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Go back a few years and pop bands reigned the charts – from Steps to S Club 7. It was during this time that Calvin Goldspink first came to our attention – as a member of S Club Juniors. After years of honing his music and splitting his time between the UK and LA, Calvin is back with a new sound and an eagerly released EP, The Lemon Tree. Here I catch up with him and talk about the music and what’s next for a very talented musician.
So lets talk music and more about your pretty awesome new EP The Lemon Tree. What was the main inspiration behind the sound,as its very different, from your earlier foray into music?
Since moving to LA I’ve be surrounded by many different musicians from many different backgrounds. All of them have helped me grow to where I am today. I hooked up with a great producer called Robb Torres and put together The Lemon Tree EP, over about a 6 month period. We just tried to come up with a fresh sound that would connect with people. It was hard to select what songs to put on the EP!
‘Superman’ is my favorite track from the EP, with a Killers-esque kind of vibe to it and strong indie vocals. Which one track, if any, is yours?
‘Lemon Tree’, for me, turned out great. Robb really created a Nine Inch Nails vibe with the production, and its always a great opener to our shows!
It’s evident you’ve spent a lot of time carving out a new sound and feel to your music. Would you say that your pop days are well behind you? I have to say the new sound is poles apart from anything you’ve produced before
With projects that I’ve done in the past my creative input was nil as I was 13 years old. It did, however, give me amazing experiences in the music industry, from working with the top people, to playing to the biggest crowds. All these experiences have helped me to find the path I’m on today. I had a lot of growing up to do in America to find myself and my sound.
Image is of course important when carving out the ultimate packaged product. Is fashion important to you and if so what are your preferred designers or labels to wear?
Yes of course the image of the sound is as important to the package as anything else. I’m always finding an easy outfit in All Saints. I think being smart/casual is always a good choice to get you through, whatever comes up in your day.
For some of our readers that don’t know, you were in a very successful sister band of S Club 7, aptly titled S Club Juniors. Do you think that being in the band gave you a good grounding for partaking in the journey of pursuing your new music?
As I said, playing Wembley Arena was my first gig and there were many others. It was the best school I could have been in for where I am now.
You spent a lot of your time in LA after the band parted ways. What made you relocate there – well, apart from the year-round sunshine?
The sun is great but it does get a bit repetitive, coming from a seasonal climate like the UK – which I surprisingly missed. I actually went there originally because I booked a TV show for the CW/Paramount called Life is Wild. After we had finished I was there and ready to get back to my music.
Achieving success at such an early age has put many of today’s current stars on a downward spiral. What has kept you so grounded over the years? You do seem very humble, to say the amount of credibility you have.
I have a great family and they have always shown me the right way to treat others. I love what I do and am very driven to achieve my goals.
You have a pretty rad band behind you – all very talented musicians. How did they come about?
Since returning to the UK my first priority was to find the right musicians to play with. Luckily my local area has provided me with some great talented players: Joe Altham on bass, David Miles on guitar and Shane Mckibbins on drums. They’re the kind of players where one rehearsal is all that’s needed.
I know you recently performed at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho, but do you have any more performance dates lined up over the UK?
Our next confirmed gig is at the Bedford in London 10 December. We have quite a few more in the works, which will be confirmed very soon through my social pages that can be located through my official website CalvinGoldspinkMusic.com.
The EP has left me wanting more. I know you may not be able to disclose too much, but is there more music on the horizon?
Yes, absolutely. It was hard to choose just four songs out of my growing collection for the EP. I’m constantly writing at the moment too. I felt The Lemon Tree EP, was the perfect palette for my debut release.
How does it feel to know some people are still following you as an artist years after S Club Juniors? You must have a very varied fan base these days?
Yes, and it is nice to see that people have grown with me and support what I’m doing now. New support is growing, which I am very excited about.
With so many shows like The X-Factor saturating the market and creating the need for manufactured artists, what are your thoughts on shows like this?
I think that they are one platform of release. If the artists that do these shows feel that it will benefit them, in the long term, then good on them.
You play a lot of your own music (guitar, mostly). Is it important to you that you are so involved in the whole process, from writing to performing?
Yes. Coming from a non-writing background, I found that unless you assert yourself around producers, they will happily do it for you. It has taken a long time to gain enough life experience for me to write about it and know what I want to say in my songs. The songs always feel right when you do them yourself and take control and even better to perform.
As previously mentioned, you have experienced a lot of the riches within the tough music industry already. Where do you see yourself in another 10 years time?
I hope to continue to write and perform my own music and share it with as many people as possible.
What advice would you give to anyone currently struggling to make it in the industry?
Take control and don’t give up! If you want to make something happen… do it yourself.
For further information you can also follow Calvin on his official Twitter account: @THECalvinGold.
Calvin’s latest EP, The Lemon Tree, can be downloaded from iTunes store.
