John Blaylock Talks Debut Single, Future Plans And More
Homegrown Mancunian artist John Blaylock has released his debut single ‘Temples’ and has a lot planned for 2025. He sat down with JLTT to introduce himself to us and our readers:
When did you begin songwriting?
Probably when I was about 11 or 12 which is a year before I started playing guitar so it was definitely something I was keen on from an early age
What is your earliest musical memory?
In primary school me and my mate Chris Tapp used to have sleepovers on Thursday nights and we’d always watch Top of The Pops and try to copy the dancing, there was a lot of terrible dancing on there in the 90s, we thought it was amazing at the time
Your debut single ‘Temples’ is out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the track?
It’s about oneness and connection, letting go of ego and embracing the world as a singularity of consciousness, just your average light hearted pop song.
Where did you record the song and who produced it?
I recorded it in Guy Massey’s studio in London, then we added live drums in Konk Studios. It was produced by Helen Boulding and Guy Massey
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
We recorded the whole album together so had some good times. We talked a lot about life, spoke in a lot of strange accents and were particularly critical of each other’s tea making abilities.
Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?
Yeah Guy Massey is the man when it comes to that, he pulled out loads of microphones I never even knew existed, got some amazing sounds out of my acoustic guitar and turned them into all sorts of ambient layers
Who created/designed the single artwork?
We found this really cool back alley in Manchester where we filmed some of the music video, then we had the idea to get the shot for the single cover there too as it’s got a real vibe there.
Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
I think the last track on the album “Feel Your Soul” is the happiest, the next single “Life By The gram’ has got some anger in and definitely “Temples” would be most reflective
Was it a difficult song to write?
No, it was fun
What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
I hope to have blown everyone away and I hope to have made people feel good
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?
Just me, my Martin Dreadnought acoustic guitar and a SM58 Beta mic, that’s all I need
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
Manchester – Community / Urban / Music / Alive / Red
How do you look after your voice?
Ketamine and cigarettes. Just kidding. I don’t do anything really other than sing for hours every day
You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?
I’d score for “The Goldfinch” It’s a great book and it’s got amazing depth to the characters
Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?
Paul Simon, The Stone Roses, Bob Dylan, The Charlatans, James Taylor, Jamie T. I’d recommend having a listen to John Blaylock, he’s like the best of all them combined
Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2024/2025?
Yeah starting off 2025 with a bang by going on tour with Wet Wet Wet to do 12 dates across the UK in 1500 – 2500 seater theatres, I’m on the tour bus with them too so it’s gonna be a lot of fun
Do you have any future music releases planned for 2025?
Yeah it’s all go, the second single “Life By The Gram” is coming out at the end of January and then they’ll be 4 more singles and the album “Sounds Of The Dreadnought” all coming out later in the year
What makes John Blaylock happy and what makes you unhappy?
Happy – Making music / having a laugh with people / singing with people. Here’s an interesting thing I worked out from walking my dog. If you see strangers in a park and say hello to them and they say hello back, your body chemically rewards you for that positive interaction, you feel it instantly
Unhappy – I can’t stand it when you patiently wait to let someone go in traffic and then they completely blank you. I actually feel sorry for those people. They haven’t yet worked out the importance of gratitude. It’s free and it’s amazing!
Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By WMA Agency
John Blaylock’s debut single ‘Temples’ is out now.
Stream/Download here: https://slinky.to/Temples
John Blaylock will also open all shows on the January/February 2025 run of dates for Wet Wet Wet in the UK. Tickets and more information is available here: https://wetwetwet.co.uk/live/
Official LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/johnblaylock
