Interview: Gideon Foster - Prophecy

Prophecy is a collection of songs which represent Gideon Foster's journey through life, a journey which eventually found him starting to write music 8 years ago, now at a time of great personal change for him. The album was written during 2021 at a time when the pace of the world had slowed due to the restrictions in place, which for him, was a time of introspection, to reminisce on the events which had shaped the past and to discover things which we didn’t realise at the time were shaping our future.

By Kamil Bobin

Discovered via Musosoup

Hello Gideon Foster. What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?

I think its just about being open really , music is telling stories , i wouldn't class myself as a great musician but i think we all have a tale to tell and for me the way i found to do that was to write songs.

Who inspired you to make music?

I've been inspired by so much music over the years , but always as a listener but really the main inspiration was an event in my life , a spiritual awakening i had around 9 years ago .

Your latest release is 'Prophecy'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?

Prophecy is really the result of a lot of introspection i went through as a result of the awakening , its really my inner story , looking back at events in my life and the change i went through over the last few years . I had a dream most of my life about being sat on a cliff looking down at a bay with a kind of roman style theatre with a black and white floor , but it was a place i didn't know , then the night i had the awakening i turned to the TV and there it was the exact same scene in a film . So that was really the start of this album's creation although i didn't know it at the time , but over the next few years i began writing songs which are inspired by that journey i'm still on . I think i've evolved throughout its recording .

Can you shortly describe each of the tracks that are on the album?

Affirmation is the opening track its upbeat really about the corporate world i used to inhabit before i made music where vulnerability is seen as weakness , its a subtle two fingers :)

Curious Eye - Wasn't really written with the sound it became in mind , i wrote it as a song about learning to trust your intuition , a very slow almost jazz like vibe , but we tried it with more energy and it stuck.

Prophecy - Is really the story as per the previous question .

Fatal Kiss - This is really the death of the old me , a kind of pop/rock story of change .

Six Feet Under - Is really the story of feeling stuck , trying to figure everything out , its a subtle blend of soft , which becomes a cry for help at the end of the song .

Days of Gold - is quite simple really , its looking back at life , smiling , laughing .

Piece of Me - Wondering what could have been .

Pictures of You - see above

All Things - I found this in some old lyrics i wrote when i first started writing things , its really about how life sometimes life has plans for us , which are completely opposed to the ideas we have as individuals .

Hedonism - is not the general interpretation of the word , but its a haunting song about placing yourself above ideas of right and wrong .

Cross the Stream - This was my imaginary go to place as a kid , when i couldn't get to sleep had worries , its kind of singer songwriter but we tried to do something different at the end when it hints at a dance track .

Temptation - Is really the battle of staying on the path , hopefully its something a bit different .

Love is Anarchy - Is not as serious as it sounds , we live in a crazy world where its hard to be yourself , its really about doing you .

How do you stay up-to-date with the latest musical trends?

I still listen to new music despite my age , i think otherwise you can end up stuck in what was popular when you were young and yet there's always so much creation of new ideas taking place all around us .

What makes you different from others?

I think everyone is different , that's the beauty of it all , in that respect we are all the same because we are individuals .

What’s an average day like for you?

It depends what i'm doing , over the last eighteen months i've been in the studio a lot making this album , but when i'm not i'm generally at home writing , practicing and trying to promote the music . Other than that i run most mornings and love being outdoors , as i'm very lucky to live in the country .

Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans.

I think its really good old fashioned conversation for me , obviously we live in a digital age but i don't think that can or should ever replace our interaction .

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Go for it ! You never know what you can do until you try .

What are your plans for the future?

I'd like to get out and play the songs from this album , i've got a short story book called 'Walking with Mae' which is the inspiration behind the songs out as well . Other than that i'm recording other music again at the moment , who knows maybe a surprise follow up !