Meet Calcutta-born UK Open Mic performer, NeverWinter:

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

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

Group

What’s the name of the group?

Midlife Crisis

How old are you?

32

Where were you born?

Calcutta

Where did you grow up?

Calcutta

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

It taught me patience, perseverance and turned me into a hedonist

Where are you based now, and why?

London. I have a day job as an ESG investment analyst

What got you into making music in the first place?

It’s my biggest source of dopamine

What instrument/s do you play?

Singing, Rapping, Harmonica, DJ

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

Because they made me feel things
1. RHCP
2. The Doors
3. The Killers
4. The Kooks
5. Paolo Nutini
6. Frank Sinatra
7. Arctic Monkeys
8. Oasis
9. The Smiths
10. Leonard Cohen

Do you write your own songs?

Yes

How many years have you been writing songs for?

15

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

Melody first, verses later

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

The desire of sharing the joy I derive from live music

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

Be honest with yourself. Don’t confirm if you don’t want or need to

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

Compensating for poor audio balancing

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

I was playing with my band at a ticketed event and midway through the set a random intoxicated individual got on stage and started playing air guitar. Turned out he was my mate’s uni roommate

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 fact that my bandmates are split across continents and time zones. Except Antarctica

What’s the one truth about you that people often find surprising?

That I’m not as hard as my baritone suggests

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

I’ve signed an NDA. But let’s just say it’s a collab with an entity that has been on the charts multiple times

Do you have your own music video, channel or playlist you’d like to share?

https://instagram.com/rj_banner?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

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

https://spotify.link/SjneY4S4cDb

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

https://instagram.com/rj_banner?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

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

SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube

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

Just wanted to say, thank you;