Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Derbyshire’s Paddy Kerins. Together we discussed their creative process, their newest single “Kodak Kids”, being featured on BBC Music Introducing and so much more! Check out the interview below!
1. Hello! Mustard would like to thank you for being here. How are you doing?
Well, thanks.
2. Mustard wonders what role music played in your early life. How has it shaped who you are today?
Music was ever present in my childhood whether that was in the kitchen or in the car with an early iPod model. I never used to listen to the radio much though, and if so it was mostly Nostalgie Rock (a French radio station) so this explains my interest today in foreign music. The variety of music I was able to consume broadened my musical horizons so I can accept more genres and embrace them regardless of how far they are from the mainstream.
3. What is your creative process?
I typically start with an acoustic guitar and find emotive and fitting chord sequences for a verse, a chorus, a pre-chorus perhaps at a later date a bridge section. I will then come up with loads of random metaphorical phrases regarding a certain topic over the next few weeks and then piece them together with rhymes so they form verses and choruses. I then come up with melodies that are to be played on electric guitars or on a piano. Bass lines are often the last thing that I work on. Structurally, I typically start with an intro, then use the usual ‘verse pre-chorus chorus’ format twice before using a bridge section as an extended outro.
4. You’ve released 9 singles so far, including your newest “Kodak Kids.” Are these singles building up to an eventual EP or album?
“Kodak Kids” is the lead track from my upcoming EP which will be released later this year. “Otley Run”, which has just been uploaded as an acoustic version for the Fireside Sessions, will be the second track.
5. “Kodak Kids” highlights memories from your last summer going on holiday and journeying on long walks. Could you share more about your latest single? Who coined “Kodak Kids?” How was your holiday?
I believe I coined the term “Kodak Kids” to describe young people about the same age as me adventuring out after the lock-downs and coming of age whilst posting photos of these moments on their Instagram pages. My holiday was great, I went to the Argyll and Bute area of Scotland which was really picturesque and offered a nice creative retreat.
6. How was it having your single “You’re Not The One” being featured on BBC Music Introducing? Was this your first song on the program?
It is always a great feeling to hear one of my tracks get played on all three local East Midlands radios but the feedback from the host is the thing I cherish most. “Florence” was actually the first song of mine that got a spin back in August 2021. “You’re Not The One” and “Kodak Kids” have of course followed in “Florence”’s footsteps.
7. Who (or what) inspires you?
Life experiences and stories I hear from other people are the things which inspire my lyrics the most. Sometimes the situation interests me so much I know it has to become a line in a song. As for musicians which have inspired me, I’d cite Robert Alfons (TR/ST), Justin Sullivan (New Model Army), John Lennon, Chris Corner (Sneaker Pimps), Rob Spragg (Alabama 3), David Bowie, Adi Lukovac (Ornamenti) and Brano Jakubovic (Dubioza kolektiv) as the key individuals who have affected the way I craft and enjoy music and live performances, leading me to strive towards emulating their creative strengths and triumphs.
8. You’ve played multiple festivals such as Off The Tracks, Whitwell Festival, and D.H. Lawrence Music Festival. What is your favorite part about playing festivals? How do these shows compare to a local stripped down acoustic set?
Playing festivals and gigs is probably the most enjoyable part of being a musician. When I first started in 2018 and even in 2019 there was still a sense of stage fright which hindered me just before I went on. However, since 2020 I have never been fazed by the prospect of performing in front of an audience. I often get an intense rush of excitement probably due to the fact I mostly only ever perform my own material so I can take ownership of it on stage and be free to experiment vocally and structurally with it rather than feel tied down because it is someone else’s work. When friends and family come down and watch the intensity of the rush increases because their presence and support really spurs me on to perform to the best of my ability, trying to make my performances more visually interesting whilst encumbered by an electro acoustic guitar.
9. This Haven State is your side project. Could you tell us more about This Haven State?
In the summer of 2019 I started listening to lots of electronic music, specifically ambient and dark wave works and thereafter I remembered I had bought a VST synth on Plug In Boutique called Hybrid 3 for $1 on Black Friday 2018. I finally installed it on an old HP laptop and spent the whole first lockdown in the UK from March to September 2020 working on lots of demos. This all resulted in the two remixes of my Paddy Kerins songs “Rose & Crown” and “Scared” which I released under the side-project name This Haven State. I then started college which brought with it an unprecedented workload so have not been able to work on the project. On Halloween 2021 I released the Lilith EP which featured the title track after “Swiftest Scorn” and “Found Footage” and these were some instrumental demos which I eventually wrote song lyrics for. I will be looking at the project again in the summer whilst the Paddy Kerins EP gets produced.
10. Where can listeners find your music?
Listeners can find my music on all major streaming platforms, most notably Spotify and Apple Music.
Music Shelf With Mustard 