Some months ago we came across York Calling, a site not too unlike our own, yet situated somewhere so very far away. No, not York in Western Australia, but York in England! We invited the site’s founder Graeme to have a chat about independent music in his neck of the woods, and also find out more about the story behind his quite wonderful international music and culture blog!
York! Let’s start there! It is proudly in the blog site’s title for all to see, so am I correct that you’ve lived there for quite some time, to establish such firm creative roots, and a commitment to its artistic populous? What has your experience and personal engagement with the music community been like there, and what interesting things can you share with our readers about your neck of the woods? Sadly, I’ve only visited the UK a handful of times, though half my bloodline hails from the Isle of Man. Honestly, most of my short stints have been to London… and I’d dare not judge an entire kingdom by just one city! The only preconceptions I have of York might be from television and the internet, so it would be wonderful to hear a local man’s truth.
York, yes. I’m not a native but I very much consider York and Yorkshire to be my adopted home. It was over ten years ago now that I established York Calling. Previously I lived in Nottingham which punches above its weight in terms of a creative community. I worked as the Deputy Music Editor for Leftlion Magazine there so when I relocated to York I wanted to try and re-capture some of that magic.
To be honest, York struggles creatively. Outsiders see it mostly as a tourist hotspot, one which has been increasingly and inexplicitly linked with Harry Potter in recent years. Our noisy neighbour Leeds steals much of the limelight when it comes to live music. It now has an arena that attracts the big names, and plenty of small venues, including the legendary Brudenell Social club. I don’t mean to disparage. There are plenty of creative types in York. I know many of them personally, and the few venues we do have do sterling work. I think locals are hungry for more options and for the city to be seen as a viable stop for touring bands. Anything I and York Calling can do to help in that regard is a bonus.
So it only seems right to ask what brought you to this path in the first place, passionately writing about music and helping to expose artist’s work! Aside from writing, or perhaps long before it, what were your creative pursuits? Are you a musician also? It would be wonderful to hear about what led you here.
Aside from some flirtations with the bass as a young man, I am not a musician. I have, however, always loved music. It has a beautiful way of articulating feelings that often can’t be said in any other way, and when you find a singer who says what you’re feeling so perfectly, it’s impossible not to be moved.
I am a writer though and have been since the age of eight. I started writing creatively then, and still do (I recently self-published a novel). It feels only right to combine a love of writing and a love of music, hence how I ended up in music journalism. I started in it at university (where I picked up a degree in Creative Writing and wrote for the uni mag Dusted) and then continued dabbling in it with Leftlion and now York Calling.
I guess what keeps me going in the field is the idea that the scales of exposure always seems tilted. Popular artists get coverage from national outfits, are therefore exposed to a greater audience, become more popular, and get more coverage. Everyone else, no matter how much their music deserves to be heard, doesn’t get the same leg up. Without a vibrant independent music press doing what it can to redress the balance, things could become very stagnant.
Well, you just have to tell us more about your novel now! Where can we find it? How long a process was it for you to complete it? I tried to write a novel many years ago, and its still a work in progress to this day. Definitely not a simple task, so would love to hear about a writer’s experience who has actually made it across the finish line. Do you do any collaborative writing as well, or prefer to go about it in the traditional “solo” manner?
Of course, it’s called The Warrior and is available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle e-book (UK store paperback link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CSWMRYRP AU store link: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CSWMRYRP) It’s a fantasy adventure story aimed at teens and above exploring themes of extremism, the abuse of child soldiers and finding one’s own path. I say fantasy adventure but it’s not your typical setting. There isn’t a dragon or suit of armour in sight!
The how long question is a difficult one. Aspects of the novel first revealed themselves to me when I was sixteen, but the version that appears in print is a complete rebuild from those early musings. I’d say getting it from where it was to its final draft took about a year and was a very enjoyable process. I really learned how to self-edit, kill my darlings and respond to constructive criticism.
I’m currently working on the next book in the series, entitled The Storykeepers, which is currently moving from its first draft to its second. I plan on releasing that around March next year depending on how much rework is required.
I have tried collaborative writing once. My brother and I sat down and tried to write a script together, but I quickly realised writing is a solo pursuit for me. I enjoy having full creative control too much!
When did York Calling come to be, and how did you go about it at first? With so many independent musicians out there, how to do choose and filter what to give your attention on the site?
It was November 2013 that I registered the yorkcalling.co.uk domain and set up a social media presence. It was a rush job as I had an opportunity to interview a big-name artist through a Leftlion connection and thought it would be a huge boon for my new project. The opportunity didn’t pan out, and then I went abroad to work for most of 2014, so York Calling sat pretty much dormant for a year.
In the autumn of 2014, I decided to grab the bull by the horns and approach some local artists to see if they were up for being interviewed. Quite a few said ‘yes’ so I was able to start putting some decent material on the site. The initial site design was ropey to say the least, but I muddled through until a local web designer offered to create a new look for free (to build his portfolio). That’s the York Calling you see today.
In terms of who I choose to cover, I am always looking for authenticity and originality. When you’ve heard as much music as I have, you quickly realise who is doing it to genuinely express themselves, and who is following a trend in the hope it’ll make them popular. I always go with the former, and then it becomes a question of the effort the artist has put into the quality of their music and their pitch, and, of course, personal preference (which often changes).
In the decade that you’ve been running York Calling, what kind of changes to music, artists and fan behaviour have you experienced along the way? What have been some key moments for you during your journey with the site and its content? Any specific plans for the remainder of 2024?
I think in the first few years the changes were probably quite subtle. I can think of a few opportunities that really got us on a wider audience’s radar. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club retweeting our interview with photographer Ami Barwell was a particularly pleasing moment. Being invited to Leeds Festival every year also feels like a feather in the cap.
What happened in 2020 certainly changed everything. With venues closed, artists changed their focus from live shows to releasing recorded music. The amount of singles, albums and EP we were sent that year was astronomical!
Things have been shifting back but not to where they were before. The live music industry here in the UK, which really didn’t need it, got a battering through COVID. I think there’s still a reluctance there when it comes to getting back out there. I have to admit myself I don’t go to as many concerts as I once did. I don’t think it’s because of COVID in my case, more age and dwindling funds, but I think it pushed a lot of people away from the live scene once and for all.
Plans right now for 2024, and for the next few years, is to make York Calling more profitable. At the end of last year, I was made redundant from my “day job” and decided, rather than find another, to go all in with York Calling. An extra revenue stream or two would really help out so that I can keep my focus on the blog and not be tempted away by a paid job elsewhere. What those will be, though, I currently have no idea.
Have you noticed any significant changes since COVID in the way that artists are presenting or promoting their work? What is your workload like at York Calling? It must be very busy with you operating everything! What advice do you have for musicians these days trying to gain exposure on sites like yours?
In terms of presenting or promoting work, I haven’t noticed much change. COVID itself acted as quite a big inspiration for artists. Many used the time to reflect on the nature of society, and the enforced isolation led some to be very productive, so we’re still getting lots of the tracks and albums that originated in that period.
My workload ebbs and flows but there’s always something to do so for that I’m grateful. I’m always flattered when an artist considers my publication, no matter who they are, and appreciate the time and effort artists are putting into their work before it even reaches me. It’s a tough gig, especially when you have to self-promote on top of having to create.
My advice is to artists is to really home in on what makes them interesting or unique. Everyone is in their own way, though it’s often difficult to see it of ourselves. Get advice from others if you’re not sure. That’s what I’m looking for when I listen to all the music I get sent. Also, make the effort to write a thorough pitch, include photos, social media links – the more the better! It seems like simple advice, but you’d be amazed how many tracks are sent to me with a one-liner to introduce it, or nothing at all!
Is there anything else you’d like to say about your work at York Calling? Also, where can our readers learn more?
I need to mention Jane Howkins, who is as integral to York Calling’s success as I am. She’s been working with me since pretty much the beginning and does a sterling job as Managing Editor.
If your readers are interested in finding out more, they can check out the blog yorkcalling.co.uk, or either of our podcasts Going Underground and The 5 Albums You’ll Hear In Heaven.
We also have loads of playlists which can all be found via our Spotify Profile.