INTERVIEW: dMh talks influences and inspirations alongside his new covers LP ‘Songs From The North’
With a fond appreciation for the music of Joy Division, The Human League and Oasis, emerging artist dMh recently looked to make his heroes proud with the release of his captivating covers LP ‘Songs From The North’.
Featuring reworked renditions of notable entries from artists in the northern quarter of the British Isles, ‘Songs From The North’ is a vibrant love letter to those true icons of yesteryear. So we caught up with him to find out more about his influences and inspirations that brought this release to life.
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What was the first rock song or artist that made an impact on you?
Bowie. Life On Mars, first single I bought.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences within the rock genre?
Bowie, Stranglers, Led Zep, Beatles, Steely Dan, Prince, pre ’75 Genesis, Kraftwerk.
Are there any non-rock musicians or genres that have also influenced your music?
20th Century classical (Bartok, Stravinsky, Vaughan Williams, minimalism), Jazz (Blue Note etc.)
What is your main inspiration when looking to write new music?
Elusive search for the tune that will lead to global mega fame and disgustingly large amounts of cash 🙂 Any day now, surely!
What do you enjoy most about performing live and do you have any memorable live performance experiences you’d like to share?
Don’t perform live with my music. In a previous life as an actor however, in a production of a musical play based on Spike Milligan’s WW2 escapades, I was required to appear naked every night for a year, my ‘modesty’ only being covered by my guitar, and revealing my bare butt to a lucky crowd as I turned to exit.
What has been a particularly rewarding moment in your musical journey so far?
Jarvis Cocker playing my version of Totally Wired on his BBC 6Music show.
How would you define success as a musician?
Global mega fame and disgustingly large amounts of cash! But seriously, if you could earn enough to live reasonably comfortably on without compromising your integrity, that would suffice. But as long as I’m still enjoying doing it, that’s a success.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?
Music can become very obsessive and all consuming, be careful not to forsake the rest of your life for it.
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Listen to dMh’s new LP ‘Songs From The North’ below.