What you Will' and 'Find the Key', and harmonica on 'Stupid and Dumb'. 'Our Moment' is the mid-point of the EP and helps to build towards the heaviest song (Light of the Flame). My favorite track on the EP is "Light of the Flame," but most people who’ve previewed it favor "Stupid and Dumb"!
GH: Looking ahead, what are your future plans and projects beyond the EP? Are there any collaborations or exciting ventures on the horizon that you'd like to share with us?
John: The plan is to get back into the studio in June to record two singles. These take my music in a slightly different direction, but I’m buzzing to get them out to listeners. The plan after that is to record a full album, which has mostly been written already! There will be lots of live shows to come too – I just played my first paid gig on Sunday, which was a fantastic experience. If there are artists who would like to collaborate though, please do get in touch!
GH: Thank you John for being here, looking forward to listen to your EP, this weekend!
John: My pleasure, thanks for having me.
Don't forget to follow John on Instagram, and listen to "Our Moment" on all streaming platforms.
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