Louis Berry
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Louis Berry

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | INDIE

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2014
Solo Alternative Pop

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"Live at Kendal Calling"

Louis Berry is a Scouse rock and roller - one can infer from his reference to Her Majesty's pleasure that he may have been something of a naughty boy in the past but he's clearly discovered the redemptive power of music. Being blessed with a veritable roar of a voice, he and his sharp band seem perfectly at home on the big stage, the songs drip with Liverpudlian heritage and do the massed ranks of Merseysiders proud. - There Goes The Fear


"GIT Award 2015"

Louis Berry is named the second recipient of The GIT Award One to Watch ahead of the Kazimier showcase on Saturday 4 April 2015.
With just days to go until the winner of Liverpool’s GIT Award 2015 is announced at the Kazimier on Saturday April 4, organisers can reveal the winner of the One to Watch prize is 23-year-old rock & roller Louis Berry.
Kirkby-born Louis Berry wins this year’s One To Watch Prize, which is awarded to one emerging artist and selected by the Merseyside judging panel, having released just one track to date – yet was named Radio 1’s ‘hottest record in the world right now.’

Described by Getintothis’ Peter Guy as ‘channelling the energy of Jerry Lee Lewis through the story-telling of Dylan’, Berry follows on from the inaugural One To Watch winner Låpsley who went on to sign a deal with XL Recordings and release her critically-acclaimed debut EP earlier this year.

Berry’s debut offering .45 was tipped by national print press and radio and after playing just two gigs he signed a contract at each; a publishing deal following an explosive BBC Introducing set and recording terms after lighting up the Arts Club.

Louis has recently been in London recording more tracks ahead of a first full release. Berry will celebrate his One To Watch win with a live performance at the GIT Award 2015 ceremony on Saturday April 4. - Get IntoThis


"Louis Berry- '25 Reasons'"

While Louis Berry might claim to have ’25 reasons why you should not be my girl’, I reckon that anyone who’ll listen to his brand new track 25 Reasons will want to be his girl (or boy).

The 24-year old from Liverpool already won over Zane Lowe and Huw Stephens’ heart with his track .45 from last year.
Now, on the back of a great set at The Great Escape (if you want to believe the Twitter universe), he smacks us around the ears with an undeniably catchy 25 Reasons. - Front Stage Music


"Interview- Louis Berry"

Combing a resonance of the greats, from Johnny Cash and Jerry-Lee Lewis to Bob Dylan, Louis Berry projects soulful rock and roll with a searing attitude. Think Jake Bugg, but with more bite. Think the blues, but with more clamor. Hailing from Liverpool, Berry chats to Gigslutz on how his background has fueled his song writing, as he rockets to recognition with a debut album in the pipeline and an October headline tour.

What has Louis Berry been up to today?

I’m in the studio today, so I’m looking out the window right now and I can see amazing glorious sunlight. And then I turn around here and I’m looking at dusty pieces of equipment and that, so I’m like a bit of a prisoner today.

So first of all, when did you first pick up a guitar and decide to start make music?

It didn’t happen in that order. I picked up a guitar because my Grandad used to have a guitar under his bed and I wasn’t allowed to touch it. So because I wasn’t allowed to touch it, I did.

And I just taught myself a couple of chords and all that. And yeah, I told my Grandad I liked it and I showed him I could play the guitar. And he was like, pissed off that I’d been playing his guitar.

So he went and bought me a banjo and said; ‘Everyone plays the guitar, play a banjo instead, no one plays the banjo.’ So I wasn’t happy about that. So that was it.

But there was a big gap between that and coming to start writing songs and things. I just knew how to do it, it was just something I could do, like I’d never practiced or played any music or anything like that. It just came naturally. It was just by chance that I got into it again.

Do you feel your heritage in coming from the musical city of Liverpool is important or do you kind-of detach yourself from the Liverpool scene?

Yeah I would say it’s important. But the Liverpool music scene and the streets of Liverpool are two very different things all together. I come from the streets in Liverpool. The really rough end in Liverpool, you know? I am 100 percent scouse.

But the music scene doesn’t consist of people from Liverpool that was always my problem with it. It wasn’t my problem with the actual scene itself, but the problem was when I used to go to bars. I’d go to these bars and I’d say; ‘can I get up and have a go?’ This was when I was starting out and I wanted to have a little go, you know? And I’d go down there and they’d say; ‘You’re not allowed to, we’ve got our regulars tonight mate.’

And the regulars that these bars had weren’t from Liverpool. So they were kind-of blocking people actually from Liverpool coming in. The way I see it now, is that these people thought we were a threat.

Do you feel your working-class background is an element of fuel to the fire in creating fearlessly powerful rock and roll?

Yeah 100 percent. I mean ‘working-class’, I don’t really understand that word because most people where I come from don’t even work. When I was growing up, we had no food and we had no money. So I don’t really consider myself as from working-class.

But of course my background definitely plays an influence. The reason I use rock and roll like this is because I’m an opposition to a lot of things. Waving my arms around and saying it nicey-nicey is not gonna get me nowhere, so. I have to try and put it across as blunt as possible really.

Do you feel you bring the classic rock and roll rebel sound into 2015? Do you find that this sound and spirit is quite timeless?

Yeah, definitely. I feel like there’s a lot of rock going on lately but there’s not a lot of roll. You know, it’s just same-old, same-old it’s boring. I feel like what happened with older rock and roll was it didn’t quite get where I would have liked it to get. It’s just become same-old and bland. And I’m just here to put some roll into it.

Your music seems to combine elements of the greats, from Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis to Bob Dylan. But who do you claim as your greatest influences, and how do you feel about these prestigious comparisons?

My greatest influences I’d say are the people who are around me. The people I see suffering everyday, the people I see who can’t feed themselves everyday. They influence me more than any artist.

But if I had to pick an artist… You see I grew up listening to rap. I didn’t know who Johnny Cash was until I was like twenty or something like that. I used to listen to Tupac.

I could listen to Tupac all day. He says something about society and he says something about the way things are. And it’s relevant now. I just don’t think he will ever die, his legend lives on.

And it’s the same with Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash is on par with Tupac now for me. But yeah, that kind of music has definitely influenced me, I wouldn’t say it influenced my music directly but it changed my mindset and how I approach music.

You have already seen comparisons to Jake Bugg and The Strypes. But Louis Berry’s music seems to pack more soul, charisma and bite. How do you feel about being compared to these artists and whom would you yourself liken yourself to?

I’ve never heard of The Strypes to be honest with you. I mean with Jake Bugg, for me, it all just lacks authenticity.

That kind of thing, it’s got no substance to it, it’s a bit soft. It’s like saying; ‘oh look at me – I’m from this kind of background…’ Do you know what I mean? I mean if you walked by the chippy by ours, you’d get you’re head chopped. The rest in all them flares or whatever they’re wearing these days, with that hair-do… somebody would smack em on the back of the head

When I was younger we stood there in The North Face jackets with masks on, that’s what we stood there in. So, don’t come out looking like that trying to pretend you’re from the estate mate.

No disrespect to anybody who dresses like that! You can dress however you want as far as I’m concerned but don’t pretend you’re off a hard estate and you’re a hard case and all that. Because you’re just not. You know, I’ve done all that, I don’t need to prove that, that’s who I am, that’s where I come from.

Do you feel it is important for rock and roll to be regenerated for the modern ear?

Yeah, definitely. I mean, I’m still really learning what rock and roll is. People describe my music as rock and roll. But I don’t think about it too much. I just make it. I don’t think about what it is. I don’t want to sound like no one. I just make it and I just think; ‘that sounds good!’

Is your soulful and rasping magnetic voice something that’s come naturally in singing, or is this a style you have perfected?

Aww no, I don’t think you can perfect it. Some people go to singing lessons and all that, but I just try and sing from the soul, I don’t think about it.

Where do you take influence from for your captivatingly bluesy lyrics and rock and roll stories?

I feel like it’s given to me. But I also absorb a lot, you know? I feel like I don’t really look at things the way other people look at things. I describe things differently, to other people. One way for me to make those descriptions that come to my mind of any use is to put them into a song. - Gig Slutz


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

"If Jonny Cash was a 23 year old street poet from Liverpool he would be hanging out with this guy - He's got talent, he's got rhythm and something worth saying "  Phil Taggart Radio One - UK - 

23 year old Louis Berry hails from the city of liverpool. A switch blade songwriter with a voice of soul. Through politics and crime, love and loss Louis sets its straight.

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