The Interview: The Boy Who Trapped The Sun

You might have read my review of The Boy Who Trapped The Sun’s live show, and if you did you will have realised I am pretty enamored with his music. So I was very happy when his wonderful EP “Home” was sent over to me to check out, and I got the chance to interview him before a gig. Hailing from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides he seems to split his time between being a musician in London and a surfer in Lewis.

This is a boy who can sucessfully negotiate the tricky marriage of beautiful tunes and lyrics that veer from intense to lighthearted. At the gig, he alternated between having the crowd laughing out loud at a song about an ex who tried to kill him, and almost in tears at other times at the sheer beauty of his lyrics and voice. He even managed to cover pop band Girls Aloud’s track “the loving kind,” making us honestly believe it could be a folk song.

I really hope that his recent signing to London based indie label Chess Club Records gives him all the chances he deserves.

So I read that your name references the greek myth of Icarus, how did you come up with that?

It’s not a very good story. My friend texted me and said “What about The Boy Who Trapped The Sun?” and I said “Yeah, alright” and that was it.

Do people ask you about that quite a lot?

Yeah, people love it. Everybody loves talking about that. Its a long name, they expect deep meaning, but no. I mean, I did make up a massive story with my mate Chubs who wrote my biog for me (and its an epic biog I must say – Sheena). He’s really clever and really funny and I was like “we need to make up something” and he was like “hmmm, we probably should say something about Icarus” and so thats why we said Icarus.

Can you tell me a bit about your forthcoming EP Home? I’ve been listening to it this week and its very good, but I was hoping you could tell us why you chose those songs and how you feel about it.

Umm, well there were a lot of songs left over when I made the album. I recorded like twenty or twenty five songs and these were some of the ones that I recorded in my room. One was a demo that I did with my friend, and they didn’t really fit but I thought it would be nice to put it out before my album. I wanted to give them a game.

What would you say your musical influences are?

Every time I get asked I have to say Bob Dylan. It’s obvious but it’s obvious for a reason because he is so amazing. I love a lot of American stuff like Wilco, and I really like the Bon Iver records. And then early on more hardcore stuff like Fugazi; I’m not sure it influenced anything I do but I like to listen to it and it all comes from somewhere.

Are there any artists or bands that you think are woefully underrated or conversely overrated?

I think my friend dot jr is pretty underrated, he’s pretty awesome. But he sits at home on the Isle of Lewis, and occasionally he does these little tours and people just freak out because he’s so fantastic, but it’s such a big jump, such a massive move. I never moved until I got offered money to move, bribed to get off the island!

This band called The Acorn too, I think they supported Bon Iver and I saw them at All Tomorrow’s Parties last year and they put out this amazing record that seems to have gone largely unnoticed. So them for sure.

And I couldn’t possibly say on overrated as I’m a gentleman.

Do you feel that growing up in the Outer Hebrides affected your sound? I know its a very musical place.

Yeah I guess it is a very musical place, but it hasn’t always been like that. When I was at school nobody really cared about music, it was what the old people did with accordions and Gaelic songs. But I think it influences everybody musically, whether they would like to admit it or not. Its such a sparse, empty space that I think it affects the way you write. You’re always looking for air, musicians always are in songs, and I guess it comes more naturally coming from somewhere like Lewis.

I also read that you were discovered in a bar in Aberdeen. Which bar was it? I grew up there.

It was Triple Kirks actually . I was playing in a rock band and I was hanging upside down off the rafters with my guitar. This guy comes up to me and says he really likes me but I was like “Yeah, whatever”. But he was telling the truth, and a couple of years later when I started doing stuff by myself he got back in touch and said “Come to London and do some writing,” and he offered me a deal. That was about 6 years ago now.

Triple Kirks was one of the only places that let us in underage, so I know it well.

Yeah our guitarist was underage at the time actually, it was great!

What experience would you like people to come away with after one of your shows, or after listening to your music?

Fucking hell, I don’t know. I’d like them to think I wasn’t a wanker? I don’t know. I never really thought about that before.

Do you put yourself into your music? Is it autobiographical?

Kind of, bits and pieces of it. Things I read or things that have happened to me you know? I like to kind of not take it too seriously.

Can you tell us about a typical day in the life of The Boy Who Trapped The Sun?

Well there’s kind of two typical days I guess. There’s a London typical day that involves sleeping really late, and then kind of getting up and maybe trying to write a song. Then getting frustrated with that and going to the pub, playing some pool, maybe do a gig and then stay up late with my flatmate drinking wine and watching rubbish TV.

And then a Lewis day would involve getting up early and checking the surf. Going for a surf or if there is no surf going to the pub. But Lewis revolves completely around surfing, that’s it.

What’s your favourite restaurant in the world and what would you order when you go there?

Favourite restaurant? I can’t believe I’m going to say this. McDonalds. (laughs) Favourite restaurant, agh, I don’t know. There’s a really good Thai restaurant called Hootenany’s in Inverness. But I never order the same thing.

Do you have a favourite film?

Yeah, Thicker Than Water, its a Jack Johnson film.

And who would you choose to play you in a film about your life?

Lady Gaga

That would be an interesting film! That’s a really good answer. Last question, If you could play a gig anywhere at all with no restrictions, where would it be?

Oh, in a volcano would be pretty awesome.

Ok, one quick last question to a fellow Scot, Irn Bru or Coke?

Oh Irn Bru, are you serious? Is that even a question?

Best Hangover cure in the world.

Oh yeah, a litre of Irn Bru and a dunk in the Atlantic ocean, you can’t beat it.

The Boy That Trapped the Sun’s EPs “Home” and “Watermark” are available now. He is signed to Chess Club Records.