Student James Burt is releasing this year’s Confetti Single – ‘Dance in the Rain’. We got to interview him below and hear all about what the track means to him, how the process has worked, and why studying at Confetti is helping him pursue his dreams of becoming an artist.
Hi James! Can you tell us about how you got involved in the Confetti Single project?
I’ve been writing songs all my life. My songs were first noticed when I joined Confetti in 2018. In my first year of studying at Confetti, I submitted a song for the Confetti Album. Thankfully, my song made it onto the album and received a great response from the students and tutors. This positive response gave me the drive and inspiration to work hard and develop my songs.
This hard work paid off for me when I was selected to record my debut single with legendary producer Al Groves. The week recording the single was one of the greatest weeks of my life. I got to work with some of the most talented student engineers, musicians and of course a world-class producer. This experience was so special for me because I got to watch my song transcend from just me and a guitar to a full band production within a week!
How important has it been having a mentor who has music industry experience – have you been given any advice that’s really stuck with you?
Confetti has gifted me the opportunity to work with industry specialists who have guided me along my musical journey. Having the opportunity to work with industry professionals has been a huge source of inspiration and has really helped me develop my craft.
A piece of advice that has really stuck with me is to ‘network, network, network’. Throughout my Confetti journey, I have always prioritised networking with the students, engineers, and tutors. I think my positive attitude towards networking has been a huge part of my success in 2020. I would not be where I am today without the help of the fantastic people I have met along the way at Confetti.
Can you tell us a bit about ‘Dance In The Rain’ and ‘Something Inside Me’ – what inspired them? What do the songs mean to you?
The raw emotion and honesty in ‘Dance In The Rain’ was inspired by ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ by Joy Division. I love how brave and confessional Ian Curtis was as a songwriter. More than ever right now, I think people need to hear music that’s real and speaks to the heart.
‘Dance In The Rain’ couldn’t be more applicable for the current state of the world right now. The song addresses the struggles we sometimes face in modern life and how life sometimes goes against us. However, it speaks about the ability we have to embrace the negativity that rains down in life sometimes and how we can choose to dance through the bad times rather than shelter from them. For me, it is all about that one person who helps you stay positive when times are hard. Everyone has that one person or thing that helps you get through the bad times and this song is a celebration of that person or thing. I really want this song to heal anyone struggling to stay positive during a time like coronavirus.
Although ‘Something Inside Me’ is the B-side, I think this song is one to watch out for and I really hope it gets just as much attention as the main single. This track is an 80s influenced, melodic pop song that really hits you in the heart. This song is from the perspective of a person that loves someone who doesn’t love them back. Even though this person isn’t loved anymore, there’s this indescribable feeling inside of them that won’t let them walk away from this person.
When recording this track, I put my whole being into the performance. As I sang, I tried really hard to capture the emotion of someone who has had their heart broken.
What’s next for James Burt? What’re your plans for the future in the music industry?
My plan for the future is to keep writing and developing my songs. For me, the ultimate goal is to write songs that mean something to people and to also have fun whilst I’m doing it.
Studying music at Confetti has really helped me get to where I want to be in the music industry right now. I now have the tools and experience to progress further as an artist and I’m really excited for what lies ahead in the future.
What’re your top three bits of advice for anyone looking to write their own single?
My advice to anyone looking to write a single would be…
Write from the heart. I’ve countlessly gone into a songwriting session trying to write the perfect song that everyone will love. Whilst it’s good to consider your audience, the songs that seem to connect with people the most are the ones that are sincere and wrote from the heart.
Network! Recording these two singles has taught me that collaborating with other creative people is one of the best things you can do for your music. It’s very easy to get caught up in the mindset that only you understand how your music should sound. However, collaborating with student engineers, musicians and a producer has given me a resultt I would never have been able to achieve on my own.
Have fun – if you’re doing music for the right reasons you should remember to enjoy the process. Although I’m a firm believer you should put the work into your music, I believe you should try and have as much fun as possible.
You can watch back James’ single launch over on our Youtube channel.
We were lucky enough to host the launch of the Confetti Single at Metronome earlier in the year. Have a look through some of the photos below from the night!
Are you interested in studying a music degree at Confetti? Book onto a virtual open day to find out more about all that Confetti has to offer.
