Hi Harry, thanks so much for agreeing to have a chat with us. First things first, how are you feeling at this very moment?

 Making the most out of a bad situation I guess, these lockdowns can be gruelling but I’ve found a great routine for being creative. I know that when this is all over we’ll be playing live a lot, so I’m making the most out of the time I’ve got for writing. 

– For those who may not have heard of you, tell us a bit about Harry Marshall and his sound.

I’m from a small country town in Australia called Springsure, where all there was to be was starry-eyed. I moved to Paris for a year, then to London, continuously writing songs. I started out in London as a full-time street performer. For nearly two years I grafted on the (more often than not) cold city streets until I met my amazing manager by chance and got my record deal. My whole musical project is centred around playing live, and luckily I have an amazing band to help with that. The sound itself is always changing from record to record but is always centred around a guitar of some sort. I write almost entirely from personal experience, because I want my music, above all else, to be honest. I want people to feel and hear what I’m trying to say and I think the best way to do that is by being honest, in whatever form that may take. 

– Was ‘Cold Outside’ based on personal experience, if so – do you find it easy to bare your soul in your music?

Yes, Cold Outside was written from personal experience. The thing is, writing from experience and releasing that into the world never seemed like such a difficult thing. I’ve always had something to say and I never really thought about whether or not people wanted to hear it. As it turns out, some people out there do want to hear it because it helps them, or makes them feel something, or feel connected as they realise someone else understands what they’re going through. I’ve always thought that when I think up lyrics that mean something to me, I should just write them down, for posterity’s sake. 

“Being in a relationship with an emotionally abusive partner can really take a lot from you. They can have a hold on you so strong that they isolate you from your friends and family – all the people who care about you the most. The dependency you develop for that person becomes so great  that you lose your idea of self, because you believe that they are all you need and all you are. When that person has had their fun playing games and eventually leaves, that dark little isolated world is gone and you are left with nothing, not even yourself. That is what ‘Cold Outside’ is to me. Isolation and loneliness, sifting through the debris of yourself after someone breaks you.”

Harry marshall on ‘cold oustide’

– Tell us what this song means to you in your own words.

Cold Outside is an emotionally abusive relationship. I don’t think the person actually realised they were doing it, but even so, it took its toll on me. The way you develop a dependence on your partner when they are isolating you from your friends and family can become so strong that even when they decide they are done with you it can be world-shattering. 

– Tell us a bit about the songwriting process behind this track?

When artists first get their deal they get thrown into a huge amount of co-writes to build up a large repertoire of songs, out of which to choose the best for release. Now I had never done any co-writes before this, and suddenly I get put into a room with Carey Willets, who is a phenomenal producer and songwriter. I was still a street performer at this point and all I could think was ‘this man is so out of my league!’. But, bless him, he managed to get me on track and brought the words out of me… eventually. We then worked for months experimenting with production style, finally ending up with the way it is today. I couldn’t be prouder of it. Thanks, Carey!

– Do you have any tips for staying creative/ inspired in these difficult times?

Exercise, reading, and literally FORCING yourself to sit down and write, no matter what or how much you end up creating.

And wine. 

– What can fans look forward to from you next?

Oh, there are so many surprises coming, I don’t want to spoil them yet but what I will say is – more music and (all permitting) a lot more shows.

– Name a track you’re really feeling right now (not any of your own)

I can’t stop listening to ‘Oh, But Lover’ by Haiva Ru and ‘Baby Steps’ by Joe Devine! 

Listen to Harry Marshall – ‘Cold Outside’

 

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