Craig Stuart is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and percussionist from London, England. He is a seasoned performer, busker and troubadour, tallying up nearly 200 flights in the past 3 years travelling the world with his guitar. He has been a part of the London Underground Busking scheme for over 5 years where he gained a massive amount of performing experience. Stuart was previously in a band as the sole songwriter before branching out into a solo act, where he puts his emotions on the table with his melancholic songs.
“Don’t Waste My Time” is a brand new single by Craig Stuart. The beat and guitar that begin the song immediately set up a vibe that is incredibly easy to dance to and will have you reaching for the volume on your stereo. The vocals are gorgeous and perfectly suited to the music. Each chorus is completely gripping and will have you singing along in no time. The arrangement is brilliantly executed, complete with piano and vocal harmonies that soar and complete the soundscape. The song itself is a perfect blend of instruments, and the simple arrangement allows the vocals to truly shine. This catchy single is something we know you will enjoy, so check out “Don’t Waste My Time” and see what this talented artist has to offer.
Listen to “Don’t Waste My Time” here and get to know more about Craig Stuart below!
Hi Craig, thanks for chatting with us! First of all, how did you first become involved with music and songwriting?
I have always been really into music even before I actually played. I always used to sing along to my favourite songs in the car on the way to school as a kid. I was really into acting and drama so went to college to study performing arts, and as my singing got better I got a lead role in a musical. I spent a lot of my time during college learning to play guitar and continued on into university, but it was till after university and when I move to London I started to sing and play guitar. I always surrounded myself with others musicians, so from there I kind of just fell into it. Much like when I was a kid, i’m a bit obsessed with music and listen to it or sing and play everyday. Through the musicians I was spending a lot of my time with I formed a band to play the song I had written and it all progressed from there.
Do you have a specific process when you’re writing songs? How does it all come together in the end?
Everyone has their own process for songwriting and also probably for each song too. For me quite often I will come up with the music first or at least an idea and then I’ll just hum a melody along with it or i’ll look to some recent lyrics I have. I often jot down lyrics as i’m travelling around and then write music to that, it comes in different forms. Some songs I sit on for a while, songs don’t always just pour out of you, sometimes I need to sit on it and let it stew. For my single ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ I already have the music and the verse written, but didn’t have a chorus and one day when I was busking on the London Underground, I had turned up to my allocated time slot a little early so had some time to wait and this melody and lyric popped into my head ‘Don’t waste my time with I won’t let you down’ and had to quickly get my guitar out and record it into my phone so I don’t forget it and the rest is history.
Who would you say your biggest artistic influences are?
I have many artistic influences, some of my favourite music isn’t necessarily music that is similar to me but mostly just inspiration. My favourite album or all time is ‘Grace’ by Jeff Buckley, always loved how he used his voice as an instrument. Brandon Boyd from Incubus was probably the first singer to get me into singing. Biffy Clyro are my absolute favourite band, and Jimmy Eat World for their stunning production and beauty in their sound. More currently Dallas Green from ‘City & Colour’, Ed Sheeran, Gavin James, As you can see my taste is pretty diverse. I have always had a really eclectic taste in music and don’t believe in guilty pleasures, I love pop, rock, metal, hip hop, rnb, you name it.
You’ve got a new single called “Don’t Waste My Time”. Beyond the title, is there anything you can share with us about the meaning behind the song?
‘Don’t Waste My Time’ started out as a kind of lovers tiff between a couple, but a couple that sort of thrive on that ‘Where were you darling when I needed you, but where was I when you need me too?’ and the pre-chorus is the ‘don’t f**k with me’ part of the argument ‘You can start a war, but you know how it will end’. Then when I wrote the chorus it is partly aimed at people saying they’re going to do something but you know they won’t, whether it’s someone offering support, going to help you with something, planning to see you etc, but you have heard those excuses before and even though you know to expect it, it’s still slowly breaking you down bit my bit and killing your soul each time.
What can we hope to see from you in the future, Craig?
I will be releasing a remix of the single and an acoustic version fairly soon, then I am releasing my 3rd single at the beginning of May, and then following that with my EP release in June.
I am currently in the process of recording a little acoustic covers EP of some songs I really love and want to put my own little twist on. I’ve also been in the studio recently and started recording songs for the next record, so you can expect more releases and a second EP later in the year too. Plenty of music coming your way.
Connect with Craig Stuart on social media
Facebook: www.facebook.com/craigstuartmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/strangelyfamous