Movin' On | Matt Connarton Unleashed

0:00 Speaker 1: All right, let's see, I think we have Elijah Jenkins with us via WhatsApp. Let's see how this goes. Elijah, are you there?

0:07 Speaker 2: I am here?

0:08 Speaker 3: Is good?

0:09 Speaker 1: Oh? Perfect, perfect, no feedback, Everything's awesome, wonderful, all right, all right, yeah, yeah, I knew we I knew we would work through it. So so welcome Elijah again. You know, I love your solo work. Obviously we just played take a Chance on Her. That is a great song. But I'm really curious to learn more about your band moving on. I love that song Absolutely. We did the American radio premiere for that recently, and I really enjoyed getting to play that again as well. And so tell us about the band.

0:39 Speaker 1: I'm curious about how you know, because obviously you know you have released songs as a solo artist, but what why moving on? Why why move into a band project with the with your material?

0:52 Speaker 3: So I've had songs like Absolutely, which is obviously out now, and a couple of other things that we've got in the works for a while towards the end of the solo days, and I thought it was I thought the songs needed a band behind them, to be honest with you, Matt, I thought that was the way we were going to get the best potential out of them. So a little bit about the lads in the band. We've got Scott on drums, who I was in a former band with but when I was seventeen, and then we've got George on bass, who I have a mutual friends with, and then we've got Alfie on guitar, who was last to join us in mid October of last year.

1:31 Speaker 3: So you know, we're still only what we're in now. Late February was still only about four months into the journey as the band, but we're really happy with what we've done so far.

1:43 Speaker 1: How hard was it to find the right people? I mean, did the chemistry sort of come together quickly? Because obviously when you're putting a band together to do material that you've already written and you know recorded in some form, I mean, is it obviously it's a priority to write to find the right people. Was that difficult or did this come together quickly?

2:06 Speaker 3: So with Scott, I knew Scott who was obviously the drummer, so I knew he was going to be.

2:13 Speaker 2: I knew we worked well together.

2:15 Speaker 1: Yea.

2:15 Speaker 3: With Georgia we had mutual friends, so reached out to him on Instagram. Before Alfie came in, we did have another guitarist, but we parted ways for a couple of different reasons, and George knew Alfie and me and George both reached out to Alfie. And then then first few rehearsals were so exciting because it was obviously just as well as playing the songs and getting to know the songs, it was also getting to know each other on like a personal level as well, and to build that band chemistry, which is something we've gotten, something we're very very happy with and proud of as well.

2:52 Speaker 1: Sure sure, was that always kind of the goal when you were recording and releasing music as a solo artist. Did you always kind of have it in mind that you would like to transition that into a band or is that something that you sort of came to over time.

3:07 Speaker 3: It's come quite recently, to be honest. I think definitely in my earlier solo days, when I had done Start Again and stuff like that, I couldn't really see it as a band. But then the more I started to write and the more I started to think about it, and when it was just me and my guitar, I could hear drums in the back of songs and guitar solos and bass, and obviously I can't play all that at once at the same time, so I thought, right, we need to get a band behind it, and yeah, that's what we've done and couldn't be happy with it either.

3:46 Speaker 1: Yeah, No, it sounds great. Absolutely. Now that's the only single you've released so far as a band to this point.

3:52 Speaker 2: Correct, Yes, that is correct, okay, And.

3:55 Speaker 1: What's kind of been the response over there? I mean, obviously, you know, we played it here, so an American audience is getting exposure to it. But I mean do people when people hear it, do they do they recognize it's you right away with a band or how's how's that transition been in terms of interacting with your audience and and what's some of the feedback that you've gotten from them.

4:17 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's been smooth, to be fair, Even when we've been working with a lot of the people here in the on the UK side of things as well, like gig promoters and stuff, they're really pleased to see it move into a band and it adds a lot more energy even to some of the solo stuff that had been doing as well, a lot of the solo songs that are out have now got full band versions that we're obviously playing live, so you know, we're still keeping the solo stuff in there, but you know, we've transitioned it all now into a you know, the four piece band, and you know, the receptions who it's been fantastic from obviously both sides of the pond, which we're really really happy about.

4:59 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, that's fantas So an obvious question, where does the name come from? Moving On?

5:06 Speaker 3: So the name moving On comes from when I just previously mentioned we obviously had another guitarist who we separated ways with, and yeah, I created a WhatsApp group with myself, George and Scott.

5:24 Speaker 2: Called moving On.

5:25 Speaker 3: Oh and it wasn't really thought of us like, oh, this will be the band name or anything. It was just like, oh, this is how we're going to move on from this situation. Yeah, and it sort of stuck, and you know, then we added alphae in and we were like, right, we've got to think of a band name. And I was thinking, you know a while about what a lot of the songs reflect, and a lot of the songs reflect you know, nostalgia, but also escapism, and you know that wanting to be free just for moving on was the perfect fit really for what a lot of the songs are about that are obviously already out from the solo project, but a lot of what's to come as well.

6:10 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, were you surprised that the name was available because you know, it almost seems like somebody else has already got to be using that name, right, but but apparently not, like you know, you you found something that I'm just curious, you know, I'm always fascinated by how artists, you know, decide to choose a name, and you know, it is almost surprising to me that was available, but obviously it was. Was it a surprise to you? It was?

6:35 Speaker 3: I mean we had to drop the g Yeah, wasn't initially on the WhatsApp group chat, but no, Yeah, obviously did the research around it, and when we found out it was available and you know, we could get it on Spotify and all that, it just all seemed to fall into place at.

6:54 Speaker 2: The exact right moment.

6:55 Speaker 3: And you know, when we went into the studio to do Absolutely and then the other songs that will have coming out later this year, it's just all seemed to fit into place really well. And you know, we've got some cracking live shows coming up. We've got a headline show in Liverpool at the Jacaranda, which is a famous venue where the Beatles played when they were just starting out. And then we've got a couple of festivals and a few unannounced things that I can't spill the lid on yet, but as soon as soon as I can, you'll be hearing all about it.

7:30 Speaker 1: Outstanding festivals are great. You know I say this all the time. You might have even heard me say it. Festivals are The great thing about festivals is on two levels. On one, you know, obviously you're playing in front of a large crowd and you're going to get exposed or fans are going to get exposed to you, new fans perspectively who might not have been aware of you or have ever seen you live or heard your music before. So it's such a fantastic way to expand your fan base. But it's also an easy way to be able to network, you know, and meet their industry people and of course other artists as well, just more broadly, but it's such a Festivals are just such an amazing opportunity for an artist like yourself to just really again not only expand your fan base, but expand yourself within the industry in terms of who you meet and the connections that you make, and you never know what might lead to something even more so, that's great.

8:22 Speaker 1: It's great that you're gonna be doing a couple of those. I'm curious about the show at the Jack Randa. You know you mentioned the Beatles. How how do you feel about I mean, is it pressure to be playing a show like that or are you just excited? Or is there like especially where you're from, because you know, obviously you know there's the Beatles and the music scene there. I mean, I'm sure it's always really amazing and that there's so much great talent there. But i mean, do you feel any pressure with that or is it more just excitement or maybe you'll feel pressure on the day of the show.

8:56 Speaker 1: I don't know, But how do you how do you feel about that? How do you process that psychologically leading up to it?

9:02 Speaker 3: It's a bit of everything, to be honest with you, Matt, To be honest, obviously, yeah, you know there's pressure. When you first announced the show, you hope it sells well, you know, we're nearly sold out, which I'm absolutely delighted to say. You know that this song and the way the band's been received since we announced that it would be a band in late December and then when the show got announced, you know, we've had a really, really great reception and response. We've played the Jacaranda beforemat which I think, oh, ease is a little bit of the pressure.

9:34 Speaker 3: We've played a support slot there just before Christmas. Yeah, so I think that eases the pressure. But you know, headlining it is a different kettle of fish, but I think it will be that same emotion that's tied to both nerves but also just immense excitement ready to get out there and perform.

9:51 Speaker 1: That's great. That's great. By the way, I saw a couple of names of bands associated with you that you may have played shows with scruff of the neck and this feeling. Are there are those bands that you've been playing with.

10:05 Speaker 3: No, So they're the promoters and the booking agents that we use, and they have oh real champions of unsigned, unsigned acts across the UK.

10:17 Speaker 1: Oh fantastic, Okay, that's why those names came up. Yeah, uh no, that's great. I mean, how how would you how do you feel about the scene there currently? I mean, like I said, I know, you know a lot of great bands have come out of that area, but uh, I mean, are there a lot of other bands that sound because I feel like your sound is is unique. Obviously it's reflective of your solo work, but but with a full band. But I mean, what's is it competitive there? Is it more just a community thing where everybody kind of works together.

10:48 Speaker 1: How would you describe the scene where you are?

10:52 Speaker 3: It makes it both to be honest, Matt, you know, there's support and there's you know, willingness from you know of the bands to do well and opportunities, you know, like when we've been looking for support slots, we've been offered it by different.

11:06 Speaker 2: Bands who are on the way up as well.

11:09 Speaker 3: But you know, it's it's a competitive scene, but there's no one, you know, drugging anyone down and wanting anyone to not do well just so they can do well.

11:19 Speaker 2: If that makes sense.

11:20 Speaker 3: Like there's a lot of bands out there, but a lot of the bands are all very good, and you know, everyone supports each other, which I think is fantastic.

11:28 Speaker 1: No, that is fantastic. You know. I always say success in life or or in a career. It's not a zero sum game, you know. It's not like just because somebody else is doing well that means you're automatically doing less well, you know so, and I think musicians generally understand that, which is good. What's kind of the forward trajectory for you guys as a band? Obviously you've got the single Absolutely, which is out. Is there a second single on the way? Do you plan to do an EP or an album? What's kind of the next year look like for Moving On?

12:03 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think the next year for Moving On, Matt, it looks good. We've already got our second single recorded and produced. Oh so that that will lead into an EP okay, probably into the second half of this year, and then just getting out everywhere, Matt. You know, as I said before, we've got a couple of festivals lined up. We're going to be announcing a London show this weekend as well. We'll be announcing another headline in our hometown of Chester in the next few weeks. So it's going to be a really busy year for us, Matt, but it's one we're really looking forward to.

12:42 Speaker 3: But yeah, I think in terms of obviously you know, the second single will be out, give it to a three months. We'll let people enjoy absolutely, but then we'll make sure that they're wanting the next one as well, and then we'll give the people what they want. But yeah, second half of the year and especially the summer is going to be a really great time for Moving On with lots of gigs and a couple of festivals lined up as well.

13:08 Speaker 2: So yeah, we're all really excited about it.

13:11 Speaker 1: No, that's wonderful. Yeah, it's great to see that you're off to such a great start with the band, and you know, and obviously with your solo work you built a strong foundation. But it's great to see the band doing well. And like I said, I love that first single absolutely, that's really good. Where should people go, Elijah, where's the best place to go online to keep up with everything that Moving On is doing or that Elijah Jenkins is doing? Where should people go?

13:34 Speaker 3: Yeah? So for the band, it's moving On Official without the g So m ov in On Official for the Instagram and that's where to keep up with everything, and then it's the same on Spotify as well.

13:51 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, outstanding. I think in a moment we're gonna close with one of your again, one of your solo songs, start Again, which I think is appropriate in a sense because you know you moving on. Start Again. This is another one of the songs that we had played previously that I really love, and then I'll probably play absolutely again a little bit later in the show because we did play it to open our segment with you today. But Elijah again, congratulations on the band and the success that you're having.

14:20 Speaker 1: It's wonderful to see this transition in your career. And when the next single is ready, we would love to be again the first American radio station to play that, if you will do us the honor, and we love being able to kind of be your conduit into the American radio market because we're big fans of what you're doing.

14:38 Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, Matt, I appreciate that nice one.

14:40 Speaker 1: Oh, definitely, definitely, So we're going to hit that track. We will let you go. But Elijah Jenkins of Moving On, thank you again, my friend, and we will talk to you soon, I'm sure.

14:50 Speaker 2: James out, thank you everyone, you got it.

14:52 Speaker 1: Bye bye, all right. That is Elijah Jenkins from the band Moving On, and this is another one of his solo songs This is so good. I love this. This is called start Again.