Yorkshire, UK-based singer-songwriter Boo Sutcliffe unveiled his recent single, “Eleven Eight” in May 2023. The single is from his upcoming album of the same name, coming in August.
The upcoming album follows his previously released album, Blink.
Watch the video for “Eleven Eight” below and learn more about Boo via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers
I am a singer/songwriter based in Yorkshire, UK. I released my debut album Blink in 2021.
I try to make my music flow freely across genres and styles to see what develops; my approach could be described as “adventures in indie, folk, pop, and Americana”.
Sometimes, I favour a full-band or orchestrated sound, and other times a more stripped-back acoustic style.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
My current single, “Eleven Eight” came out in May 2023.
Unusually for me, this wistful ballad is piano-driven, rather than acoustic guitar-led. Once I’d got the crazy time signature lodged in my head, the melodies came surprisingly easily and the words just seemed to be sat there waiting to be written, perhaps because they’re basically true.
“Eleven Eight” is also the title track on my new album which will be released in August 2023.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
I grew up listening to a lot of the great songwriters and artists of the 1970s and earlier, so I was heavily influenced by the likes of Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, and later generations including Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Kate Bush and Morrissey/Marr and Joe Strummer.
I’ve also always loved a lot of the great country performers/songwriters, such as Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Kris Kristofferson.
If anything by those splendid souls has touched my music in any way, I’d be a very happy man.
I think it’s important to draw inspiration from wherever you can, not just from other musicians. I know my influences extend to writers I admire, including a lot of 20th-century North American novelists, such as John Steinbeck, Paul Auster, and Joseph Heller.
Thematically, I’m usually more inclined to write about myself and people I know, rather than about the great issues facing the world. One recurrent theme is the general crapness of men, and the more specific crapness of me in particular. I suppose, like many songwriters, I tend to follow a personal trail while in search of the universal; I’m looking for something that means something to me and rings true for me, while also offering meaning for listeners – something they can connect to and link into their own life.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
I am not currently planning any live shows for 2023. I am concentrating on writing and recording. I played a number of live gigs in 2022 and they were amongst the best and most rewarding I have ever done.
What’s your goal for 2023?
My main goal for 2023 is to finish and release the album Eleven Eight. With 11 of the 12 tracks mixed, mastered, and signed off, and the last one almost ready for mixing, that should all be done and dusted in the next couple of weeks.
I then want to release a streaming-only album of new and previously unreleased songs. Some are tracks I’ve been tinkering with for a few years, although some are much newer. I like re-inventing songs, exploring different instruments and arrangements, and trying out new things; so it should be a lot of fun.
My music is available at: https://boosutcliffe.bandcamp.com/
Blink and the 2022 EP You’re The Same As Me are available on CD and download. The album Eleven Eight will be issued on 12” vinyl, CD and download in August 2023.
Everything can be found by searching “Boo Sutcliffe” on Spotify, Apple, Deezer, Youtube, and all major streaming platforms.
Connect with Boo Sutcliffe:
Website
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram