What are your names?
Olly Hite & Sam Carter Brazier. I’m sorry Sam’s not about today. He’s got his head in designing a recording studio for a friend of his. He’s a tech wizard is are Sam. He says hi and I’m pleased to meet you!
Tell us the story behind the name
Well Percival Elliott was my great granddad. Quite the gentleman it seems. My father found and old wooden trunk in my grandma’s loft. It was basically a time capsule all about Percival. Photographs of his shop and family, and random objects with his name etched all over them. Toffee hammers, Rolling pins. You see he was a inventor or sorts. He owned a sweet factory in Chesterfield in the 1920’s and spent a lot of time traveling on his horse and cart selling and buying all kinds of goods. Old snuff boxes, silver topped shooting sticks, old musical instruments, coffee beans. Hite folk law suggested he believed in time travel. He was quite an eccentric.
He eventually sold up and moved to Brighton for the sea air and opened one off the first ever seaside ice-cream emporiums.
What is your genre of music?
Sam and I are both fans of music. All genres it seems. So our work is quite a mixed bag. As long as its a good song that has some heart and holds a good melody then we dress the song to fit the vibe. Influence wise I’d say, Queen, Elton John, meets Jeff Buckley, The Doors, Father John Misty, meets The Beach Boys, injected with large portion of The Beatles.
Give us a little bio about you as a duo and individuals.
Sam like I’ve said is a digital doctor, tech head. He loves his studio kit and embraces technology. He can really dance, he’s an amazing guitar player as well and can write damn fine songs. He’s been in a few bands and has traveled the world in his hot air balloon. Ok I lied about the hot air balloon… in his submarine then. We met working for an antique dealer. We traveled the country visiting auction rooms and knocking around with the trade. Sam would educate me by making mix tapes for the journey. We shared a massive love for music so it was inevitable that we would get in a room and have a jam. The rest is basically history.
Are you signed?
Not as yet.. We will have to see what the year brings.
Tell us more about your track ‘Forever”.
Meeting someone for the first time and learning love is real. It’s about having your heart stollen. Being shot by cupid. Butterflies and sparks and the pounding of your hearts. We all know how that feels, and it can last forever.
What was the writing process like for ‘Forever’ ?
Sam sent me over the bones of the song. I thought just “wow, what a vibe!” I was in my vintage caravan in a field in the Sussex countryside with some white wine and olives on the go. I remember the moment clearly as the lyrics and vocal melody wrote itself from the moment I first listened to Sam’s demo. We finished it at mine a few days later. Making home mad ale and loitering in the kitchen. Some songs do write themselves. Very strange indeed.
Will you be releasing an EP or album? If so can you tell us more about that?
We have our debut album “Save Your Soul” to put out this year. We spent two years writing and recording and are both very excited and proud of what we’ve achieved. I think its a good record. We will be putting out a video for ‘Forever’ very soon and have more singles and videos to put out before we drop the album.
Will you be touring this year?
We’ve got some shows in the pipe line. One being Ice Breaker Festival Portsmouth. Keep an eye on our social media for more news.
If So where will you be heading?
UK, London Town, Portsmouth and Brighton
You also collaborated with Fat Boy Slim, how did that come about?
I had a residency at the Hanbury Ballroom in Brighton a few years back. It was a very cool place full of creative and good souls, busy as hell and owned/run by my dear friend Amanda Blanch and the incredible king of cocktail and liquor connoisseur that is Chris Edwards. The shows were getting busier and busier, before I knew it i was invited to jam at this warehouse on Brighton port. It was crazy, a mad house, like a circus, I remember the place was full of mauve tv’s, vintage studio equipment and analogue toys. Not just musicians would hang at this place, basically happy party people, good souls. Some sessions went on for days. We became known as the BPA, ‘The Brighton Port Authority’ – A loose limbed jammin outfit. Norman Cook was basically the Chairman, he was the ring leader. We never planned to make a record but years later Norman put it out on his own record label. Southern Fried Records. The album is great and the title is “I think we need a bigger boat”, go check it out.
Did you receive any advice from him?
He told me once to treat the computer as an instrument.. at the time I wondered what he was talking about. Clearly well ahead of his time. These days that couldn’t be more true. Computers play a massive part in our work.
Will we see anymore collaborations anytime soon with anyone?
Watch this space.
What made you go in to music?
I’m the youngest of four boys. My folks ran out of bedrooms so dad converted the garage for me. The Hite family love music so I grew up surrounded by beautiful sounds. We had this old piano in the lounge and one day it got wheeled into my bedroom to make more space… Put it this way, we became friends.
Do you play any instruments?
Piano, harmonica.
Who are your influences?
Queen,Elton John, meets Jeff Buckley, The Doors, Father John Misty, meets The Beach Boys, again injected with large portion of The Beatles.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
Conversation, the people around us. We draw inspiration from life.
A mood can choose how a song is interpreted. Some songs I believe are already written, we just channel them down.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Having fun.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
Cooking is my thing and I love my antiques and the scooter scene. Just got myself a new scooter, its a Scomadi. They look like the old Lambretta, but without the mechanical headache. Roll on spring!
Where would your dream venue to play in your hometown?
Brighton and Hove Amex stadium would be just amazing!
If you could collaborate with one UK Artists or Band who would it be?
Elton John, he’s got a lot to do with me making friends with that piano of mine.
If you could collaborate with one US Artists or Band who would it be?
An afternoon in a studio with Billy Joel would be a pleasant way to kill a day.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
Rocket Man, I think is the best song ever written.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
No such thing as problems, only obstacles, and you can always get over them.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Be honest with your writing and it should then connect with the listener.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
“Grasp the nettle”. As my father would say.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
The five song set you’re playing.
Do you have any social media account for fans to follow you?
Yes;
Facebook
Twitter
Website