Q&A - RKIDD

RKidd is multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, with engineering & production experience. He composes & arranges his own material & has recently released his latest album R Dreams, inspired by a combination of personal circumstances, soul searching and current affairs.

We interviewed RKidd as our Artist of the Week. Read our Q&A down below.

Where did the name RKidd  come from ?

The name came from me visiting my dying Dad in hospital in Liverpool. His elder brother my uncle arrived not long after me and the first thing he said was “You all right, our kid?” I hadn't heard him say that in years and it struck a chord for me in the emotion of that moment. So my moniker RKidd is a nod to my Liverpool connection from my childhood roots, which I'm proud of - having left Liverpool for Scotland as a kid. I changed the spelling to R Kidd and that's the back story on the name.

 What was the first instrument you started learning? When did you get into music?

My first instrument was the guitar.  I was really digging The Clash and fancied being like Mick Jones and Joe Strummer! Then I discovered The Velvet Underground and totally wanted a piece of that action. As the years rolled by I got into the songwriter scene of Greenwich Village and felt this is where I wanted to be! Tim Hardin, Fred Neil, Phil Ochs, Tim Buckley, Van Morrison, Tom Waits were big influences, but I also loved The Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, Beach boys, Beatles, so much good stuff to mention - you get the idea though!

I started to play piano too because I loved the idea of being able to play more than one instrument and knew it would let me approach music from a different angle. I love playing guitar and piano as my main instruments.

Tell us more about your background in music ...

I got my first deal with Marina records in Hamburg in the 1990s as the writer producer of a trip hop band called Mindstore.  We recorded the demo in my Glasgow flat then had 15 days at Riverside studios in Busby, working with Johnny and Duncan Cameron. It was a great experience!  We then went to London to master it with Mandy Parnell at the Exchange - a big honour as she had just mastered the Fugees album 'The Score.' Mandy was awesome, the album sounded great!  We also got to shoot a mega video for MTV which was a big deal in those days, before the digital era!

Your recent album release 'R-Dreams' is out now. Can you tell us more about this project and the team behind it?

My next single is called ‘Things in Common’ and is out on the 6/10/23 via Bandcamp . It was recorded and mixed by DIGITALSUMO at SVS Sound (Southside Vintage Studios) in Glasgow.  SVS has so much vintage gear it's crazy. Hammond C3 from 1958, Fender Rhodes from 1970, Wurlitzer 200a from 1978, great guitars, amps, mics, plus a very rare AKG bx20 E spring reverb that has been used on some mega songs from the past (I think it's the only one in Scotland) and sounds great on vocals, drums, guitars and strings, piano etc when you add it, it's just a classic depth and richness at the touch of the fader...awesome loveliness!   Shout out to SVS for adding so much depth and richness to the tracks with all the vintage toys!

Drums got tracked separately with Linzi Miller in Paisley, using SVS 's mobile pre-amp rig and mics to capture a fuller drum sound.

 What advice would you give to others like you starting out in their career?

Best advice I would give is to practise as often as possible, don't rely on gawping at phones or tablets to read the lyrics of cover songs, write your own stuff as soon as possible, and throw all your creative energy into that.  

Get out and play often, settle your nerves, grow in confidence and keep going to follow your creative dreams. It's really competitive these days, so you have to work twice as hard to reach your goals and turn dreams into reality.

I’m not a natural businessman but I’ve learned the importance of understanding every aspect of the business side of things - where your revenue streams are, what your rights are, what contracts are needed etc. Cover yourself with knowledge!  PRS and Musicians Union are very helpful!

What’s coming up for the rest of the year?  When can we catch you playing live next and where can we find your music?

I’ve already played Belladrum and Prestfest this year and have another few festivals coming up including Little Biggar Festival. I'm off to Europe soon, playing gigs in Germany, Belgium and France.  I’m currently organizing another short tour later in the year, with dates in Sweden and Norway.

Locally, I’m playing various events and small gigs in Perth, Edinburgh and collaborating with Cincinnati’s Nicholas Johnston for a couple of events in Glasgow - Oct 17th at 18 Candleriggs and Oct 18th at Vinyl Bar.  I’m also playing at Edinburgh’s ‘Arte in Europa’, a creative arts festival, on Nov 18th. 

I love to be busy playing music so am constantly looking for opportunities!

My latest single “Things in Common’ is out on October 6th (Bandcamp Friday) - it and more is available for download on all the usual socials (links below).  CDs also available - message me on FB or Insta for details!

Look out for RKidd’s new single “Things in Common” which releases on the 6th of October!

Connect with RKidd here

Q&A - JusHarry

Scotland's rising talent JusHarry has created a storm with his captivating ability to tell stories through his music. A self-taught rapper-songwriter who has swiftly risen, drawing listeners in with his soulful storytelling and emotionally charged narrative with influences from Hip-Hop, rap, and R&B.

Who are your favourite artists?

I would have to say that Chlobocop Triple01’s, Joel, Sean Focus, Bemz, ID, KPence, PSweatpants, Mayo, AJForty and Chef are my favourites. There is a lot of talent in Scotland, it's only a matter of time before we are heard. 

Do you have a mentor or coach that has helped you?

I’ve been working very closely with K4CIE and Lude at 644 Studios for almost a year. They have helped me tremendously with crafting my sound and helping steer my ideas into a more solidified target which I feel we are reaching more and more as time goes on. We are constantly working on ideas and focusing on the main goal for next year. It's been a huge learning curve for me, I've been enjoying every moment of it. 

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m just working on writing new music all the time, we've been planning some big things to come on the horizon, but at the moment it’s just piecing everything together and working towards a bigger goal for next year. The main aim at the moment is perfecting my sound, releasing singles and seeing what sticks with the audience. We have been starting to work with the industry down in London and it's been quite exciting to hear that they are liking what I'm creating, so just focusing on more of that. Hopefully some exciting news soon. 

What is the biggest challenge for you as a hip hop artist in Scotland?

It can be challenging being a Scottish artist, sometimes I feel we are shadowed by the market in England and don’t get as much time of day that some really talented artists up here should get. We have a different culture up here and I feel it will just take time for the rest of the industry to adjust to what we bring to the table.

It's slowly starting to shift, like I said before, It's only a matter of time before one person in the scene blows and then the rest will follow. 

What can we expect from JusHarry in the future?

You can expect a lot from me in the future, I’m working everyday at pushing myself to be consistent, as well as challenging what I can do in the studio with K4CIE and Lude. This has been a great year for me within Scotland but I think next year will top this by a crazy amount. There is a lot to look forward to, I'm excited to see what happens next. 

Listen to JusHarry down below & his latest track with K4CIE