As part of our lockdown series, we caught up with the AKA George to see how he’s coping…
Hey George, how’s it going?
I’m doing really good. Just finishing the second EP. Still not sick of lockdown. I am finding it useful.
For those who are not familiar with your work, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a musician, producer, writer, performer – from England. I just out out my first EP on AntiFragile records. It’s called Bad For You. It’s a bit of rock, a bit of pop and a bit of weirdness thrown in. I’ve been making music since I was a kid and releasing independently for a few years. This is my first EP through a label.
You’ve just released your new COVID-19 music video ‘Bad for You’ which we can all relate to. How are you coping during these strange times?
I’m enjoying it, frankly. Staying in is making me focus at the moment. I’m a sociable person but I felt like I needed a break and this lockdown came at the right time. Obviously everybody dying and the world economy imploding takes the shine off it a bit.
Despite the track being about relentless desire in relationships, why have you chosen the pandemic as the focal point for the video?
Couldn’t do it any other way. I was gonna get a video with cars and girls but everything closed. Seriously though, there was nothing else I could do. It was the first days of lockdown and it seemed like there was something running in parallel with the song – there were themes in the song which were prescient somehow. And it wasn’t hard for me to draw a parallel between the toxicity of the relationship in the song and the virus.
How does the production behind ‘Bad for You’ differ to your other music videos? Were there any challenges?
Mainly the challenge was trying to get a mask the day before I made the video. I went to Boots, Homebase, B&Q ( and all other reputable outlets) and finally had to make one myself out of kitchen roll and cake ribbon! It’s amazing what you can do under duress… Kitchen Roll and Cake Ribbon is the name of the next album by the way.
The video almost acts as a Coronavirus timeline, but also has the perfect balance of humour too. Why did you decide to showcase it in this way?
I always think videos with a high concept that try to take themselves too seriously look really bad when there’s no budget. I had zero budget and I was staying indoors so I did what I’ve always done, which is use what I’ve got at the time. I hate doing it as well. I HATE it. Believe me, when I make a bit of money you are going to see me in preposterous videos! Ludicrous, expensive, waste of money and time, videos.
Do you have any isolation hacks yourself?
Wraps. When everyone was buying toilet paper, I was buying tortilla wraps… but not for that! So I have a cupboard full of them. Anything in a wrap tastes good. It’s better than sandwiches.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Another EP very soon. An Album at the end of the year. And a tour in 2021 with Twenty One Pilots. Covid permitting, of course.
