fresh off the release of his brand new single “By Your Side“, we chatted with him about his inspirations, influences and upcoming plans for the year – always lovely to get more of an insight into artists’ lives and creative journeys.
we’ve heard a bunch of great releases from Craig, and his music has been doing super well over the past few years, with his 60’s rock and roll-inspired sound mixed with indie rock and singer-songwriter influence, proving him as a real unique artist here in the North West. it’s real lovely to chat with him here, finding out more about his music and his creativity, you can find the full interview below! ⬇️
Hey mate, it’s great to have you here for our Knead To Know interview. What got you into doing music?
Some lads in my year did a few songs for a school talent show as a band and I thought I can do that. It was around the time of Arctic Monkeys first album, so they were a big influence too as I was about 14.
What inspires your sound? Who are some of your favourite artists?
I am massively influenced by the sound of retro rock’n’roll (Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, The Beatles) but also amazing poetic lyricists such as Bob Dylan, Frank Turner and Justin Young (The Vaccines). I try my best to mix the two…
Your new single “By Your Side” is out now – tell us a bit about it!
By Your Side is basically a song that says life is fine being on my own but it’s even better when I am with you. Soppy, I know.
How have you found the release so far? What are the highlights for you, with it?
It’s always great to hear from people on social media. I have had a few people message me to praise the song and to hear that from people I don’t know and have no reason to say it (other than that they love the tune) is a great feeling. One person even said it was one of their favourite songs period, which was madness.
What are your main inspirations for writing?
Seeing people dancing, hearing them sing the words back. It’s great when I hear a person’s favourite song of mine, as it’s always a different one and I am inspired by having more to add to that list.
What’s your process for creating music?
It varies. Sometimes I will hear somebody say a phrase and I will just laugh and make a mental note then go home and write a chorus using it. Other times I will challenge myself to write a certain bassline, or to write a song to incorporate a key change or simply strum and hum until something catchy comes along (wow that sounded ruder than I meant it).
Have you been gigging over the past few months? How is it?
In all honesty (when it comes to originals) not as much as I had hoped. Any bands looking for a support or wanting to put a show on, give me a shout.
Do you record in a studio or do you have a personal home studio?
I record at Vibe Studios in Cheetham Hill with producer (and quiet magician) Dean Glover. He filters my mad ideas and up to now, he has always got it right when bringing the songs to what I have in my head.
Have you got anything coming up in 2023 we should know about?
I am supporting The Dunwells in July and also Chris Helm (The Seahorses) in October. Both are in Oldham and are very exciting opportunities.
we always love writing these up, and finding out more about each artist’s inspirations, their creative processes and the journey that they’ve been on, it’s unique to every act! if you’ve not heard it yet, it’s well worth checking out his new single, another class tune under his belt. a big thank you to Craig for letting us interview him – and thank you all for checking it out! 🍞
we’ve covered Craig’s music in the past and we’re huge fans of his tunes – upbeat, catchy and nostalgic for old school rock and roll feels, he’s got a real unique sound that you can tell he’s put time and effort into crafting.
this new single “Built On Bones” only furthers his talent, with a real feel-good vibe from the get-go, opening up real mellow and calm as it opens up to a lovely chorus that feels super full with steady drums, driving bass and a real catchy hook that’ll have audiences singing along in no time. the track flows along so well, with a proper groove behind it, Craig’s vocal gliding over the instrumentation super well. it’s amassed nearly 7k streams so far, incredible to see and very well deserved!
our feature for today’s Just The Crust is the brand new single from Craig Lee and the Humblebees “He Can’t Help Looking At The Time”!
we’ve had Craig on our radar for a while now, he’s got some solid singles under his belt with a proper unique style mixing indie rock and 50/60’s rock and roll to really bring out a nostalgic and upbeat sound to his music!
this new single sounds fantastic, with lovely lyricism throughout, his vocal sounds great and effortlessly glides across the track and the hook is super catchy! a real top tune from these guys. it has a proper summery feel with its upbeat energy, all of the instruments compliment each other so well and it’s just a really well-crafted tune! definitely one to keep an eye out for.
you can find the track on all streaming platforms, along with his previous singles which are well worth giving a listen to as well. find Craig on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/4TW1kuyPJO7mJhOtxgc8pK – drop him a follow to keep up to date with any new music!
find all of our features, reviews, music and more on our website at www.breadrecords.co.uk
find Craig on Spotify at 
Bread Records 