Brighton boy, Hobbie Stuart, has been all over YouTube with his liquid vocals for a while.
But now, just weeks away from the release of his debut EP, the singer/songwriter took some time out to chat to us about his upcoming release and what the year ahead holds.
Hi Hobbie! Your debut EP ‘Still Here’ is out 23 February. A lot of people have been eagerly awaiting your first release for a long time. What can we expect to hear?
‘Still Here’ is a song I wrote about a time in my life when I felt like I was going nowhere and it was too late to do anything I had dreamt of doing. The song has the message that it’s never too late to turn your life around.
Well it sounds great! How did the collaboration with Ghetts come about?
Thanks! Happy you like it. Well, I met Ghetts a couple of years ago when Jamal Edwards from SBTV put us in contact because Ghetts needed a singer for a chorus and Jamal recommended me. When I realised a few months ago that ‘Still Here’ needed a rap verse, I thought Ghetts would be perfect for the song. It’s an honour to have him on it as I’ve been a fan of his for years.
You said ‘Still Here’ sends the message that it is never too late to turn your life around and you sing about kids ‘acting like they would go on and do something big, fast forward couple years and they never did’. You’ve been working hard to get your sound out there on YouTube over the last few years but did you ever feel disheartened at any point? If so, how did you stay positive?
It does cross my mind every now and again as the reality of the industry that I’m in and what I’m trying to do is that a lot of people try and very few make it. My fans and the people that support me are what keep me positive. If I didn’t have them I’d find it much harder.
You have over a million views on some of your YouTube covers. That’s insane! Was it always your intention for music to become your career?
I’ve always loved music but making a career out of it was just a dream until recent years. I didn’t really think it was possible and had no idea how to go about doing it. I am very grateful for the internet!
Of all your covers, which is your favourite and why?
I think it is my cover of ‘Fast Car’ just because it’s an amazing and beautiful song.
Did you produce all your covers yourself?
No, my good friend from school Alex Wells has produced them. I’ve made all the songs and videos on my YouTube with him.
You have a really distinctive sound, one that I find really hard to compare to anyone else. But what are your favourite, and most annoying of all the comparisons you’ve had so far?
Thank you! I’ve enjoyed Drake, Lily Allen, Ed Sheeran and Frank Ocean comparisons to name a few. To be honest, I haven’t really found any comparisons annoying so far.
But what about if YOU were to describe your sound in three words?
Smooth, epic, British. I found this hard to do without bigging myself up ha ha!
You must be really excited for the year ahead! What else do you have planned and will you be doing any live dates in the near future?
I am very excited! I have tours coming up and I have my album release in the summer. I hope it will be a big year for me.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. Good luck with everything this year and we can’t wait to hear the EP!
Thank you for taking the time to ask me questions and I appreciate the support. Much love.
Check out ‘Still Here’ below: