Interview with singer Colin M. Potter of Blindness & Light
By Mick Michaels
Cosmick View: Hello, Colin! Welcome
to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to
speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.
Colin
M. Potter: No problem, thanks for inviting me in!
CV: What do you feel is the
allure your music has over competing artists and bands in your genre? What has
them taking notice in your opinion?
CMP:
Firstly, maybe the allure is that I’ve never seen it as a competition with
other artists, I don’t write to order or with the intention of having a
particular sound.The Blindness & Light sound is the one and only way these
songs could emerge. I grew up with post-punk in the North-West of England and
it shaped me into what I am.People who I consider to be the founders of
post-punk, such as Henry Priestman (Yachts and It’s Immaterial) and Paul
Simpson (The Teardrop Explodes and The Wild Swans), are enthusiastic about
Blindness & Light because they are aware of the reference points and know
that my post-punk credentialsaregenuine. Their support has certainly put fuel
in my creative tank, which helps to drive me forward to the second album.
CV: Do you think internet
radio is a valuable resource as a modern mainstream outlet for both upcoming
and established artists? If so, why and if not, why not?
CMP:
Yes, for sure. I couldn’t survive with FM radio alone. I live in a fairly
remote area and the signal is often poor. Internet radio is a savior for me
giving access to a wide range of genre specific programs. The vast majority of
Blindness & Light radio plays have been via the support of smaller internet
radio stations worldwide. The supernal support of Chris Currie from Mersey
Radio is an example of this as is Sarah Wynn Griffiths from MônFM…their new
music programs are the lifeblood of emerging indie artists.
CV: In your opinion, can an
artist truly be independent given an industry that relies heavily on big
budgets and massive fan appreciation?
CMP:
Is anything truly independent? We all interact in some way with the environment
we exist in, whether it be music or some other aspect of the life we lead. I
suppose what I’m saying is that everything is connected. Even when you live on
an island, as I do, you realize quickly that you are still intrinsically
connected with the world. In terms of the music industry, I believe the best
you can wish for is a level of independence. As soon as I write anything, I
must feel I have something to say. This applies to all writers. I haven’t kept my
songs secret; therefore I must be after some kind of connection with like-minded
people. That is happening more and more each day.
CV: Tell us a little about
your current project? What can listeners expect to hear? What makes it
stand out in your opinion?
CMP:
Blindness & Light is an informal collective of people that I like to work
with. It makes a lot more sense to me than the formality of a rigid band
especially as I live far away from most of the musicians I know anyway. This
ebb and flow does help the creative process by maintaining the vitality of what
we do from track to track. This relative independence allows me to write at my
own pace with no pressure to simply bang out tunes to fulfil the obligations of
a contract. After 6 singles since September the debut album is due to be
released on 1st July. I’m proud of this, I never thought it would
happen. I couldn’t have done it without producer, Tony Denmade, whose tenacity
has managed to extract out the best of my musical self. My music collaborators,
Elise P, Henry P, Helena D, Helen R, Mike Jand Andy G all have helped immensely
too and are keen to continue on this dive in to the realms of post-punk.
CV: Music has a way of
expressing things that words sometimes seem to fail to. How has music helped
you better express yourself?
CMP:
There is music embedded in every thought I have. I can have music without words
but never words without music. Words and music are inextricably intertwined in
my head like DNA strands. Words always float on a sea of music …for me at
least. It’s always been that way. The music at the beginning of The First Light
Of Day has been with me since birth. It’s quite odd for me to finally have a
representation of that on record.
CV: What do you feel your
music is saying to the world? And do you feel that message is being heard?
CMP:
As humans, we all need to improve or else we will destroy ourselves. Humanity
needs to grow up soon and stop repeating the same mistakes again and again
leaving any lessons learned to distant memories. Will a few tunes written on
Anglesey expedite this collective maturity? I have my doubts but there is hope
for the future, I genuinely believe that.
CV: What do you believe
your greatest asset is as an artist? How have you seen that asset benefit
yourself and others?
CMP:
The cost of being fairly independent is having to do almost everything
yourself. Writing music and lyrics, learning vocals and instrument parts,
recording, self-promoting on social media, getting radio play, making videos,
sorting out art work, merch etc. etc. This
can be quite an intimidating load. I’m quite relaxed about getting through all
of this and it seems to have a knock on effect with those around me. I see the
best coming out of those who choose to work with me. I love that!
CV: What more can fans
expect to see coming from you in the near future?
CMP:
Our debut album will be released across all streaming platforms on 1st
July 2023 with the CD being available on Bandcamp (pre-orders available now!).
A limited run of 100 vinyl will also be available but production issues mean
that will be a couple of weeks late, unfortunately. This will be available on
Bandcamp too, as well as 81 Renshaw St., Liverpool, The Vinyl Exchange,
Manchester and MudShark Records, Bangor. The second album has already been
written, so recording will start in September at Tony’s studio in Warrington.
This should be available in late 2024. I also have a side project called Radio
Psychosis. This is a combination of myself and Mike Juvenile, who is the
singer/song writer of Liverpool indie band, KEEF and previously of The
Juveniles. Our debut single, Television, will be released in August this year.
CV: Thanks again for taking
the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued
success.
CMP:
Many thanks…diolchynfawr. Look after y’self!
Check out Blindness & Light at:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/blindness-light
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/19pK0lMcSxbAVWrVw55NPl
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blindnessandlight
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084764070852
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlindnessLight
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindness_and_light/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blindness_and_light?lang=en
Website: www.blindnessandlight.com
Bandcamp: https://blindnesslight.bandcamp.com/follow_me
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/blindness_and_light
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