INTRODUCING YORK BASED SONGWRITER/CLUMSY PERSON SAMUEL GRIFFITHS....
Samuel Griffiths is a York based bumbling, songwriting troubadour who regularly bumps into things, we met up with him in the York Hospital, you know, the one on Wigginton Road, he had just admitted himself after bumping into a lamppost whilst listening to some vintage Dylan on his generic mp3 music player.....whilst he was waiting for his number to come up, we asked him some questions.
Please introduce yourself and your music in one sentence....
Singing storyteller trying to work things out
Give us three words that best describe you?
Troubadour, songwriter, bumbler
Write a poem/quick song containing the words ‘Wine’, ‘Nandos’, ‘iPhones’ and ‘Dyson’….
Nandos is the most underrated example of commercialism today,
Because chicken is delicious, and so is wine,
iPhones, Dyson.
We’re loving your cover of ‘Heart of Glass’ by Blondie, which Blondie classic would you like to duet with Ms Harry?
Anything that she would stay for.
In your opinion, what is the BEST album/record ever released?
Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
What classic song would you have liked to have recorded and why?
Yesterday – The Beatles. I would be so so rich. But also it was probably the first song I decided I was my favourite (5 years old)
First gig you ever went to? (mine was Gary Glitter so please be honest!!)
Red Hot Chili Peppers in Ipswich, I wore a t-shirt with flames on
You refer to yourself as a ‘York-based singing man who bumps into things’, explain?
Originally from Essex, I moved to York and stayed here because the acoustic scene here is incredible, and I happen to bump into various things, maybe people can relate to that?
Give us your 3 top tips for surviving a music festival….
1. Don’t get so drunk you miss your favourite band
2. You can sleep after the festival
3. Try to wash, please
First guitar riff you heard that sent chills down your spine?
Southern Man – Neil Young. That solo.
Give me a fascinating fact about you?
Erm. I was born on 11th September, my sister 7th July, and my dad the day before Bonfire Night so all-in-all we’ve quite a morbid coincidence running through our birthdays.
There are tons of great bands out there at the moment, name one that you would encourage our readers to go check out?
Dingus Khan
How has social media assisted you and your music?
People from all over the world have got in touch and / or listened to my music and complimented me on it...that to me is the aim for a musician.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given and who was it from?
“Confidence is key” – an epiphany fox
Name three people (alive, dead or fictional) that you would like as dinner party guests?
I’ll take one from each. Stewart Lee, George Harrison and Hobbes the tiger
Who are you influences?
Bob Dylan, The Mountain Goats, Clem Snide, Paul Auster (the author, he’s brilliant) and I’m really liking Randy Newman and Loudon Wainwright III at the moment.
You recently supported French For Rabbits and Red Trees at The Basement in York, how was the show?
Fantastic. If you ever get the chance to come to York, go to The Basement, you’ll see a brilliant act most nights, and those two were no exception.
If you could describe your music in the form of a fictional character, who would it be?
Charlie Brown
Do you think we can ever live in a world where a chicken can cross the road without having its motives questioned?
I think that depends on how threatening the chicken could look, if we get more threatening-looking chickens as evolution continues then fewer and fewer people would be so intent on asking the poor bird what it’s doing
You’ve had your music played on Tom Robinson’s 6music show, how did that make you feel?
Amazing, as he is a thoroughly inspirational figure and critic on the music scene, and that publicity and attention was brilliant and helpful.
What are your plans for the remainder of 2014?
Writing, recording, gigging lots. Just about to finish my degree, so when that’s handed in then I’m in the real world – but as a musician, that’s a very different world to the one I hear lots of other people live in. Weird.
There was a commotion at the A&E front desk, someone had just been rushed in with a Dyson hoover hose attached to their 'man bits', whilst the doctors were frantically trying to remove his swollen 'bits' from it, I asked Samuel some quick fire questions to lighten the mood!
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Coke or Pepsi? Coke
Drum machine or the real deal? Real deal
Mac or PC? PC
Taco or Burger? Burger
Lemmy (Motorhead) or Ozzy (Black Sabbath)? Ozzy
CD or Vinyl? Vinyl
The Rolling Stones or The Beatles? The Beatles
Car or Motorbike? Car
Camping or ‘Glamping’? Camping
Acoustic or electric? Acoustic
Brad or George? Brad
Shower or Bath? Bath
Tattoos or Piercings? Tattoos
Robert de Niro or Al Pacino? Robert de Niro
God or Google? Google
SOCIAL MEDIA
www.facebook.com/samuelgriffithsmusic
www.soundcloud.com/samuelgriffithsmusic
We would like to thank Samuel for taking time out to run through our questions, we look forward to hosting more newsworthy information as and when we receive it and we wish Samuel all the very best for the future.
Interview by Steve Muscutt