INDIE FANS are in for a treat with a new musician on the scene.
Enter Bradley Watmore, a 28-year-old singer-songwriter from Wokingham, who will release his debut single Rock Bottom tomorrow.
Lauded for his ability to light up a room with his acoustic guitar, Bradley’s music is described as a mix of Indie and post-punk, heavily influenced by the 90s Brit pop era.
With a growing fan base, the rising young star has begun breaking through the London music scene, with a gig booked at the world renowned Jazz Club Ronnie Scott’s in Soho, where he says he’s always wanted to play.
Before turning his attention to the music industry, Watmore spent six years working in software sales in London, a world away from life as a singer-songwriter.
“I was commuting to London, working in the city, I got carried away partying every night,” he said. “I just played guitar every now and again, I’m much happier now.”
The singer says the nightlife gave him inspiration, but his love of music was truly reignited the moment he picked up his new guitar 18 months ago.
“I bought a new guitar, I literally fell in love with it, I couldn’t put it down. Until then my girlfriend didn’t even know I wrote songs,” he added. “I’ve been writing and writing ever since.”
Bradley began performing gigs again in December 2019 at local venues including The Oakford Social Club and The After Dark Club as well as The White Horse in Wokingham where he sung at an open mic night.
The artist described feeling at home on stage and says his dream is to perform at big venues.
“It’s a high, being on stage, you just feel like that’s where you belong.
“I just want to play festivals, I’d love to do the Reading Festival, Glastonbury, and BBC Introducing stages. That’s it really, a live stage, outside, with a nice audience, that’d be unreal.”
Rock Bottom — a light and stripped back track is easy on the ears, with Watmore’s unique voice complimented by a simple guitar and bass drums. The song was recorded at Pyramid Recording Studios in Hurst then sent to the famous Abbey Road Studios, made popular by the Beatles, to be mixed and mastered.
Inspired by the likes of Nirvana, Oasis and Blur, Watmore grew up around music, always enjoying it with friends and family, but it was his Mother who influenced him to perform.
“My Mum’s a singer, she was a childminder during the day but at night she’d go out to pubs and clubs to perform,” he explained. “She didn’t force it on me, I never had lessons, I always loved it.
“I got a guitar and started writing songs when I was about 12. I remember my Mum coming into my room and saying ‘Did you write that song?’”
Reflecting on his creative process, the young artist said he doesn’t have a specific routine.
“If you sit down and say ‘I’m going to write a song’ it doesn’t come out,” he said. “If you manage to write a song, what a touch.
“With Rock Bottom, I just wrote the first line and the rest of it sort of followed. I’ve got songs that took ten minutes to write, others took much longer. I like writing stories, the songs are just stories.
“I listen to Gerry Cinnamon, DMA’s, Sam Fender — anyone that writes their own stuff I’m into.”
Rock Bottom is available to from tomorrow, via iTunes. For updates, visit: www.instagram.com/bradleywatmore/?hl=en
