Hailing from Cumbria, Georgina didn’t come from an especially musical family, however, she was always surrounded by music, from being played music in the car to her dad taking her to local gigs. She also had great teachers who fostered her passion. When she was young, her Grampa attempted to teach her piano, a pursuit that didn’t last too long as she “wasn’t too motivated to practice as he couldn’t tell her off.” Guitar was clearly the favoured instrument, as it was something she “just picked up.”
“I’ve always enjoyed writing stories,” says Georgina, “when I got to the age where things actually started happening to me” it proved the perfect opportunity to combine musicianship and storytelling to express things Georgina “just needed to get off [her] chest.” “It’s just a part of me, I have to do music now.”
Drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences, the alt-pop sound of Holly Humberstone is something Georgina looks to the most, alongside Manchester band Pale Waves, who she first discovered at Leeds Festival. Being around live music at a formative age played a massive part in Georgina’s musical development: the Cumbria folk scene in particular left a lasting impression.
Her influences can be heard in the first single off her EP, Yellow Line, which was released on 5 April. A uniquely piano-driven song, Yellow Line was the oldest song Georgina wrote from the EP, being released almost two years after she first composed it. “I love the concept,” says Georgina, “it reflected what I was going through at the time.” She wanted people to hear it first as it was a song that “a lot of people can relate to […] the idea of crossing a yellow line, everybody leaves.” Symbolic of change, “train stations are a big theme of the EP,” as Georgina reflects on “moving away [and how] relationships shift and change.”
Continuing her exploration into youth and change, Georgina is most excited to share 4 in the Afternoon, the closing track of her EP. Upbeat and “a lot more light-hearted,” than some of her other songs, it was the culmination of her working relationship with her producer, Tony Brown: it captured the right mix of her own style and his style, something they’d both become accustomed to over the long process of writing and recording the EP.
The idea of change bled through into the studio as well, as Georgina was confronted with a different approach to songwriting. Normally she would “start with the title” and “just sit in a dark corner of [her] room and write,” but when it came to working with Tony, “he had already got the instrumental stuff, and then I’d write lyrics with him,” she says, joking “it was like therapy.” The helping hand might’ve proved useful, as she admitted, “I find it really hard to write with the intention of writing,” instead preferring to allow a song to come together naturally, in its own time.
Working with Tony was “really different to what I’d done before,” says Georgina, but “working with other people is my main motivation for music.” She enjoys bouncing off other people’s energy and ideas: something she’s now bringing to her live shows by performing with a band. “Playing with other people gives me the biggest buzz,” she says, “we’re taking it gig by gig, but it’s such a good feeling when it works.”
However, in between writing and gigging, it can be hard to find time for university work, especially when her “main way of getting money at uni is through gigs.” Although the last couple of weeks have proved particularly challenging as deadlines loom, Georgina has still managed to make the best out of a difficult situation: “there’re a few songs I’m writing at the minute that talk about trying not to get too burnt out with juggling everything.”
The struggle of balancing music and university extends to her housing situation as well, as just the other night, Georgina was “just going for it a bit more, [singing] a bit louder, until [she] heard banging on the ceiling.”
Despite the balancing act, Georgina’s university experience so far has been an overwhelmingly positive one, she claims it’s “brought the adventurous side of me out.” She loves her course – her “plan B” – and has settled in well with a “really lovely group of girlfriends.” “The friendships I’ve made through uni have influenced my music,” says Georgina, “it’s really special,” that they support her and come to her gigs.
Offering some words of wisdom, Georgina implores anyone interested in pursuing music alongside university to take advantage of their local music scene. “Go to open mics and speak to people, network,” she says, “you’ll meet some really amazing people who’ll give you really good advice.” “Don’t be afraid to speak to people.”
Looking ahead, Georgina is currently writing her second EP: “the songs are maybe a little bit more mature,” she says. She’s excited to write with her band, but she’s also considering stripping things back to “just guitar and singing,” again. Furthermore, Georgina’s playing ‘A Stone’s Throw’ festival on 25 May in North Shields, a great opportunity to see local bands and musicians from across the North East. But mainly, Georgina’s looking forward to finishing her exams and going home to see her dog, Poppy.
Georgina Gale’s EP Did You Run? is out on 10 May.
Georgina Gale’s EP Launch show at Zerox, supported by Ben Harwood and Lottie Willis, is 18 May. Tickets are linked below.
https://www.seetickets.com/event/georgina-gale-ep-launch/zerox/2988029