What is your name?
Byron Langley…unless you want to be formal then it’s Byron Richard Langley
What is your genre of music?
I’d call it Indie infused Electro-Pop
Give us a little bio about you.
I am a South African living in London. I come from a background in film acting, having starred in films such as Spud and Netflix’s, The Kissing Booth. After starting a YouTube channel in 2018 centring around my love for music and music making, I began releasing singles at the end of 2018 and now after over a year of releasing singles, I will be releasing my Debut EP, Light On, on the 3rd of December this year.
What made you go into music?
What made you go into music? I have always loved playing instruments; I began on the drums when I was about 6 and moved on to the guitar and piano as life went on. I began writing my own songs as more of a passed time that turned in to a passion.
Are you a signed?
No I’m not, we’re really enjoying doing everything Independently at the moment which obviously poses its own challenges but great to learn the ins and outs of what works and what doesn’t.
You set to drop your debut EP ‘Light On’ , tell us more about the EP.
Light On is a collection of songs I have released throughout 2019 compiled into a completed EP. It is quite a mixed bag of sounds, which I am really happy about, as I set out to find the right sound that suits me. As a musician, I love so many genres and don’t want to be pigeonholed so early on in my career.
What is the meaning behind the EP?
As a whole, “Light On” speaks of the mental battle of fighting through addiction and depression and coming out of the other side. The debut single was written at a time where addiction ran rife. “Light On” in reference to this song speaks of the red ember at the end of a burning joint creating a light, keeping it “on” meant keeping happy. The more disconnected to reality he felt, the easier it was to live life with a smile on my face. “Westside” was written on a 4 month trip back to, South Africa. It differs from the other tracks, not only in style but also in context. Breaking away from the “inner battle” narrative, I wrote about the vast contrast between the rich and poor living in Cape Town, which seemed a lot clearer since moving to the UK and seeing what a more level playing field looked like. Cape Town is situated in the Western Parts of South Africa, hence Westside. ‘Way down in the westside it’s so blue” to the rich meant it was summer all year long however to the poor it meant struggle. After being back home in London and spending time with loved ones, I finally began to make the necessary steps to breaking out of my funk and into a much happier life.
Describe each track in two words.
Light On: Milky Melodies
Gold: Bass Face
In Tune: Home Grown
Westside: Proudly South African (Yes, that’s 3, I know)
Higher: Unexpectedly Uplifting
What was the writing process like?
I begin nearly every song with a piano chord progression I like or a vocal Melody that has popped into my head and saved as a voice note.
What was the recording process like?
This was my first ever real recording experience which was very scary at first. It took a bit of time to warm in to but after tracking in a few sessions I felt a lot more at ease and open to making mistakes rather than trying to be as perfect as possible all the time which resulted in bad performances.
Who did you work with on the EP?
I worked very closely with my producer, Christo Patricios (aka MusiCli) . Every song I’ve written, I send his way to see if it’s worth taking out of the demo phase and into something worth releasing. He is the other band member in this otherwise solo venture.
Will we see a music video for any of the tracks?
We attempted to film a music video in Croatia, mid-November, but we had some terrible weather whilst there. Hoping to see what we can edit from that to create something cool for a proper music vid.
Do you have any shows coming up?
Looks like I’ll be having quite an exciting run of shows come April/May next year so keep your eyes peeled on my socials for some updates 😉
If so where will you be heading?
Pretty much all across the UK.
What else can we expect in 2019/Early 2020?
I’ll be playing small gigs around London and live streaming my EP to YouTube on the 5th of December (don’t miss that), otherwise I’ll be finishing the tracks for the 2nd EP and then making my way across the globe down to Australia for a well-deserved holiday with my girlfriend, Emily.
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any upcoming artists?
None that have been secured but it is something we are very keen to get going with the 2nd EP release.
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact?
I’d always be keen. They can speak to my manager/producer Christo. christopatricios@gmail.com
Do you play any instruments?
Guitar and drums yes. Piano fairly and harmonica just enough to fool someone who knows nothing about it.
Who are your influences?
I grew up obsessed with Nirvana however as the years have gone on, I lean toward Tame Impala, Twenty One Pilots, Milky Chance, Hozier and Portugal the Man.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
Nothing inspires more than hearing other music. Going to shows also outs a bit of fire in the belly for music making.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
I’d love to be playing music full time as a career, touring across the globe and producing/writing songs for other artists.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
I love surfing, playing computer games like DoTa otherwise going on trips and cruising around.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
“Where is my mind by The Pixies” was the first song I could play using Barre chords and was the first time I thought I may be able to progress and perform more songs.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Don’t take advice from anyone unless you were the one who asked them for it.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Spend every free minute you have practicing. 10 000 hours apparently makes you a pro, that’s equivalent to 9am – 5pm per day, 7 days a week, for 5 years.
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
You should be hitting any beach up on north coast or the south coast in Durban for sure.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
listen here;
