Rachel Dempster
Harry Gardner’s audition for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ has received over six million views to date. He performed an original and emotional track, titled ‘Not Alone’ – dedicated to his Nan, who unfortunately was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s several years ago. Following his audition, he went on to become a semi-finalist on the show, covering Ed Sheeran’s ‘Supermarket Flowers.’
He is currently supporting Emily Middlemas on her ‘Memory Lane Tour’ around the UK and Ireland. Prior to his performance in Belfast, CelebMix had the opportunity to talk to Harry about his time on the show, his motivation for getting into music, his musical influences and more. Check out our interview below!
You are currently supporting Emily Middlemas on her ‘Memory Lane Tour’ – how has that been for you so far?
‘It’s been so much fun. I’ve got to go round and see loads of different places in the UK and meet loads of people. It’s been a really fun experience.’
What is your favourite aspect of being on tour?
‘I really like going round and seeing the sights, but I also really like the people you meet. I don’t know – every aspect of it, but I really like meeting different people and finding out so much about the music industry as a whole. I feel like I’ve learned a lot as well – a lot of confidence and performance skills. It’s been nice seeing the country, but probably the main part I’ve enjoyed is just learning.’
Going back to your time on ‘Britain’s Got Talent,’ how would you say the show has changed your life?
‘I never really saw music as an option; I just saw it as a hobby. I never saw it as an option for a career path. ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ definitely helped me in the sense that it opened a lot of doors and got me in touch with a lot of people and it made me a lot more passionate and inspired to keep on writing music. It’s made me more determined to make something of it.’
Being able to perform in front of the Judges and millions of people, can you even describe how that feels?
‘It felt like I wasn’t there. I remember that when I walked out on stage for the first time, I knew the song so well, I knew what I had to do. But I went out on stage and I almost switched off. I went into auto-pilot. It seemed like it wasn’t real. The whole experience seemed like it wasn’t real, but it was the best thing I’ve ever done. It was very nerve-wracking, but I loved it.’
Would you still get nervous performing now?
‘Sometimes. It depends on usually the size and the venue. Once I’m on stage, I feel like the nerves just go away. Once I’ve started, I just feel so comfortable.’
Do you have any musical influences?
‘It’s a bit cliché, but obviously Ed Sheeran. I think he has just paved the way for all singer-songwriters. I really like Tom Odell, Mumford and Sons – I think they’re a really cool band. I also like Jake Bugg. I think they all bring different elements of songwriting. They are just really cool influences. I quite like upbeat stuff as well. All my friends are into grime and stuff like that. That’s rubbed off on me in the sense that I like listening to upbeat stuff. I think a lot of writers have got a lot of influences, but singer-songwriters are the main ones.’
Was there any particular reason you became involved in music?
‘From a young age, I started playing piano and doing Performing Arts. With Performing Arts, that’s where the singing came in – I didn’t have any musical family members. I just made friends who were musical, and I got in touch with everybody. It just really inspired me to do it as a hobby. Since I was about eight, then I started writing songs all the time, because I felt like it came with it. It was a way to express myself and it just stuck ever since. I’ve done it from a young age and it’s always been a hobby.’
How does it make you feel to know that your music has such an incredible effect on people?
‘Very good because at first, when I wrote ‘Not Alone,’ that was the first time I had ever posted a song anywhere. I was always a bit shy – I shyed away all the time. I didn’t even intend it to do anything. The whole intention was I had just written this song for my Nan and then I played it to my Mum and she was like ‘oh, let’s record it in a studio’ and then we did a music video, just to put on Facebook for my Mum and some friends. Then, it blew up and I went on ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’ It all happened out of nowhere and it really inspired me.’
What else can we expect from you in the coming months?
‘I have been working on my EP, which is the first EP I’ve ever done. I’m excited to see how that goes. I feel like it’s going to have a lot of variety, but it’s also going to be very me. I think I’m going to release that over time – I don’t think I’m going to boost it all in one go. I think I’ll probably release a song over a couple of weeks, so I’m not just there and gone. I want to be a bit more constant. People can expect new music.’
Is there anything, in particular, you would like to achieve?
‘I would like to write a song for another person – a band or something. I’d like to maybe perform at a festival, headline something. It doesn’t have to be massive, I’m not thinking about big time yet. I just want to try and make something out of music, and turn it from a hobby into more of a lifestyle.’
Do you have a message for your fans?
‘Thank you so much for supporting me. I know how many people are out there, it’s a very competitive industry and I’m not really in it for competition. I’m in it to enjoy what I’m doing and I just appreciate everyone who enjoys my music or supports it. A massive thank you to everyone.’
You can buy tickets to see Harry supporting Emily Middlemas on her ‘Memory Lane Tour’ by clicking here.
If you aren’t already, make sure you are following Harry on his official Twitter account.
Are you as excited as we are here at CelebMix to hear more original music from Harry Gardner? Make sure you tweet us and let us know: @CelebMix.
