INTERVIEW: Louis Berry

Combing a resonance of the greats, from Johnny Cash and Jerry-Lee Lewis to Bob Dylan, Louis Berry projects soulful rock and roll with a searing attitude. Think Jake Bugg, but with more bite. Think the blues, but with more clamor. Hailing from Liverpool, Berry chats to Gigslutz on how his background has fueled his song writing, as he rockets to recognition with a debut album in the pipeline and an October headline tour.

What has Louis Berry been up to today?

I’m in the studio today, so I’m looking out the window right now and I can see amazing glorious sunlight. And then I turn around here and I’m looking at dusty pieces of equipment and that, so I’m like a bit of a prisoner today.

So first of all, when did you first pick up a guitar and decide to start make music?

It didn’t happen in that order. I picked up a guitar because my Grandad used to have a guitar under his bed and I wasn’t allowed to touch it. So because I wasn’t allowed to touch it, I did.

And I just taught myself a couple of chords and all that. And yeah, I told my Grandad I liked it and I showed him I could play the guitar. And he was like, pissed off that I’d been playing his guitar.

So he went and bought me a banjo and said; ‘Everyone plays the guitar, play a banjo instead, no one plays the banjo.’ So I wasn’t happy about that. So that was it.

But there was a big gap between that and coming to start writing songs and things. I just knew how to do it, it was just something I could do, like I’d never practiced or played any music or anything like that. It just came naturally. It was just by chance that I got into it again.

Do you feel your heritage in coming from the musical city of Liverpool is important or do you kind-of detach yourself from the Liverpool scene?

Yeah I would say it’s important. But the Liverpool music scene and the streets of Liverpool are two very different things all together. I come from the streets in Liverpool. The really rough end in Liverpool, you know? I am 100 percent scouse.

But the music scene doesn’t consist of people from Liverpool that was always my problem with it. It wasn’t my problem with the actual scene itself, but the problem was when I used to go to bars. I’d go to these bars and I’d say; ‘can I get up and have a go?’ This was when I was starting out and I wanted to have a little go, you know? And I’d go down there and they’d say; ‘You’re not allowed to, we’ve got our regulars tonight mate.’

And the regulars that these bars had weren’t from Liverpool. So they were kind-of blocking people actually from Liverpool coming in. The way I see it now, is that these people thought we were a threat.

Do you feel your working-class background is an element of fuel to the fire in creating fearlessly powerful rock and roll?

Yeah 100 percent. I mean ‘working-class’, I don’t really understand that word because most people where I come from don’t even work. When I was growing up, we had no food and we had no money. So I don’t really consider myself as from working-class.

But of course my background definitely plays an influence. The reason I use rock and roll like this is because I’m an opposition to a lot of things. Waving my arms around and saying it nicey-nicey is not gonna get me nowhere, so. I have to try and put it across as blunt as possible really.

Do you feel you bring the classic rock and roll rebel sound into 2015? Do you find that this sound and spirit is quite timeless?

Yeah, definitely. I feel like there’s a lot of rock going on lately but there’s not a lot of roll. You know, it’s just same-old, same-old it’s boring. I feel like what happened with older rock and roll was it didn’t quite get where I would have liked it to get. It’s just become same-old and bland. And I’m just here to put some roll into it.

Your music seems to combine elements of the greats, from Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis to Bob Dylan. But who do you claim as your greatest influences, and how do you feel about these prestigious comparisons?

My greatest influences I’d say are the people who are around me. The people I see suffering everyday, the people I see who can’t feed themselves everyday. They influence me more than any artist.

But if I had to pick an artist… You see I grew up listening to rap. I didn’t know who Johnny Cash was until I was like twenty or something like that. I used to listen to Tupac.

I could listen to Tupac all day. He says something about society and he says something about the way things are. And it’s relevant now. I just don’t think he will ever die, his legend lives on.

And it’s the same with Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash is on par with Tupac now for me. But yeah, that kind of music has definitely influenced me, I wouldn’t say it influenced my music directly but it changed my mindset and how I approach music.

You have already seen comparisons to Jake Bugg and The Strypes. But Louis Berry’s music seems to pack more soul, charisma and bite. How do you feel about being compared to these artists and whom would you yourself liken yourself to?

I’ve never heard of The Strypes to be honest with you. I mean with Jake Bugg, for me, it all just lacks authenticity.

That kind of thing, it’s got no substance to it, it’s a bit soft. It’s like saying; ‘oh look at me – I’m from this kind of background…’ Do you know what I mean? I mean if you walked by the chippy by ours, you’d get you’re head chopped. The rest in all them flares or whatever they’re wearing these days, with that hair-do… somebody would smack em on the back of the head

When I was younger we stood there in The North Face jackets with masks on, that’s what we stood there in. So, don’t come out looking like that trying to pretend you’re from the estate mate.

No disrespect to anybody who dresses like that! You can dress however you want as far as I’m concerned but don’t pretend you’re off a hard estate and you’re a hard case and all that. Because you’re just not. You know, I’ve done all that, I don’t need to prove that, that’s who I am, that’s where I come from.

Do you feel it is important for rock and roll to be regenerated for the modern ear?

Yeah, definitely. I mean, I’m still really learning what rock and roll is. People describe my music as rock and roll. But I don’t think about it too much. I just make it. I don’t think about what it is. I don’t want to sound like no one. I just make it and I just think; ‘that sounds good!’

Is your soulful and rasping magnetic voice something that’s come naturally in singing, or is this a style you have perfected? 

Aww no, I don’t think you can perfect it. Some people go to singing lessons and all that, but I just try and sing from the soul, I don’t think about it.

Where do you take influence from for your captivatingly bluesy lyrics and rock and roll stories?

I feel like it’s given to me. But I also absorb a lot, you know? I feel like I don’t really look at things the way other people look at things. I describe things differently, to other people. One way for me to make those descriptions that come to my mind of any use is to put them into a song.


Are you happy with the radio response to tracks from your EP Rebel, with tracks making ‘Hottest Record’ on Radio One and ‘Top 5 Tracks of The Week’ on XFM? Have you got used to hearing yourself on the radio yet?

Yeah, I’m absolutely made up with it to be honest with you. I think you can do the internet stuff and all that, but there’s nothing like just hearing your song on the radio in the car.

I had a lot of play from a big Liverpool station Juice FM. And I get in the car and I put it on. And I can hear MY music coming out of the radio and it’s unexpected, it’s just amazing. But I don’t let it go to my head. I just try and take it in my stride, to be humble. But it definitely excites me when I hear it.

For those who haven’t checked out the EP yet, how would you sum up the collection of songs in just a small phrase?

I put the EP down as just a little, little taster. It was more… That EP wasn’t really for the people. It was for me. I didn’t put it out there for other people, I put it out there for me. I wanted to just gage how releasing music worked and what the response was to it. And how people felt about it, because it’s different, you know?

But from that the new stuff I’ve got coming, it’s taken off from there and it’s a lot better.

We here you’ve been busy recording in the studio recently. What can we expect to tuck our ears into next, is there an album along the way?

Yeah, I’m doing the album right now. I’ve been given the opportunity to produce an album. So that’s great. I’ve been made up with the confidence that’s been put into me. I’ve got songs that are actually fire. And I’ve got more soul stuff too, I’ve got my soft side coming. So it’s a mixture of that and stuff that’s absolute fire. I mean if you think ‘Rebel’ is on fire, this stuffs even better.

Are you looking forward to your first headline tour in January?

You know, I haven’t done that many gigs you know. At my first two gigs I got signed to a deal, so. Yeah this is my first headline tour and I’m looking forward to it.

Where are you most looking forward to playing in January?

I mean, it’s gotta be Liverpool. I just get such a great response here. And I hope I get in the other places. But obviously Liverpool is my home, and to see that kind of response from my own people, I can’t think of anything better like.

@EmSchofield94

 

 

 

 

Emily Schofield

Emily Schofield

Emily Schofield

Latest posts by Emily Schofield (see all)