Meet Glasgow-born UK Open Mic performer, Craig Barclay:

Hi Craig Barclay, thanks for joining us! Let’s get into it:

Do you play solo only, or also in a group?

Solo

How old are you?

27

Where were you born?

Glasgow

Where did you grow up?

Glasgow

How did that place influence your music? (if at all!)

Glasgow is such an

Where are you based now, and why?

I am now based in London and have been for 7 years, I moved down in 2016 to study Acting and have been here ever since.

I always wanted to live here though! ever since my Granny brought me down when I was a wee boy.

What got you into making music in the first place?

I studied music all the way through my school years, started off playing the trumpet and eventually picked up guitar. So I had a lot of experience playing music but I didn’t start writing until 3 years ago.

What instrument/s do you play?

Singing
Guitar
Guitar
Trumpet

Who would be in your top 10 musical influences, and why?

Elvis – The King of Rock & Roll is of course one of the greatest performers of all time but I really admire the way he used music to reveal how he truly felt about events going on in the world i.e. If i can dream.

BB King – I really admire how BB uses his knowledge of scales and guitar in his music to create magic every time. It really stands out as such a beautiful way to express yourself.

Do you write your own songs?

Yes

How many years have you been writing songs for?

3

What process, or processes, do you often find yourself using when you write songs?

It varies from song to song to be honest, sometimes I can just have an idea for a lyric based on how i feel/or have felt about an event in my life and then a melody and the structure of the song just comes to me and I can start and finish writing in a day. Other times I can have the same process but it can take me longer to write the song. I also never think of a song as being finished, I’m always changing lyrics and parts of the song which I love as part of the creative process.

How long have you been playing open mic nights?

1

Why did you get into playing them in the first place?

I wanted to grow my experience in performing music live.

If it’s not already, are you hoping to make music your full-time career?

Yes

What’s the most exciting project you’re working on at the moment?

I’m recording my EP.

Where is the main place should people go to find out more about you?

https://www.instagram.com/craigkbarclay/

What other sites/profiles should people go to to find out more about you?

www.instagram.com/craigkbarclay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.instagram.com/craigkbarclay/

We’re done! Anything else you want to share before we go?

No thanks!