Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Owen Denvir has unveiled his signature sound.
Taking influence from artists from Sufjan Stevens to The Smiths, Owen was selected for the Scratch My Progress talent development scheme allowing him to secure funding for recording.
With the release of his new single ‘Green Light’, we caught up with Owen Denvir to find out more about his musical journey.
Can you tell us how you first got into music?
I started playing violin in orchestras when I was young and always figured that’s what I’d stick with, because I loved the buzz from live performance. I don’t have a great attention span though. The discipline required for professional orchestras didn’t really fit my personality. Even now, I still get distracted experimenting with creating weird sounds from instruments, rather than practicing scales like a good player should. The artists I grew up listening to didn’t restrict themselves to the boundaries of what’s expected of them, like how Radiohead released electronic albums like ‘Kid A’ after achieving critical acclaim being recognised as a rock band. I like to explore how I can develop my sound as well, which lends itself well to the music I make and gigs I play.
Which artists are you most influenced by?
I mentioned Radiohead who I still really enjoy, especially with Jonny Greenwood’s lovely/creepy string arrangement on their recent single ‘Burn The Witch’. Solo artists that have influenced my music most would be Bon Iver, Ryan Adams, Fionn Regan, Damien Rice, Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake, Sufjan Stevens but I also love bands like Bell X1, The Strokes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smiths, Sigur Ros and The Beatles. Recently I’ve been following acts like Hozier, Ezra Furman and Tame Impala who are at the top of their game at the minute creating something really unique.
How did you become involved in the Scratch My Progress talent scheme and can you tell us more about this process?
The Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast runs this scheme for four acts each year. You submit demos with an introduction about yourself and your musical background then you have an interview/chat with them to help them make their selection. It’s a fantastic and rare help for penniless artists to benefit from a free photo shoot from a Getty Images photographer and funding for a studio recording. This led to my new single ‘Green Light’, recorded with Declan Legge (who has previously worked with Soak, Ciaran Lavery and Duke Special). I can’t thank the Oh Yeah Centre enough for their help. They also organised talks with representatives in the industry like PRS, Belfast label Smalltown America, PledgeMusic and Snow Patrol’s accountant (which was a lot more exciting than it sounds!).
For those who haven’t heard your music, how would you describe your ‘sound’?
The core of my songwriting is storytelling. I’ve always shied away from co-writing because I don’t want to convolute how I depict something that’s concerned me or inspired me enough to write about it. I prefer to worry about the consequences later, like while performing the song live, but my sound is mainly acoustic-based, stripped back with violas, and deliberately sparse. I mess around with lots of ideas in my home studio exploring larger instrumentation, but I try to keep strong songwriting at the heart for performing solo, if possible.
In terms of a live set, what can we expect from your gigs?
I perform solo with an acoustic guitar, a loop & harmony pedal, viola, occasionally piano (wherever one can be sourced), and some acapella too. I’ve developed some of my online following from mash-up cover videos I’ve made, so I drop in some familiar tunes with my own material where I can fit them.
Do you have any plans for UK dates this summer?
I’ll be warming up for Jessarae in the Oh Yeah Centre (Belfast) on 27th July. I’ll also be playing Stendhal Festival (Limivady) on 13th August, Social Sounds Festival (Belfast) on 8th September, and The Old England Pub (Bath) on 16th September. Outside the UK, I’ll be playing the Workman’s Club in Dublin on 21st July.
If you could join the line-up of any UK festival, which would it be and why?
Glastonbury, because it’s the daddy of all festivals. I love going to gigs so anywhere I’ll be likely to find great new bands and artists the better. Having said that, one of my favourite shows last year was playing Ramsbottom Festival near Manchester. It’s not a huge festival, but the crowd were so responsive and I stumbled across lots of great artists who came to play there purely because of its reputation. Size doesn’t necessarily matter I guess…
What do you have planned for the rest of 2016?
I’ve been working on lots of new songs and videos in my home studio – mostly original material, made in the triptych “3-in-1” style I’ve had success with in my Facebook cover videos (viola, 2 guitars & 3 part harmonies). One of these ideas involves a collaboration with the very talented Hannah McPhillimy, who I’m excited to be recording and performing with again later this year. The immediate future involves singles, videos, gigging and leading towards an album further down the line.
Anything else you wish to add?
You can check out the brand music video to my new single ‘Green Light’ on my YouTube channel and the track is also available on iTunes, Spotify and all other musical platforms you can think of! Also, keep an eye out for more “3-in1” videos I have coming in the future, I have lots more ideas to share.