When the pandemic started almost two years ago, we were all met with sudden shutdowns and quarantines. Stuck in our homes, some folks took the opportunity to learn that new skill they’ve always put off. Other just spent the whole time drinking and making sourdough bread from old starters. Then, there’s folks like me who talked a big game, but melted into a puddle on the couch after work and doom scrolled until I passed out at night, only to wake up and do it all over again. Then, you’ve got folks like Common Sense Kid. He spent the time learning how to make and record music. Now, 18 months later, he’s ready for the world to hear it. Common Sense Kid releases his debut EP on October 1st.
Ahead of its release, Common Sense Kid has shared one of the songs on Maybe This is a Midlife Crisis? with us. The song, entitled “No Place To Be,” just happens to be my favorite song from the album. To be quite honest, Common Sense Kid packs a lot of diversity into the EP, so there’s a little some for everyone. There’s just something about “No Place To Be” that hits my musical sweet spot. It’s what happens when you channel The Specials with dub reggae and hip hop. Yes, it’s as awesome as it sounds. Don’t take my word for it though.
Check out “No Place To Be” from Common Sense Kid Below:
Aside from giving us an early listen to the track, Common Sense Kid also answered a few questions. Below, you’ll learn more about going from novice musician to a recorded seven song EP in 18 months. If you’re new to Common Sense Kid, this interview is a great introduction. Keep an eye on this “Kid” because his music is truly something special.
So, from what I understand, prior to the pandemic you didn’t know how to play guitar, record, produce music, anything. What was it like to learn all of this from scratch?
I’ve always been around music. I used to play drums in a punk band and have always had a guitar in my house that I tinkered with on the rare occasion. I could play power chords, but had no idea what the actual chords were that I was playing. So when lockdown came about I decided that I’m going to use whatever time I have now to learn to play guitar properly and commit myself to it everyday. So learning the actual chords, learning root chords, learning scales, technique and rhythm that kind of thing.
Then I delved more into music theory and got a little midi keyboard around the same time and thought that would help, and it really did. So, then I learned about the circle of fifths, major, minor, Dorian scales and so on.
Luckily one of my best friends is also a guitar teacher and brilliant, brilliant musician and was guiding me along the way. He was saying, “right now you need to learn the pentatonic scale.” “Now go and learn this song by ear.”
I posted a lot of my guitar progress stuff on instagram. There is a little video of me playing Goldfinger’s “Superman” at the start and 267 days later. When you can see the progress, it puts a smile on your face.
The best part was when I was able to take a melody or chord progression I had in my head and play it, which I can do now. Or listen to a song and work it out by ear. Or being able to work out the key of a song and then be able to play lead over it. I couldn’t have done that before.
With the recording and mixing side of things, there were definitely days I wanted to give it up or just not go near it for a few weeks because I couldn’t get it to sound how I wanted, particularly towards the end. Like July of this year, I was ready to just go “nah, I’m good.”
So that was a big learning curve for me. Learning about panning, reverb, EQ, compression, buses, channels and that kind of thing and trying to make sure everything sits right in the mix. I watched a lot of videos on YouTube then spent my evenings applying it to the songs. I get overly obsessed with things to the point it consumes me and 18 months later here we are.
What happened during the early days of the pandemic that influenced you to go for it?
I like to keep myself busy and have something to do. I knew that when lockdown came along I would go stir crazy, so it gave me something to focus on and a creative out which I always need. So really it all started as a way for me to keep busy. I didn’t think people would actually like it!
Your first official public release was on the Songs For Moms comp. What was it like to see your name on the track list and have people hear you for the first time?
I think I may have released ‘See You In Hell’ before that, but nobody knew about, I didn’t promote it.
So I class the Songs for Moms Comp was the first release people heard. When I sent the song to Chris at Ska Punk International, I originally I said “I may have committed a crime against music, don’t feel like you have to use it.”
I honestly didn’t expect it to make the cut and didn’t really think much more of it. Then my twitter just started blowing up and I was like “what the hell is going on?” I saw my name next to the likes of Catbite and Half Past Two and completely lost my mind.
Then I was like “Oh no, people are actually going to hear this and people are going to laugh at me,” but no. It was so surreal. I remember my other half was working, so I was on dad duty. I think I was changing a nappy and then BrooklynVegan tweeted about it and my phone would not stop buzzing all day. The situation was so funny. Here I am in normal life whereas online everyone is sharing and listening to this album I’m on with all these actual musicians. Doing that really helped with my self confidence.
Coincidently, I think “Old Dog” came out the day after the comp was released. So people were then finding that and listening to that song and really liking it and I was like “oh woah, people like my music, this is weird.”
Your new EP comes out in October. What can folks expect from it?
When I started, my only goal really was to try and make some songs of all the genres of music that I listen too. So there is a bit of everything on there. I don’t just love ska, I love skate punk, drum n bass, rap, dub. I wanted to try and include as much of what I like as possible. So if anything you can expect a good reflection of what I listen to.
With a name like Maybe This is a Midlife Crisis?, it’s pretty clear what the overall theme of the album is. What was going through your mind while writing it?
The title came to me as I was saying it over and over in my head when I was learning all this. “Maybe this is my midlife crisis?” The title track is the only song that really reflects that I think. The title is more about the journey I went through to get to the end point.
In regards to the title track. My sense of humor is quite self deprecating, so there is a little of that. Things that give me anxiety about the future state of the world for my kids, and also about the rough side of parenting nobody likes to talk about. Some days you feel like ‘this is my life now’ or you lose your sense of self and at the end it’s about saying no to that, “I’m not going to stop, it doesn’t have to be like this and not giving a shit let’s have some fun.”
Also allows me to get the joke in before people start saying it about me [laughs].
I’m still so incredibly impressed with what you accomplished in less than two years. What was the easiest part to pick up and what was the most challenging?
Oh thank you so much!
Easiest. Learning to put a song together. I found that if it works, the rest just seemed to come together naturally. If I had to force it, the song didn’t work and I wasn’t happy with it.
Hardest. Anything relating to vocals. Singing as close as I could in tune. EQ’ing vocals, getting the microphone in the correct position, not standing too close to the microphone, too far away from the microphone. I mean the longest part and bit I done the most was recording and recording vocals. I read so much about how to record vocals in your house. Singing is really hard.
Also balancing life, work, music to keep everyone happy. That’s been hard.
For anyone who may be sitting at home and thinking about that one thing they’ve always wanted to do, but keep talking themselves out of it, what advice do you have?
Do it now and don’t end up regretting not doing it sooner. It really is never too late. With the recording side of things, take the time to learn/research a bit before you just delve in. Otherwise, you’ll just end up re-recording everything. I don’t want to even think about how many times I redone “Live Without You” before I was really happy with how it sounded.
Did anyone give you any advice or assistance during your journey?
Yes, my good friend Steve, who I mentioned above. I watched him pick up a guitar when he was like 13 or something and watched him grow into this amazing musician over the years.
The first song I wrote and recorded in GarageBand was “Live Without You.” I was just using the internal microphone on my laptop, not mixing it or anything, just recording it, and sent it to him and said “I did a thing! can you teach me some more guitar stuff so I can do this properly”.
He also pushed me to actually put the music out there. The internal laptop mic original versions I recorded the earlier part of last year. I didn’t put those online until like November last year as I was so nervous and only put them on Soundcloud and Bandcamp.
Then in April, he pushed me onto Logic, let me borrow an audio interface and a proper microphone and I got to work re-recording the songs I originally done and applying everything I learned at the start of this year.
He’s been my soundboard throughout the whole thing “Your vocals are off here”, “that bit is a fraction out of time.” It’s been really helpful and helped me improve around those areas as well.
What’s your favorite song on the new album?
Oh man, every song reflects music I like. I’ve always personally swayed to the punkier heavier side of ska, like Capdown and Random Hand are a massive influence for me and probably for anyone in the UK around my age who likes punk and ska. So I’m going to say “Wonderland” or “Old Dog” as if they weren’t my songs those are the ones I would probably have on repeat.
What’s a fun fact about Common Sense Kid?
The name is because I was walking the canal with my partner and she said “we are going to try and raise a common sense kid.”
And I said “common sense kid is playing the cheese and grain on Saturday” (like a joke) and then it kind of stuck as this was just before we went into lockdown. It was like the last walk we got out on before we weren’t allowed to leave our homes.
What’s next for you?
There is an Anti-Flag comp that Illicit Nature have put together that I’m on, I have done a cover of “That’s Youth.” It will be out when this is published. I’m really pleased with how that came out.
Songs for Moms Vol 2. I already have a song in mind for that.
I have other songs I didn’t finish in time, so I will revisit those now that these are done. If this makes any money, I throw it straight back into the music. This all started as just a hobby to kill some time so I just thought I’d do it myself.
Any last words?
I hope you enjoy the record as much as I enjoyed learning to put it all together over the last 18 months. If not I’ll try harder next time.