INTERVIEW: Streets of Roya — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

Streets of Roya

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THANKS to Streets of Roya…

for telling me about his new single, Sleepwalking, and what we can expect from the upcoming E.P.; whether the music has developed since the start and what Streets of Roya hopes to achieve before the end of the year – he recommends some rising artists to watch.

I ask which album is important to him and whether he gets time to chill away from music; if there are any gigs coming up and which artist he’d support on tour if he was given that opportunity – Streets of Roya chooses a song to end the gig with.

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Hi, Streets of Roya. How are you? How has your week been?

It’s going great, thanks. We've released our latest single, Sleepwalking, about a week ago and there's always something really exciting and scary about a release. Getting reviews and feedback about my songs is something I'm not used to. But it does feel great.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Streets of Roya is my (Michael) solo project that I started late-2017. I wrote and produced a bunch of songs and wanted to start something that's bigger than me. Over the last few months, I got more focused and serious about Streets of Roya. It's still a very young project but I'm super-thrilled about it. We got some great stuff coming up.

Sleepwalking is your new track. Is there a story behind it?

It's part of our debut E.P. that we will release early-2019. Sleepwalking was the last song I wrote for the E.P. There is something about the desperation and restlessness of Sleepwalking that made it a perfect first single.

I understand an E.P. is coming next year. What can you reveal about the themes and songs?

The E.P. is the first attempt to write a few songs with a concept in mind. It's been all about capturing the emotion and feeling of restlessness for me and less about a storyline - rather than just about the way the songs and sounds make you feel and where they'll take you. It is a restless and desperate E.P., both lyrically and musically.

How did Streets of Roya get together? Do you all share tastes in the same sort of music?

Streets of Roya is still a solo project at the moment. I do have musicians joining me for our live shows though and maybe they're going to be a part of future productions in the studio. We'll have to see.

Streets-of-Roya_Press2_Cristina Morena.jpg

PHOTO CREDIT: Cristina Morena

You have released a few singles already. How do you feel you’ve developed since the beginning?

There is something quite honest about releasing music a song at a time because you can't hide. With each song, you get an immediate response. And I love that. It helps to grow and develop as an artist. With Streets of Roya, everything is moving and changing as we go.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

We just played our first live shows. That's been a huge deal for me. And it's been great. I hope we play one or two more shows this year.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

I want to perform live. That's what it's all about: connecting with our audience. I hope we get to play as much as possible. The stage is still my absolute favorite place.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Last year, I had the opportunity to play a house concert for Syrian refugees in East Germany. It was touching to hear their stories about leaving Syria, the war and being separated from their families and loved ones. To perform some of my songs for them is something I won't forget.

Which one album means the most to you would you say (and why)?

I'd have to say Jeff Buckley's Grace. Everything about that record is perfect. The songs, performances and production. One of my all-time favorite albums.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

It would have to be Pink Floyd.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I think you can get lost in the whole 'making it' thing. So, I'd say just try and enjoy writing and creating. In the end that's why we do what we do. It's easy to share music nowadays. I love that.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

We don't have any shows confirmed yet. But, we do post all our tour dates on our social medias/website.