The former leading band member of UK
garage artist Artful Sinners, Callum Ruane, has released his first solo album
‘Intentions’. Many radio stations that have played songs off the album have
received texts, tweets and more about the rise of ‘The Creep’.
Due to his success in the UK club scene
and the charts, Jungle wanted to be the first magazine to get the exclusive on
the upcoming artist.
In Callum’s early childhood he had a rough
time growing up in a single parent home on a council estate in South London. Due
to the fact that he never knew his father Callum didn’t have a male role model in
his life apart from his Granddad Billy who he idolised throughout his
childhood.
His Granddad was the one who supported
Callum to go for a music career even though his mother was against it. Callum
took his Granddad’s advice and joined the upcoming garage band Artful Sinners
in 2008 where the group made a name for themselves with top tracks such as
‘Latch’ and ‘Stimulation’. However as
the band was preparing for the release of their second album, there was a
fallout within the group between drummer Christen Stewart and mixture Martin
Harrison, so that’s when Callum decided to take his destiny into his own hands
and release himself from the self-confessed “immature group” and start a new
solo career.
So Callum you’ve come a long way since
your departure from Artful Sinners haven’t you?
Indeed (chuckles to himself), I know I made the right choice
as I felt it was the right time for me to move on. I felt like I was the only
one who had ambition to push forward instead of being immature, I thought to
myself ‘I love the music, these people love the fame’
That’s quite a harsh comment to make
considering that was the band who gave you a platform don’t you think?
Don’t get me wrong Hollie, I have the upmost respect for my
ex band members but I’m telling you the truth and I want my fans who read your
magazine to understand that I left the band for them and to give them my
passion through the music instead of giving a half-hearted production in an
immature band.
So then, this new album, tell us
about it.
‘Intentions’ is based on my tracks
as they each have an intention to portray a story. MY passion for the music and
what I’ve had to go through in order to get where I am today, and yes there is
one or two creepy background stories to a couple of my songs (laughs as I roll
my eyes). What do you expect I am ‘The Creep’ after all (winks) There are 15
tracks that tell my journey from the start, track 1, till my new beginning,
track 15 , the early tracks are inspired by my late granddad who was my only
supportive figure in my life so I’m dedicating my success with this album to
him.
(LAUGHS, can you tell one of the
creepy background stories then?)
Alright then but prepare
yourself. Track 6 is called ‘Zoë’ featuring my pal on vocals Sam Smith, she was
my best friend on my estate growing up as a kid, I used to play out every
night, we would play football, listen to garage and house music together, we
were soul mates. But one day she never came to school and I went straight to
her house to check if she was ok, I knocked and knocked but no one answered so
I peered through the letterbox and saw a human foot that was separate from the
leg. I threw up but I knew I had to get in so I got my older brother too kick
the door down. I’m not going to tell you the rest of the story as I don’t like
to talk about it, you find out in the track anyway, but that night I lost my
soul mate and that’s what inspired that song and my desire to make it in the
music industry as Zoë would have wanted me to.
Oh wow, you’ve been through a lot
haven’t you, and you’re only 23, it’s amazing how you still have the desire to
succeed as most people would of broken down.
Yes but I’m not like other
people, bad things that happen to me just give me a bigger drive to make it, I
drawn inspiration from my experiences and in my opinion separates me from the
rest.
Considering that you are a solo
artist now, how different is your pre performance ritual compared to what it
was like in the ‘Artful Sinners’?
Well in the band I used to
get high a lot before a performance because of obvious peer pressure and I
didn’t want to seem boring, but now I just prepare myself extremely thoroughly
because when you are in a band if you make a mistake it can go unnoticed, but
when you’re on your own it can be daunting so I just say a prayer and get on
the stage.
I went to your live performance on
the last arena of your tour in Birmingham’s O2 arena, how did you feel when you
came off stage after such an energetic performance?
Well first off all I’d like
to shout out to my Birmingham fans as they really do understand my music, I can
always feel that the audience are on my wavelength every time I go there. I
like to put on a show for them in Birmingham so after I come off stage I didn’t
have energy to lift up a cup of tea I just fell onto the couch and slept for 15
hours, and the recovery was complete with a lovely brummies’ breakfast.
So ‘intentions’ has been released,
have you got any surprises up your sleeve for the next UK tour?
Well let’s put it this way…
‘A Creep’ never tells his secrets (winks).
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