Shadowy is an alternative hip-hop artist currently based in Brighton, England. Crafting his sound since early 2018, Shadowy’s music consists of gothic imagery, evocative lyrics and modern trap production, drawing influences from OmenXIII, SpaceGhostPurrp and Marilyn Manson. Take a journey through the experience of his music.
Shadowy dropped his newest track “U and Hymn” and we’re addicted! While the darker feel of the music comes out on this track, the quick pace of the raspy vocals seems to keep the track from becoming too dark. What is produced is a track that showcases the authentic music of Shadowy. With “U and Hymn”, Shadowy seems to be channeling a dark Gothic side as the vocals sound very melancholic and low. Given the New Wave feel of the music Shadowy’s voice fits rather well with this track. The song contains a strong driving feel which, once again, contains a dark ambiance to it. Absolute worth a listen and a dive onto the darkside!
Listen to “U and Hymn” here and keep scrolling to read our interview with Shadowy!
Welcome to BuzzMusic! How did you get started in the music industry?
My first experience in the music industry was at the age of 18, I was the lead vocalist in a metal band for about half a year but I ended up parting ways with the group as I felt we all had a different vision for the future of the band. After that experience my appetite for being in a band basically vanished and I turned my attention towards making beats and teaching myself how to produce. The concept for ‘Shadowy’ began around January 2018 and I wrote my first song in April 2018 which was ‘U and Hymn.’ Its finally coming out now over a year later.
Was there a specific event/person in your life that made you get into music/ start recording your material?
Since as long as I can remember I’ve had a fascination with music, I first picked up a guitar around the age of 9 and was instantly drawn to bands like Metallica, AC/DC, Guns ’N’ Roses etc - basically all the generic Classic Rock bands you are introduced to when you have your first guitar lesson. I thought it was so cool back then. A year later I was introduced to Marilyn Manson and thats when I felt music resonate with me emotionally for the first time, rather than just being something I enjoy. From then onwards I stopped idly listening to music and started wanting to create it for myself. Looking back on it, It’s weird that I didn’t even write my first song until about 9 years later. The universe just had a different plan for me back then.
Who are you musical influences and how do they help shape your sound?
I’d say that Marilyn Manson has had the biggest influence on me as a person, his attitude towards popular culture, societal norms and even relationships has always resonated strongly with me and I think I subconsciously incorporate similar ideas to him in my lyrics. Also when I was trying to teach myself how to sing (from the age of about 10-14), I was really into female artists such as Lana Del Rey, Banks and Lady Gaga and I guess through impersonating them while learning to sing I have picked up certain vocal inflections which I have been told sound reminiscent of those artists. Also, when I was about 13 I started listening to SpaceGhostPurrp. He was my first introduction to Hip Hop that I genuinely enjoyed. The way he infused gothic imagery and painted nails with Underground Hip Hop was something I really connected with at the time and I respect him a lot for it. I take a lot of inspiration from him in the production side of my music and I guess I’m just really inspired by his fearlessness when it comes to blending genres and different cultures in music. With all of that being said, I don’t feel though my music sounds like an accumulation of the artists who influence me or anything like that, I’m trying to keep it as original as possible.
What does “U and Hymn” mean to you? What do you want your listeners to take away from it?
I wrote the song at the end of a long term relationship, I was struggling to cope with the situation and was thinking quite irrationally about my life in general and so I basically wrote out a continuous stream of my thoughts to help create some sense of order in my head. What I wrote down ended up being the lyrics to the song, it was a very quick and spontaneous process. Writing the song allowed me to reflect on both the relationship itself and the person I had become due to that relationship, I was then able to close the door on that chapter of my life and refocus my energy towards my career. As for the listeners, there isn’t a specific message or subliminal meaning that I want them to take away from the song, I am really just sharing my personal experience, although it’s a situation I am sure many people can relate to.
What do you hope to achieve as an artist through the rest of 2019?
My primary goal is to build on whatever momentum I can create through the release of this song. I’d like to be able to consistently provide music for the people that want to hear it and so I am hoping to put out a couple more songs before the end of the year. I’ll also be focusing my energy on looking after myself mentally so I can remain creative as possible and continue working efficiently.
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