#004: 30 million streams later, George Gianluca is transitioning from songwriter to artist

British/Italian George Gianluca has written music with some of the UK:s biggest producers and emerging pop stars. Now he’s making the tricky transition from songwriter to becoming an artist. Aux Haus had a chat with him about the challenges of being an independent artist, the necessary evil of social media and the inspiration for his new single “Catastrophe”!   

Hi man, how’s it going?
Hi, everything’s great. Where are you? 

I’m in Stockholm. Have you been here?
Yeah, loads of times. My best friend's dad lives there and I’ve worked with Andreas (Söderlund a.k.a. HYENA, editor's note) several times. 

You have more than 30 million streams on Spotify. How did that happen?
I initially moved to London four years ago to pursue songwriting after having some success and traction with my early sessions. So most of the streams came through songwriting and producing for others, before the pandemic. Mainly through Cian Ducrot. Have you heard of him? 

I actually hadn’t but I looked him up before our interview and he seems like a pretty big deal?
Yeah, he just scored a number one album in the UK so he’s killing it. I’ve been very good friends with him for five years, he was one of the first I ever worked with. I worked on some songs with him for his second album too. 

“Make believe”, one of many songs that George Gianluca has written with Cian Ducrot.

How did you get into the music industry? I read that you used to take pictures of musicians?
That was one of the ways I got into it. In the early days I was just shooting my shots through DM:s on Instagram to people that I wanted to work with. The good thing with Instagram is that you can connect with people quickly and easily, so why not. That got me through the door with some people. I did have a camera as well and that helped me get friendships. That’s how I met Cian. Then I dropped the bomb that I was a producer. 

You sound very confident. Were you ever hesitant when sending DM:s, like “I wonder if so and so would really wanna work with me”?
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit hesitant. But I’m from a small seaside town called Eastbourne, which is a long way from where it’s all happening in London. The only way to get anywhere in the beginning was to DM people and I guess it worked. They saw something in me.   

Also, you learned producing through YouTube?
Yeah, when I was sixteen-seventeen. I just got sick of working with producers who didn’t understand my vision or what I was hearing. But I didn’t know how to produce music, so I thought “I need to learn how to do it”. So I just started watching YouTube videos and I got obsessed, just watching for two years and constantly trying things in my bedroom. 

When and why did you decide to do the transition from writing for others to being an
artist yourself?
When the pandemic struck I spent a year or two trying to write music with other people. But everyone moved to Zoom, and I just didn’t get onboard with that. I struggled to connect to people through the camera. When you’re writing with people in real life you get to know them and their energy. With the lagging on the computer I just threw in the towel with songwriting for others. 

Yeah, I definitely hear you on that one.
Then I had this revelation. As cliche as it is, life’s too short not to take chances. I’ve always wanted to be an artist but never had the full confidence to do so and I was just like “why not” you know. So a year or two ago I started writing for myself. I haven’t done much songwriting for others since I started my own artist career. 

When you were writing for other artists, was there a part of you that was like “fuck, I wish I was writing this for myself instead”?
Haha yeah. Or I wouldn’t say it was that I wish I was writing the songs for me instead, because at the time the music I was writing wasn’t really my style. But for sure I wished I was writing music for me with those producers.

How does your own songs differ from the ones you were writing with, or for, others?
I was initially writing very clean pop. But now it’s more guitar lead, and slightly left field. I’m just more hands on with the whole thing. Before it was with other producers, now it’s completely my own identity in the music. 

Do you think songwriters get enough recognition?
It’s getting better but it’s still not great. I see loads of songwriters not being credited enough for the work they put in and that’s definitely sad.   

I have this thing when writing a song that if I at any point during the writing process get goose bumps then I know it’s good. Do you have any sign for when you “know”?
That’s great, I wish I’d get goose bumps too but no, I wouldn’t say I have a physical sign. I just really trust my instinct on when a melody is great. It’s just a gut feeling.   

What’s it like being an independent artist?
It’s pretty scary to release music with no manager, all that stuff can definitely be quite daunting. But I’m enjoying it! With my first song that I put out I kinda rushed the process though, I was like “I’m just gonna do it”, not thinking about a follow up or having a strategic plan. Now, with the new music, I have things lined up. I’ve learned a lot and I’m more confident and more experienced.

I’ve watched your TikToks quite a bit. Do you ever feel pressure to have this social media presence, like you have to be your own marketing machine in a way?
There definitely is a huge stress. I’m sure every other artist feels it too, like it’s exhausting. When you’re trying to make a living and promote your music, it’s just so tiring to have the pressure hanging over you to be present on social media. I’m supposed to post on Tik Tok every day, but I can’t do that because that would drive me insane. I’m not completely natural with it either.

But you have to do it, right? There’s really no way around it?
Exactly. Social media is just a distraction from making music, but you have to keep posting. There’s no other choice. Cus if you don’t do it, you’re just completely gonna go off the radar. And it’s tiring how the algorithm works. When you don’t get much response you’re just thinking “what am I doing this for”.

Your latest single is called Catastrophe, tell me about that song!
I started writing it when I realised I was stuck in this toxic relationship that was making me a bad person. But I was scared to leave it because I was still in love with the other person. I guess it’s about me thinking the world’s gonna come to an end if I leave the relationship. It was actually my first attempt at making organic, guitar lead music. It was just super fun and fresh, I was jamming around with my drum loop for hours.

You have a pretty special voice, with this fast sort of Post Malone-ish vibrato. You don’t hear that a lot.
Yeah I was literally gonna say Post Malone because that’s the only one I can think of off the top of my head that has the same kind of vibrato. I’ve had the vibrato for as long as I can remember. 

What’s the plan moving forward?  
So I literally just sent off the new single to get mixed. That will be coming out in late October. I really love this song and the message it holds, it’s the most exciting music I’ve made. It just ticks all the boxes. I’ve already written two more songs but those won’t be coming out until next year. Because nobody really cares if you release stuff around Christmas. 

Yeah not unless it has loads of bells.
Haha exactly. 

So it’s a hard no on making a christmas single then?
You know what, I wouldn’t be against writing a Christmas single. Not to put it out but just to test myself. That would be a nice challenge.