Youthful charisma, a melodic voice, well-choreographed dance moves and sauve styling: British artist Harvey Cantwell- HRVY – is perfect pop star material. Since the singer joined the music industry in 2013 with his debut track ‘Thank You’, HRVY has already amassed a huge following. In a short span of time since his track ‘Personal’ broke the airwaves and internet in 2017, the charming singer-songwriter has captured an astronomical audience worldwide and is Britain’s answer to Shawn Mendes or a gen-Z Justin Bieber.
For someone who’s previously been on tour with Little Mix, The Vamps and scored collaborations with the likes of R3HAB, Stylo G, red Foo, Jonas Blue, NCD Dream, Matoma, Seeb, Becky Hill, Danna Paola, HRVY has sold out countless headline shows in North America, Asia and Australia. At just 23-years-old, he has already established a successful music and TV career, thanks to appearances as a presenter on CBBC’s Friday Download and as a contestant on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and opening National Television Awards.
FACE’s editor Neha Sachar Mittal hung out with the singer to chat about his musical journey, excerpts below
1) It is said that art is held to reflect the inner state of the artist. What defines you as an artist and as a person?
My manager and friends say I’m a triple threat, I sing, I dance, and I act. I think what defines those things and I as an artist is that my work ethic is always strong, I look to put 100 percent of my energy into my work and utilize the time I have to keep myself busy. It’s the same in my personal life, I was fortunate enough to recently build my own house, and every intricate part of the design and furniture to the structure of the building was my idea and my input, I like to be across everything in my personal life too, the only thing I separate is my family time. I like to put everything down, and spend time with my family doing normal things and just enjoying my time with them, again putting 100 percent of my time and effort into my family. I think these things define me in my life.
2) Tell us a little about your journey and the methodology you’ve employed to establish yourself as one of the UK’s finest pop musicians?
My journey started when I was 13 years old, I’ve always loved music and performing from a young age. I used social media to showcase my singing, back in the day it was Facebook. I then signed with a record label at 14! Which is very young, now I look back on it. I’ve definitely used social media as a tool to establish myself in the industry. I’ve got a few million followers on different platforms so that’s pretty cool!
3) Who and what do you feel inspired by in the music industry?
I’m always inspired by new fresh artists! I love seeing songs pop up on my Tik Tok page and discovering new artists and sounds. It definitely helps when I create new music. I love JVKE, Bazzi, Billie, and Shawn Mendes!
4) Social media has always played a huge role in your life. As one of the breakout stars from TikTok, how important are these apps to thrive and garner success?
It’s such a powerful platform for artists in today’s world. Most songs now in the charts have gained a lot of traction on Tik Tok first. It’s a love-hate relationship for me! I love using and watching it, but sometimes it’s hard to create organic content if you love to promote your music. Everyone’s looking for that next viral video for their sound but it’s harder than it seems.
5) How have you handled social media trolls and criticism considering you started much early? Did mental health ever play an important role in your life?
In the beginning, it really did affect me. I didn’t understand why people would say and comment mean things to a kid. But as I got older, I actually dealt with trolling pretty well, and now It’s something I rarely see on my pages or think about. I tend not to read comments and read into things too much. I try to laugh it off as much as I can.
6) Which has been your all-time favourite track and why?
Well, it has to be Bohemian Rhapsody! Legendary song and band. One of the only songs to use every note in every key!!
7) Tell us about a crazy concert memory or fan encounter you’ve had thus far?
When I first came to Mumbai in 2018 I walked through the crowd after a show and it was absolutely wild! I had never experienced something like that before, especially not in a foreign country. Someone reached over and pulled my hair and I heard “omg I touched his hair”
8) What’s your music-making process? In the studio, do you have any parameters when you create music or decide on collaborators?
I love collaborating! I think it’s so fun to do a song with another artist. I normally like to listen to chords first and then begin with melodies, once I’ve figured that out I start thinking and writing lyrics! I’m currently searching for an Indian collaboration as we speak, so I’d love some suggestions
9) Your songs have very interesting names… How do you come up with them?
Honestly, I absolutely have no idea. They kinda just come to me, or I’ll see it on my phone and it just looks good.
10) How do you handle the pressure that comes with being successful at such a young age?
I mean I never really feel too much pressure, but there is sometimes a little pressure on me. I of course want to always be successful but some years have been better than others. I try to stay away from analytics, that’s the pressure stuff, always trying to see good stats on your music and making sure songs do well.
11) You’ve been around the music industry since you were 14. What have been some of your biggest learnings and lessons along the way?
Take your time. It doesn’t happen overnight. Stop using so much hair spray. Make the most out of every opportunity. You only get to live this little dream of yours once so just go for it and enjoy the ride.
12) You released ‘View From The 23rd Floor’ at the start of the year, are you looking at putting out another EP or even your debut album?
Definitely. I’m always in the studio making new music but I’m currently working towards the release of a potential body of work in the new year. It’s still going to be super pop, which is the stuff I love, and hopefully, people enjoy listening to it.
13) You’ve been in the music industry since 2013 and you’ve experimented with so many different genres. Is there anything else you really want to try out genre-wise?
I would love to release a few ballads. I really enjoy doing acoustic versions of my big pop dance songs so why not just do a slow chill vibe song, to begin with, right? I love singing other people’s ballads so really it’s about time I give it a go too.
14) Would you say your television work has helped your music career and broadened your fanbase? And can we expect to see you in more presenting/acting roles any time soon?
Yes definitely, it’s really helped with my confidence in front of a camera and certainly widened my fan base. I’ve also learned skills from some TV I’ve done. I did a show called Strictly Come Dancing and learned how to ballroom dance and Latin dance. (My future wedding dance will be epic). I’m also doing my first-ever movie in February which is super exciting, so let’s see how I do!
15) Your latest release ‘I Wish I Could Hate You’ sees you transitioning from a pop star to embarking on a new chapter as a songwriter. How important is experimentation? Tell us about how your artistry and soundscape have evolved since you started out.
When I first released music, I was super young, so my lyrics had to reflect my age a lot. Now I’m 23 I’ve experienced a lot more of life, so the concept of my songs and the sounds used in them is a lot more grown-up. That’s also really helped with my songwriting as now I can use my real-life emotions and experiences to influence and inspire my lyrics.
16) Are there any collaborators still on your wishlist – artists, writers, producers – that you want to get in the studio with?
Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo, Bazzi, JVKE, Bazzi, Max Martin, I mean the list is endless.
17) ‘After everything, if the music is something that you don’t love and the music isn’t good, then it doesn’t matter’ are words of advice given to you by Shawn Mendes. How did you end up meeting him and how has this piece of advice stuck with you?
I actually met him backstage at a concert in London! He was so lovely and kind and those words really did stick with me. And they’re so true, the music is really the only thing that matters in the long run.
18) What advice would you offer to budding upcoming musicians?
Make sure you’re singing songs you love and adore. The only person that’s gonna make it happen for you is you. Be kind to everyone around you, the industry is so small and everyone knows everyone.
19) You have collaborated with K-Pop act NCT for ‘Don’t Need Your Love’. What was the main highlight from your time in Korea and what do you think we should adopt from their music industry? K-pop has really taken over the world right now.
I absolutely loved working with the boys on this song. My main highlight was meeting the boys and getting to know them. They’re so talented and just watching them work and pick up dance moves so quickly was incredibly inspiring. I think we should adopt the work ethic from the world of K-pop, they work so hard and you can see from the love from the fans that it pays off, they really appreciate it.
20) What intrigues you about India and its fans? Since you have visited the region twice already.
The culture is so beautiful and the people are so passionate about music and the industry. My 3rd most popular market on my Spotify wrapped was India which says a lot! I can’t wait to return in 2023, hopefully, people will come and see me and I can travel to different cities across India.
21) Would you like to collaborate with any Indian actor or singer in the future? Do Bollywood and the film industry interest you?
Bollywood really interests me, it’s so huge, I met a few stars and everyone swarmed them and asked for pictures, I didn’t realize how famous they really were. I would definitely love to do an Indian collaboration, maybe even sing some Hindi, that would be really cool. Let’s see what 2023 brings
