Harrison is a jack of all trades, master of many. Not only is he a talented DJ and producer, but he is also a songwriter and vocalist, making him stand out as an unique artist.
He made his breakthrough on a track called ‘Ain’t A Party’ with David Guetta, which opened up a platform for a plethora of incredible collaborations with the likes of Hardwell, Steve Aoki, Dannic, and Laidback Luke, to name but a few.
Having focused on EDM sounds in the past, 2017 sees Harrison become even more versatile as an artist as he prepares to tackle different genres. His new track, ‘Monsters’, will be dropping soon and we can’t wait to hear what he has in store for us.
We recently had the opportunity to ask Harrison some questions about his music, the progression in his music, his highlights so far and more.
First off, can you tell us about how you first got into the music industry, and is music something you’ve always wanted to do career-wise?
My granddad and my dad were always into music and loved singing so they have always encouraged me to pursue music, that’s where it initially started. But the career started with sending emails to as many people in the industry as I could, and then hoping that someone would take the bait and listen to my tracks, and that is when I got in touch with Clyde (or also known as Chuckie). It was always a sort of distant dream, but I never gave up and as it started to process and get bigger I knew that it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Who were your early passions and influences?
Frank Sinatra and Eminem.
You’re a vocalist, writer, producer and DJ. Can you talk us through your creative process when creating a new song?
Yes, so when creating a track the inspiration does not happen between 9-5 Monday through Friday, haha! It can happen at any time on any day and that’s crucial because it’s so easy to go sit in the studio all day and have writers block or no inspiration. So, it’s a 24/7 job. The backing track and elements normally come first, and then the song writing and the vocals.
You’ve got a new track called ‘Monsters’ which is due to drop this month. What can you tell us about it?
This track is cool, it is one of my favourites at the moment and it’s got a very different but cool sound, I’m really excited to drop this for all of you to hear!
Your sound is evolving from your typical EDM sound to a ‘poppier’ sound as such. Was this a conscious decision or a natural progression in your music?
A bit of both, I kind of fell into the dance industry but always loved more of the pop scene. Don’t get me wrong, it has been a great opportunity and taught me so much about the industry, but it’s slightly dying out now and times are moving on from this sound. Music is very much what is trending in the moment and so it’s adapting to the industry is important but also the pop sound is very relevant and does not die out as fast as the EDM industry for example.
How would you say that growing up in the UK has influenced you musically?
Within the UK I have heard many sounds such as Craig David’s sound, but I have always been quite open to music outside the UK, but mainly on the radio here in the UK, it’s a lot of English rap and softer sounds.
You’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some of the industry’s biggest names such as Hardwell and David Guetta. Who’s been your favourite to work with and why?
I loved working with most of them, but working with Hardwell later on was a bit more in-depth as we performed it a couple of times on stage together and did RTL late night in Holland, as well as gained a very strong friendship with the whole team.
You’ve also had the opportunity to perform across the globe. Which gigs would you consider your biggest highlights so far?
I love playing my hometown at Ministry of Sound in London, always an INSANE crowd. But my biggest highlight on a more global scale would have to be India and South Africa both were insane and such a cool experience, it’s very interesting to understand how different crowds and fans react all over the world.
What are the biggest changes/challenges that you’ve faced in the industry?
Changing style has become quite a big challenge and taking some time, but mostly not being a feature but releasing a solo Harrison track is taking a bit of time but has to be done properly and that’s why I have not had any releases really as I am waiting to get the right release as Harrison (without a feature).
Thank you for having me!