I caught up with Dublin singer songwriter Miles Graham to talk about his new EP ‘All The Right Things’. We discussed how he wrote the EP, his break in 2018 and how much he is missing gigging.
Miles Graham released his new EP ‘All The Right Things’ via Peer Music on the 10th of July.The EP was recorded in London with producer Paul Herman(Emeli Sandé, Dido, Corinne Bailey Rae), with string arrangements from the renowned Sally Herbert(Plan B, Usher, Duffy,Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine).The EP showcases his soul-baring songwriting and top-quality sound: a genre-blurring blend of retro-soul and fresh yet timeless pop.When I spoke to Graham last, he expressed he was nervous for the release and having the EP out there now is still quite a scary thing.
“ yeah it’s still terrifying, since the last time I was talking to you nothing has changed. I’m excited about it. When you release music it can take a while for things to pick up, nothing happens overnight. It’s really busy at the moment with promo and there’s not a lot we can do gigs-wise so I’m still missing that dynamic of going out and getting energy from gigs and connecting with people, so it’s a weird balance. It’s like you’re stood still but kind of promoting this body of work but you’re not getting that energy back at you from the crowd which is a bit strange.It’s just missing something but I think we are all missing something no matter what you are up to theses days.
It’s all very surreal especially in the music industry and in the entertainment industry and any entertainment that gathers crowds it’s just all uncertain.For single people who are meeting up, how does that work now?. It’s just creating a bit of distrust with people and you don’t know their background and where they are coming from or whether they have covid 19 or not and they probably don’t even know themselves. I don’t like the way it creates that distance. Before, people greeted each other with a hug whereas we came from you know a good few years ago it was just a hand shake. You know you’d have no more than a hand shake now and that will be that and then we became more friendly with a hug and we have gone from that to no, you can’t do that.“
‘All The Right Things’ is a soulful EP with deep grooves, intricate soundscapes and mellow guitar lines. Each track warrants its own space on the EP and has a special timeless quality. It’s difficult to pick a favourite and Graham is proud of them all but Sunbeam, the intricately textured and heart-melting tribute to his daughter is a special track for him.
“ I’m proud of all the tracks on it. It’s very hard to pick one. It’s like if you have young kids you can’t pick your favourite one, they are just all the same, but I suppose I love the groove in ‘Sunbeam’, I love the vibe in ‘Sunbeam’ and there is a nice dynamic there. It has some surprises in it with the vocal dynamic and the guitar solo and stuff. I just love the vibe and the change in melodies as the song progresses, but that’s just me being a music nerd, but then again the single ‘Give It Up Now’ I love the strings that Sally Herbert arranged and I just loved the intimacy of it. I love ballads that reach out to people as well in a different way. But yeah I vibe off ‘Sunbeam’.
When I wrote Sunbeam it was just a moment I had. I was going through a tough time in the form of a break up and my daughter, she was like my sunshine, my sunbeam and helped keep me positive and I just had a moment, I can visualise it now. My daughter hugged me in my living room and there was that Sunday morning sun just coming in the window and the curtains were barely open and you know that kind of dust that settles in the air and that sunbeam through the curtains. It was just a beautiful moment. I suppose the whole kind of vibe in that song is in the verses basically just saying that everything is going to be ok as long as we have that sunshine in our lives. She’s a twin to my son and now he’s a bit jealous. He wants me to write a song about him so I’ll have to get working on that.”
The EP as a whole flows smoothly and is perfect for relaxing to. This wasn’t Graham’s intention but just what appears to happen when he writes
“ I’ve been into that vibe. I’m not sure whether it’s my voice or not, maybe it is. I actually just got an email from a label I was working with in Australia, a dance label and they said we’d love that smooth vibe on this track and I was thinking does everyone just want to fall asleep to my music or what’s the story? It’s all the laid back type of vibe but I think there is a lot of soul in it. When I say soul I mean from the heart. Especially in the EP there is more of a connection, but no I don’t aim to be that way I think that’s probably the way I am.”
The arrangements throughout the EP are simply outstanding; Graham delicately blends bubbling rhythms with subtle explosions of melodic counterpoints to create a cohesive and charming body of work. Graham likes to be precise with his production but still manages to capture emotion within his tracks.
“Thanks very much, that’s a lovely description. I’m not sure whether it was purposely done but I do focus a lot on the dynamic within a song. From its first lyric to bringing people on a journey and in the production of a song and the lyrics and melody.I do focus on that journey and I’m conscious of that when I write, that the first line has to get people interested. It’s like writing a novel or a book, I am conscious of that and also the build up in the production.I would be quite finicky with that kind of stuff you know it has to have the right dynamic and have the feeling and accomplish the hairs on the back of the neck moment. For me that’s what music is about.”
Graham took time out to focus on family in 2018 – which was a brave decision. When you get into something like the music industry it’s easy to develop a mindset that makes you want to keep reminding people you are there for fear of them losing interest.I wondered if he was worried about this when he made his decision to take a break.
“No I didn’t worry about that.It was just something I had to do at the time and I had the right reasons obviously. I had a young family and that’s my priority and music is always second to that.Family is first.That was always the case even when I started out on my music career. I work really hard even when the kids were really young, you know changing nappies at two in the morning and sending emails at three for the next day and that’s just how it works.
It is a different thing when you have a young family and are trying to work a music career. I remember the late Terry Wogan saying that to me. I had some success in the UK in 2015 and he said Miles that’s a tough challenge and I wish you all the best with it. He knew that I had a young family and at the time I thought ‘ah he’s a nice man saying that’ but it was the years that followed that made me realise that he was very right. For me it’s worked. If you’re out touring, if you’re hugely successful and you’re out touring for months it’s different.Whereas I was going out and I was doing, like I did a tour in the UK and it was 2 weeks and I played loads of lovely venues and then I was back home again and that was fine.In 2018 it all just built up to a certain point and I went through a relationship breakup and I just had to re-focus. It’s a huge change in anybody’s life so I just needed time to re-calibrate myself and focus on family.
So I wasn’t worried about what the industry was doing, that didn’t come into my head.It was just focus on the family and then I started writing again after a few months just as therapy and I’ve learnt a lot about myself as well and how music is apart of me no matter what. Even if I don’t release music. I mean I probably have about 3 or 4 albums worth of songs that haven’t been released, that I hope to release someday but I don’t see the point unless there is a reason to put music out. I’m happy to be putting music out now. It feels right.”
Graham’s latest track ‘Don’t Change’ resulted in him performing the single live on BBC Radio 5 and a stunning version of Dido’s Thank You, and picking up further airplay from BBC Introducing.I wondered is all that support a comforting confirmation he was doing something right with his tunes
“ Totally consider myself very fortunate to get any airplay or backing from radio play from Laura Whitmore or people that like the music but it’s a really difficult business.It doesn’t come easy. It comes from hard work.Those radio plays they come from hard work from promoting and even creating the music from scratch. There is so much good music out there as well and even with lockdown, you mentioned BBC Introducing I think had like thirty or forty thousand songs uploaded to their system within lockdown and their policy is they listen to everything and perhaps they might get played on local BBC radio or whatever so you can imagine the influx of that they are getting as well so to get any plays amongst the bunches is definitely great. It is a little bit luck of the draw as well you know. No matter how good you are there is that element of luck there. You always hear musicians saying you know I consider myself very lucky but I know for a fact they work really hard.”
Graham’s plans for the rest of the year are unsure however there is a gig that will hopefully go ahead and some surprises to keep an eye out for.
“EP is out I want to promote it as best I can. There have been really positive vibes back about it so far. It’s hard to plan really but I have one gig booked in London for the 19th November and fingers crossed that will go ahead.It would be great to get out and gig the songs live.Thats the best way to experience them I think.It’s a different experience for people to come and see me live with the band and I’d love to give people that experience.For one thing I’m really tall. I’m like six foot four so that would be the first thing ‘oh he’s really tall’. I love performing so hopeful a few gigs will come about.There are things happening in the background with the music that you might hear very soon.That I just can’t say at the moment.I’m also shooting a music video this weekend in Dublin for the single ‘Give It Up Now’. We are shooting it around Merrion Square so that should be good. “
Miles Graham’s new EP ‘All The Right Things’ is a timeless collection of tracks. His delicate and emotive vocals, lush harmonies and raw tender moments build in to the tracks groove infested underbelly making each song an engaging and spell-binding listening experience. He is a rare talent and the EP is a must listen.
Stream ‘All The Right Things’ below
Author : Danu
