British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Xavier Ralph has just released his new single 'Thoughts of Me', which is the heartfelt story of a tormented mind running wild, told in the form of a powerful, upbeat and soulful pop song.
We had a chat with Xavier recently as part of our Get To Know series...
Introduce yourself and tell us a fun fact about you!
"Hello! I’m Xavier Ralph. I’m not sure there are that many fun facts to tell, but before doing music I was really into kickboxing. I got my black belt and won a British championship."
Where are you from and what’s your favourite thing about that place?
"I’m from Bexhill in Sussex, near Hastings. My favourite thing about living here is that I’m right by the sea, so I get to spend lots of time at the beach when the weather’s good. Nice Fish and Chips too!"
When did you start making music?
"I started writing songs when I was about 10. I’m not sure they were very good if I’m honest but I spent lots of time sat in my room trying to sound like the artists I loved listening to. I guess that’s what helps you develop your own sound eventually."
Have you had a stand out memory so far?
"There have been loads! Probably my proudest so far was doing my own headline show at the Tunbridge Wells Forum last year to launch my album. It was amazing for me because it was the first time that people bought tickets to a show to see me, it was such a great night."
How would you describe your sound in 3 words?
"Upbeat... Exciting... Catchy!"
Who’s your biggest inspiration, musically?
"Too many to say, but my favourite artist and the person I look up to the most in music is John Mayer. Nobody writes a song like him!"
Tell us a little about your new single ‘Thoughts of Me’!
"It actually started as two separate ideas. I had the verses and chorus, but the pre- chorus was originally a chorus for another song. I showed them to my manager/producer Sam and he suggested we put the two ideas together. From that we ended up with 'Thoughts of Me!' We had to record most of it remotely because of the first lockdown, we had a lot of fun though as always and I’m really happy with how it turned out."
How has the reaction been so far?
"Amazing!! I’ve never known so many people to respond and share one of my songs on social media. It’s been shared in the press and play-listed on Spotify all over the world. The music video came out last Friday and got over 1000 views in its first day. It makes the tough times this year and all the hard work feel worth it, I’m so grateful for the support!"
What’s your favourite lyric from the track?
"The lyric I first came up with for the song was the hook “I’m stuck with the thought of you having thoughts of me”. I really liked that line and inspired me to write the rest of the song."
What’s coming up next for you?
"The last few months of mad times has meant I’ve had a lot more free time to write new music. So we’re working hard on getting that recorded at the moment, and you can expect to hear some more new tunes through next year. I’m really excited to share them!"
Listen to 'Thoughts of Me' HERE Instagram: @xavierralphofficial