#mirrorsignal

[goodmusicperiod]

Mirror Signal “Dat Won’t Save Me” - Creepy clowns, balloons that hypnotize, blank stares, for some reason it really works with this sparseness of this song. He kind of reminds me of James Blake. I like this a lot.  @MirrorSignal #mirrorsignal

- Gadget Girl 

[noonpacific]

Exclusive Interview :: Mirror Signal

Real name: Steven Kenneth Barker

What is your artist/band name? How did you come up with it?

My artist is Mirror Signal. I came up with it when I failed my first driving test for signalling wrong too many times. My instructor kept saying “mirror, signal” over and over again after that...

Where are you from?

I was born in Nigeria, raised in South Suffolk, England.

What’s your musical background? Did you grow up with music?

I actually didn’t grow up around much music. My mum listened to a lot of christian music in the car and at home, but I never really connected with it. I got into listening to music when I got into playing it, which was at school.

How do you work? What is the creative process for writing new material?

I’ve had a laptop for as long as I’ve been writing songs, so even when I was just making acoustic music, I was writing and recording the same time, re-arranging song structures, adding effects etc and chucking stuff up online. The transition to a more electronic style alter on was quite natural for me because of that.

Favorite place to write new music?

just anywhere that I’m comfortable, if I’m self conscious it doesn’t come out the same way.

When was the last time you had that “Aha!” moment and knew you were on to something good?

I get a little bit of that every time I finish a song, although a lot of the time I’ve gone off of it in a couple of hours! There’s a song on the new EP called “Dat Won’ Save Me”. When I was producing that, it felt really fresh for me, because I’d tried to avoid my own conventions of production, so I remember that song feeling really good.

How would you describe your sound?

Just a bunch of weird chords, lyrics and sounds moulded together that sounds somewhere near to electronic soul

What inspires you?

Knowledge and skill is a big inspiration to me, I’m drawn to anyone who has a good grasp on a subject matter. That doesn’t make me feel inferior, it just makes me want to reach that person’s level of ability.

Name something you love, and why.

I think laughter is good, it’s a pure feeling and you can do it whenever you want to

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Be good with money, and eat vegetables

You’re lined up to play a show. If you could have any other artist/band on the ticket with you, who would you want that to be?

Lianne la Havas! Big fan

Where can we find you on the web?

Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Interview by Joshua Arter