On 15 July 2019, Feryl dropped a remix of his album track “Solemn Light” which turned it into an upbeat dance track. It was remixed by Jojo F and it marks Feryl’s official first release of this year as well as marks the end of his Release album era.
Feryl was born in Middlesex but spent most of his childhood in Hampshire and currently still records in the area. He’s been focusing on his music career since 2012 and was mentored by Roy Perestrelo which led him to release his debut album “The Next Level”, which also won an award for Best Funk Album in 2015 from The Akademia. He’s been building his career since, having shared stages all over the world, with the likes of Cascada and Alexandra Burke. He has established himself as an LGBT+ artist and has performed at many pride festivals. His new releases have been independently released, allowing him to have creative control over his music, and his recent album, Release, just proves how incredibly talented he truly is.
In our review of the Release album, we said: “Feryl really launches in deep with his lyrics, taking personal experiences and creating a brilliant song around them. His vocals are great throughout suggesting the future is bright for him.”
We managed to interview Feryl about his new remix release of “Solemn Light”, last year’s album titled Release, and his future plans.
Hi Feryl, we hope you are doing well today, how has your week been?
Hi Jonathan/CelebMix, thanks for asking, I’m doing great. Promo for the latest single has been going brilliant, it’s already been played on the radio and as well as doing interviews. I’ve also been promoting it with some live performances too, so I can’t complain!
You recently released a dance mix to your song “Solemn Light”, what’s the story behind the song?
My sister sadly lost her husband a couple of years ago. It was so sudden and out of the blue, it was really hard for her to see light at the end of the tunnel. I felt completely useless as to how to help, so I wrote “Solemn Light” as a mantra for her to find the voice inside herself. I think listeners have been able to adopt it as their own war cry and I’m so glad it’s so universally appealing.
The remix was produced by Jojo F. How did the remix come about?
Jojo F and I have been recording together since 2012 and it’s the most natural collaboration. The original version of the song features on my last EP, “RELEASE” and to mark the end of that incredible era I wanted to sign off on a massive high, before dedicating time to the new material.
The song release is to celebrate pride, how does this song relate to the LGBTQ+ community?
As an LGBT+ artist that lives with ‘low mood’, I feel it’s important to act as a positive role model for the younger generation and be real about how we all feel lost and alone sometimes. The song is for everybody but I hope that LGBT+ kids can take solace in the knowledge that they aren’t the only ones to feel alone and the strength they need has been within them all along.
What does pride mean to you?
Pride to me is about celebrating our differences, educating ourselves on where we have come from and where we are heading. There has never been a better time for ‘us’ but there’s still a lot of work to do as seen by the attacks on our community across the world and, more recently, in the UK!
How would you describe the difference between the original track and the remix version?
The original track was more sombre, more reflective of how I felt when the song was written. The remix marks a change in how I have grown – I feel stronger for facing the darkness and for helping to bring people out of it. This is the song you should listen to when you’re getting ready to go out, when you need some positive vibes. The remix is to mark celebrating life, rather than commentating death!
The remix is your first release of 2019, what have you up to over the last six months?
These past six months have seen me working with live musicians for performances, writing a whole host of music for different genres (from stuff that would fit well with Kylie [Minogue], Green Day, Muse, and even The Killers), hours and hours of promotion… I do everything independently so it’s a one-man well-oiled machine but I do plan to put together a band this year.
The original track can be found on your 2018 album release, titled “RELEASE”. How did it feel to release this album?
“RELEASE” was all about facing the ugly things in life, understanding that nothing is ever black or white, light or dark but sometimes beautiful things can be born somewhere in between. The album sings about living with depression, heartache, standing up to people who bring you down, and understanding that from horrific endings can come beautiful beginning.
Which track is your favourite from the album and why?
“King of Everything” is actually my secret favourite. The reason I say that is because it’s very, very difficult to sing live alone, so I’m unlikely to ever perform it unless I put a band together. It’s a true story of falling in love, getting hurt and then using words to bring that ba***rd down! It’s very empowering and it’s tropical funk so that’s enough to make everyone feel good.
How does this album differ from your debut album “The Next Level” which was released in 2016?
The truth is, “The Next Level” was written by a pop consumer who wanted to make pop music. There are a couple of more serious songs on the album (“Better Days” and “1OfUs”) but for the most part, I was young and writing what I thought was expected of me at that time. Since then I’ve grown, I write from the heart. My life experiences and my studies on the craft of writing has opened up a whole Pandora’s Box of genres and subjects. I’m sure in a couple of years my writing would have grown exponentially we can chat about that then, haha.
What else can we expect from you for the rest of 2019, is there another album in the works?
The rest of this year sees me taking part in SoMusicCity’s Networking Events every month, gigging with the Buskin’ Band, recording some of my best material and hopefully auditioning some incredible musicians to take the world by storm with a group project.
Where do you draw inspiration from and who do you look up to in the music industry?
Originally my songs would come to me from life experiences but the more I study, the more fantastical I want my creations to be. Freddie Mercury and David Bowie are two of my favourites, for their content, pushing boundaries, their creativity and making the listener question what the songs are about. They make us all look at the world with new eyes. I’m also a huge fan of Kylie Minogue.
What do you hope to achieve in the next few years?
More than anything, I’d like to be recognised as a singer, but also a credible artist and songwriter. I have written songs that I love but would be perfect for other artists.
You have performed all over, what has been your favourite place to perform at and why?
I have performed all over Europe and the UK but my two favourite places so far are Luxembourg because it was so incredibly beautiful and the people were so welcoming, and Sweden. I was in Stockholm the year Loreen won Eurovision and I performed at a venue in the run-up to the results… the crowd were ELECTRIC. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
And, finally, do you have a message to the people who have been listening to your music?
I am forever thankful to the people who support my mission and I do tell them regularly. From the bottom of my heart, I want you to know, I am aware that the path I walk isn’t conventional, it’s not easy to champion someone when life has a way of knocking them down, but each time it happens, I’m one step closer to making you proud and I promise you the next chapter is full of heart, love and excitement.
Thank you, Feryl, for taking the time out to answer our questions. We really love the new remix of “Solemn Light”, and we still love to listen to your album Release. We’re excited to see what the future brings your way.
“Solemn Light (The ‘Red Room Studios’ Mix)” is available to download and stream, right now, along with Feryl’s previous releases. Make sure you check them out.
What do you make of our exclusive interview with Feryl? Let us know on Twitter @CelebMix.
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