In Conversation With Blakey On His Latest Striking Single "You! Girl…x"

Image courtesy of Additive Music PR

To say he is dynamic is an understatement; perhaps the best way to define Blakey is to simply let his music speak for him. Hailing from Hackney, Harry Lee, better known as Blakey, entered the music industry with an approach to music that defies easy categorisation. Tracks such as "Prism of Love" offer a glimpse into the colours of a faded romance, whilst songs such as "Death" showcase his vocal prowess. However, it is his latest foray into upbeat electronica that truly highlights Blakey’s unique approach to sound. With its hypnotic dance rhythm, his new single, "You! Girl...x" highlights Blakey’s versatility as both a singer and a producer. Strand had the privilege of sitting down with Blakey and discussing all things related to his music, inspirations, and the potential threats to the music industry. 

How did you first get started in music?

I started out completely different to what I’m doing now. I started out as a piano player playing jazz when I was a kid; I then got obsessed with 90’s R&B records in my teens and how they produced them. I then was in a band for many years as a singer and keys player, then I started Blakey a few years back, which was an acoustic sort of thing, but I’ve always loved dance music, electronic music, and so I’m doing a bit of shape-shifting/pivoting into that world.

How would you describe your signature sound, and how did you develop it over time?

It was always melody. That was always the thing alongside my voice that kept it recognisable. Although with my new stuff I’m moving away from that. I'm enjoying trying to use my vocals less, but I suppose melodic elements still seem to be the focus — I’d like to also move away from that too and try some proper tech stuff. I'm in a strange spot at the moment, as I'm exploring quite a few sounds. I ask people to kindly stick around for the transition. It will hopefully all make sense in due course!

The electronic/house feel of "You! Girl...x" is quite a departure from the more subdued pop feel of tracks like "Right Time" and "Prism Of Love". What motivated this shift in sound?

I just got bored of being melodramatic and having to pretend to be sad. My mates live in the dance music culture, and I’ve been in it for years too, and that's really my world. But I always made music outside of it, and I thought, “One day, I’m just going to make more high-octane tunes and hope people stick around.” I couldn’t be more happy making this sort of stuff

How influential has London’s creative scene been in shaping your sound? And more specifically, does Hackney inspire your music in any way?

A lot; I’m often out at underground nights, spinning around mates’ houses. It's been a slow shift, but the shift keeps shifting, and this is only the beginning of the change. I wouldn’t say Hackney inspires it too directly other than the clubs/venues I go to. a lot of Hackney Wick stuff, fold, etc.

Who has inspired your career the most so far?

At the moment I’m massively inspired by this dude Megra. He’s a young whizkid. I just love how he produces. Trying to stay down with the kids.

Image courtesy of Additive Music PR

What would you say has been your biggest career milestone to date? What are you especially proud of?

I played a sold-out show a few years back before taking a break at the Hackney Social; I organised the night myself, and people came from all over Europe to watch me. I did this big visual show alongside it — people loved it. It was the beginning of me realising I could pivot: I did a lot of my tunes with drum and bass energy, and people were worried it would be awful, as people knew me for acoustic stuff, but it was the best thing I’ve ever done.

As you continue to grow as an artist, what milestones or achievements are you most looking forward to?

On the live music vein, I want to start playing again live in 2026. I think it's crucial to do that to survive now with all this AI music — I think it's important to be on the live side of things. I would love to be able to play like the Park Stage at Glastonbury or something.

When you’re writing or producing a song, what inspires you? What does your creative process look like from start to finish?

Inspiration usually comes from a song that I’ve recently heard that I want to try and do my own version of. I usually start with a groove, then melodic hooks over the top whilst playing basslines or something. It then builds from there, although more recently I’ve been leaning into finding samples. Once I get the basics, then I build the production around that, add the synths, hone the production, ad prod, nitty gritty — then at the end I will try and cut any fat that’s accumulated.

What blocks your creativity?

Sitting around thinking too long. I think you just have to dive in and give yourself deadlines. I’ve given myself a deadline of releasing a track every month, so that focus means you can’t sit around; it forces you to make something work, no time for dwelling on stuff. Just diving in and trying stuff out.

In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge artists face in today’s music landscape? And where do you think the industry still needs to evolve?

It’s obviously AI. You can pretty much just ask AI to write the whole track for you, and in a few years it will go that way. Press a button, and a really good track has been written. Which is actually a really bad thing because recorded music will lose much of its value. That’s why I think the live thing is crucial. We need to be in rooms with other humans watching people enjoying making music live. People watching real people enjoying being creative.

You can listen to "You! Girl…x" alongside other songs by Blakey here, and you can keep up with his upcoming live shows on his Instagram.

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Edited by Mahak Naddafi, Music Co-Editor.