At the start of the year, singer-songwriter Bertie Newman released ‘I Will’, a tender indie-pop listen that was praised by the likes of BBC Introducing London, EARMILK, Oculate UK, The Most Radicalist and more. Now, the Hackney local is back with another heartfelt and relatable single drawn from personal experiences. ‘Wasted On Me’ is a textured indie-folk track that combines upbeat acoustic pop strings with enriching backing vocal choruses and a marching rhythm that replicates the feeling of your heart practically beating out of your chest. This song reminds the listener of those emotionally charged interactions with a new romantic partner, when the ground beneath you seems like it could disappear at any moment and the fear that all of your flaws and hang-ups will give you away.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey Bertie Newman, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hey, thank you for having me. It's lovely to chat too! Back when I was swimming (competitively), I would travel 45 mins to an hour to training and my mum would play all sorts of melancholic music in the car, like Bon Iver, The Civil Wars and Florence + The Machine. This really sparked my love for deep, dark and in depth type of music. I didn't pick up music for myself for a long time before I came to a self-realisation that I could contribute my own lyrics and melody and hopefully someone would like it!
Are there any musicians who inspire you? What qualities do you admire about them?
Absolutely, I have tonnes of inspiration but especially Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons and Ben Howard. I think what sets them apart is that they all followed exactly what they wanted to write and you can tell they made music without the fear of what anyone else would think. I also like that they created almost whole new genres that don’t actually fit their surroundings or backgrounds, however they have carved out their version.
Your latest track is 'Wasted On Me'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
‘Wasted On Me’ was made with the idea of the feeling you get when you are in such a good situation, you end up self sabotaging. There are always innate feelings of self doubt regarding your adequacy for a partner and this was an extreme feeling of that! I wrote this with two other writers on the hottest day in England last year. We had no aircon in the studio, so we were all sitting on the floor and just really suffered whilst writing, but it also ended up being a great thing as we didn’t overthink the process and wrote exactly what we felt.
Which skills have you gained that help you perform effectively as a musician?
For me, working on my voice is the best practice I have. The more I do vocal exercises the more confident I am and the better I perform. Also knowing that, it's lovely to interact with audiences. Them getting to know you is almost as valuable as the songs in my opinion.
What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
I love singer-songwriter based genres,but also rock, rap and tonnes more. I am not a huge fan of scream metal haha.
Are there people who help you with the production of the songs?
Yes! I have multiple producers that I love working with. I tried producing myself, but quickly realised that other people could make me sound much better!
What are your long term goals?
I just really want an audience that loves my music and follows it forever! I don’t care how big the room is, I just want to create music that people can sing along to and I can put on a good show. It’s important to make sure that my visuals are strong throughout and are true to my vision. I also want to make mental health a really big talking point, especially with men. I have ADHD and would love to bring more awareness to it!
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
Making songs that feel like me and reflect who I am and what I love, the beauty of songwriting and how important music is for everyone.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
I think that it is much more social media based which is good and bad, as most things are. It can be easier to be spotted and also an amazing tool for promotion. However, I find the comparison aspect damaging and so try to spend as little time on the apps as I can whilst still uploading my content.
What are your plans for the future?
I am releasing an EP on April 21st called Thoughts So Loud. I’m also planning more gigs and trying to make the best music I can!