Meet South-East London-born UK Open Mic performer Luke Catley:

Hi Luke Catley, thanks for joining us! Let’s get into it:

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

Solo

How old are you?

35

Where were you born?

South-East London

Where did you grow up?

South-East London

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

Grew up in a blend of rock, rap, hip-hop, gospel and folk; I find it hard to define what I like most but know I’m focused on matching rhythms with catchy melody.

Where are you based now, and why?

South-East London – if you cant beat it, why leave?

What got you into making music in the first place?

I grew up in a musical home and always wrote songs, but more recently health issues forced me out of my career and I took the chance to go to university and study song writing at ICMP.

What instrument/s do you play?

Singing
Piano
Piano
Guitar
Music Producer

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

John Mayer – guitarist genius, hard to beat
Buddy Guy – upbeat blues and great melodic hooks
Martin Smith – I listened to Delirious incessantly as a teenager
Jack Johnson – my wife and I listened to him loads when we first met
Cory Asbury – leaning into lyrics
Eminem – was everywhere as a teenager
Linkin Park – blend of rock and rap

Do you write your own songs?

Yes

How many years have you been writing songs for?

20

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

I mix it up, sometimes writing first, sometimes on guitar first and sometimes making a beat/track first, but I always find I write best when I have something I particularly want to say, so these days I spend my time doing exercises to figure out what it is that I have inside me that I want to say – it can get buried in family life and being really busy.

How long have you been playing open mic nights?

2

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

Because I was going to go to university and all my experience was in playing in church.

What advice would you give new performers who are just starting out playing their first open mics?

People are on your side, they want you to do well as much as you do, so they will forgive a few mistakes and celebrate the best bits of your set.

What’s the hardest thing, for you, about playing open mics?

Travelling – they’re so few in south east.

What’s the most bizarre, or fun, open mic, or gig, you’ve ever played, and why?

A gig where the toilet was next to the stage so every time someone needed to use it they wandered right between me and the crowd.

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

Yes

What do you currently find the hardest and biggest obstacles to moving your music career forward?

The sheer scale of greed in the controlling interests of the music industry – there is so much money in it, but so few get to see it. Even if my tracks get listened to, I have very little hope of making money that way so will have to keep a job going alongside – with family life too, that squeezes time for music a lot.

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

A 3 track studio EP exploring pain, suffering and faith.

Do you have music on streaming? What’s you main streaming channel to send people to?

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

https://www.instagram.com/luke_catley/

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

No thanks!