- 2023-02-19
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MUSIC
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Billy Lockett Releases Debut Album “Abington Grove”: Streaming
British singer-songwriter Billy Lockett released his debut album “Abington Grove” along with a new music video for “Don't Be So Hard On Yourself” on February 17, 2023.
The album comprises 12-track, featuring guest appearance from Goldlink.
The album title is named after the street of his late father's house where he grew up in Northampton.
Billy Lockett said, “Abington Grove was the street name my dad's house was on in Northampton. He died when I was twenty two which was a tough age to lose him but I've spent pretty much the last nine years since then in the cellar of his old house writing and recording this album so it couldn't possibly have been called anything but Abington Grove in my eyes, that house holds a lot of special memories. It felt right to go back and make the album there. I had a lot of dark times in that house. However, everything on this album is from our home.”
He worked with a producer Barnaby Cox on the album. He said, “I'd been trying to look for my sound. In the past, I don't know if I was really writing songs for me. When I met Barney, I was able to finally make an album that I had always wished existed. Suddenly, I was writing for me. I started to have fun with it, and it was the best two years of my life. Barney could create everything I had in my head exactly. Making music used to be stressful, but this was a dream. It was a sad day when we finished it. I thought, 'Now what?'”- He continued, “It's been a journey. I had an addiction problem with alcohol and cocaine for eight years. When I started recording, I'd just started the process of getting sober in my head. Halfway through, I actually got sober. Making the record filled that hole. I went nine months, and I had a relapse about two weeks after we finished the album for about a month—but I haven't done anything all of 2022. I'm more focused on being a nice person, caring, and listening to everyone around me more. I was wasted for so long that sober feels like a new drug for me.”
Billy Lockett said, “Every song is a different piece of my life whether that's involving love, addiction, self-doubt, or euphoria...building this body of work has been my therapy, and I can honestly say I've never been more proud of anything. I really needed this record. At the end of it, I was good, and I was healthy. I hadn't been happy for a long time. I've realized I just want to put in the work and be myself. I can see who I want to be; I want to be happy." -
He added, “I spent most of my life trying to work out who the hell I am, and now I'm just me. I'm not trying to be anyone or desperately hoping this album changes the world. I'm content and enjoying my life in the present, because I never have. I've never lived in the present before. I've always looked ahead at what I want to do and worried that I wouldn't get there. This is the first time in my life where I'm actually calm. My career felt like 'work' for so long, and it wasn't working. Now that huge weight is off my shoulders, I made an album I'm fulfilled with. I'm not trying to copy anyone else's sound. I'm finally learning who I am and trying to be myself. I feel like I'm learning to be a good person. When I was high and drunk, I made so many bad decisions. I'm full of regret, but I guess I made some good songs. It's nice I can be honest with myself and truly happy now.”
Billy Lockett explained track-by-track for the album.
“Hard Act To Follow” with Goldlink
“I've always loved the sentiment of the song. It's about self-belief and the fact you don't need anyone. There's a massive buildup, but there's also an admission of heartbreak. GoldLink and I had a coffee in London. We come from two different worlds, but we're so similar. He was telling me about basketball, and I was talking about Snooker. We related both games to our careers. It was really cool.”
“Not Okay”
“It's my favorite song by a mile. It was towards the end of the recording process. 'Not Okay' is a desperation song. It's being honest, opening up, and saying things are actually really bad. You're confessing, 'God, I need you'. Sonically, the vocals sound very percussive, which I've always loved about guys like Ed Sheeran and Post Malone.”
“Don't Worry”
“The instrumental was a bit creepy. We flipped the whole thing on its head, which gave me the idea the song could be quite hopeful and positive. It doesn't make sense for me to keep writing dark and sad songs all the time. We could use some cheering up.”
“We Used To”
“'We Used To' for example, I wrote that when I was 20, and I'm now 31! But the message the lyric conveys is still just as relatable today, so I'm hoping it will resonate with anyone going through a break-up in the same way it did with me all those years ago.”
“Miss Missing You”
“It's a good song, it's almost… dare I say it… cool? I actually worked on it for a long time with one of my mates Danny Connors – who is a brilliant writer and also Tom Grennan's guitar player – but we just couldn't seem to get it right! We messed around with the composition of it, we switched up the tempo and the production, but nothing seemed to work. We actually ended up having a big argument one day over what direction it should take, and fell out, so I just thought 'oh forget this, it's not going on the album!' and I let it go.”
“Sushi”
“I wanted to do a pop song, but cool and gritty. We found a middle ground where we walk the line with this laidback summer vibe.”
“Kamikaze”
“My laptop is basically the way I make music, so it's my 'Kamikaze'. It's basically ruining my life. Each day, I get up, sit in this chair, and chase a dream that might end up ruining me, but I do it anyway.”
“Freaking Out”
“We kept adding more and more colors to it. To me, it sounds like a rainbow.”
“You're Not Alone”
“Being a solo artist can be quite a lonely life, I spend most of my time either alone in my studio making music or driving around to shows in my car. I wanted the video to show that as soon I get on stage and see people singing my songs I don't feel alone anymore, everything clicks into place, I wanted the video to show both sides of the job. Love the little cameo from my mum too, any excuse to get her involved haha.”
“Last Thing On Your Mind”
“'Last Thing On Your Mind' is about all the relationships that sometimes die for no real reason. It's about feeling like the love is just running out with someone and that you almost wish something dramatic could happen just to give you a better reason for feeling so sad.”
“Don't Be So Hard On Yourself”
“'Don't be so hard on yourself' is about muting the constant voice in your head telling you that you're not good enough. It's about self-love and realising that doing your best is enough and you are enough. Since writing this song I've used this as a mantra for my life, it's really helped me personally. Hopefully, it helps others too. It's my other favorite. I worry about everything all of the time. Am I eating too much? Am I smoking too much? I think that's why I was a drug addict for so long; it just numbed it. When I got sober, I realized, 'Shit, I do worry all of the time. That's an issue'. Now, I can address it and see it with a clear head. I kept going back to the phrase, 'Don't be so hard on yourself'. Everything will be okay. My girlfriend has a lot to do with it. She's the polar opposite. She doesn't worry about anything ever. So, it's a message to stop being a worrier.” - source : Apple Music
