Check out Callum Wright! From the sunny paradise of Barbados, the 20 year old singer is looking to make it big in the UK – and we think he certainly has the goods to do it!
Callum’s new single, “1. 2. 3” is definitely the song for the summer, it’s infectiously poppy, with a George Ezra feel about it – without the basso profundo vocals!
“I was playing the piano, and the melody came in about 10 minutes,” he smiles. It’s based on two married couples Callum saw having dinner, one still madly in love, the other frosty with each other. “I wrote it from the point of view of the couple who were infatuated, not being able to understand why the other couple made it look so difficult to be together.”
Callum’s dad is from the UK, so the singer has close ties to the country, and feels he needs to get out of Barbados to make it in music. His determination to be involved in every step of his music is clear as he co-writes and co-produces every song, and has worked with a mix of new talent, such as production duo, A Is For Robot, and established writers, such as Kevin Malpass, who works with Sia.
Callum is a born songwriter, and says that he’s never had a problem writing.
“I’ve never sat down and said ‘I’m going to write a song today’,” he explains. “I only write when it hits me. I try to keep songs as relatable as possible. Every song I’ve written comes from my experiences.”
“I’ve been doing the whole pre-fame Ed Sheeran thing, sleeping on people’s floors,” he smiles. “I want to totally push music, and you have to give it your all. I think you need to struggle a bit before reaping the benefit. It leads to better songs, because you can channel that struggle into your music.”
“Working with producers in England and Barbados is very different,” he muses. “In Barbados, it’s authentically reggae. That music is who we are. In England, it’s filtered and the pop elements have already been added. The work ethic is so much better in England too. If you start a track in the Caribbean, people are so laid-back that you’re not getting it back for another six months! But everyone brings their own thing.
“Each of my songs has a message. I want people to feel how I feel when I write. Whether that’s being happy or sad, I want people to take something from my music. And there’s a lot of sunshine in there, so you can feel like you’re on the beach with me!”
