Rising Star: An Exclusive Interview with Henry Moodie on Music, Milestones, and Making Connections
Written by: Keyali Mikaela
Photo Courtesy of Katie Silvester/Sony Music
In the fast-paced world of music, rising stars often find themselves catapulted into the spotlight, their journeys marked by milestones that shape their growing careers. One such luminary is Henry Moodie, a singer-songwriter whose meteoric rise has captivated audiences worldwide. With a knack for crafting emotive, lyric-focused pop music, Henry's talent has garnered him a dedicated following and propelled him onto stages around the globe.
Prior to his sold-out headline shows in New York and Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Henry to delve into the whirlwind of his recent successes and upcoming endeavors. From the creative process behind his latest track "beat up car" to the exhilarating experience of performing for his growing fanbase, Henry shared candid insights into his remarkable journey in the music industry.
Join me as we journey into the world of Henry Moodie, an artist poised at the cusp of greatness, with his sights set on captivating audiences and making a lasting impact through his music.
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Next Wave: You sold out both of your New York and LA shows. How does that feel to be able to say that you sold out your first two headline shows over here?
Henry Moodie: Oh my god, crazy. When I put up the post I got about two dms from people so I was like, oh my god, I'm gonna have to pull the shows, no one's gonna come. I texted my manager like, is it a good idea? Because I've never done anything as a support in the US. I was really scared I just didn't have a fan base. Then it's sold out in like the quickest it's ever sold out, even compared to the UK and Europe. I was just so grateful, because I have always wanted to come over to the US to do shows. It's one of my biggest dreams because I'm just from a tiny little village in the UK, so it's like a massive thing for me. It just feels surreal. I'm excited to experience the US crowd.
Next Wave: Is there anything that you're excited to do while you're over here in the US in LA, New York? Any bucket list things?
Henry: You know, I've been to New York and LA before, so I've kind of done the touristy stuff. I dm’d the Empire State Building and I'm getting a tour straight to the top, which is like, super exciting. We're just going to do some content together. That's probably the most touristy thing I'm doing on this trip. But I'm excited to get back to LA and some of my friends out there. And I think mostly the shows. Just experiencing the crowds and just like saying hi to everyone who's been supporting me over in the US.
Next Wave: Your LA show was upgraded to the Teragram Ballroom. How did that feel? Even after selling out the Moroccan lounge?
Henry: Oh my god, insane. It just surprised me so much how LA has sold. I just feel so grateful to be doing a 600 capacity. It's exciting.
Next Wave: You just recently hit 2 million followers on Instagram and a lot of your career growth has been through social media. How has it felt being able to engage with your fans on Instagram, TikTok, and what role does social media play in your career?
Photo Courtesy of Katie Silvester/Sony Music
Henry: There's so many good and bad sides to social media. It's the reason I'm doing this job, because during COVID, I really got into TikTok, Instagram and started building my fan base. It's so good to connect with people across the world, instead of just a localized area. I am so grateful to be in the age of social media where I can connect with people. With that, however, I have noticed my attention span is so bad now. I can't do anything. I can’t even watch TV without going on my phone. It's so bad. I think it screwed me up mentally. But in terms of career wise, it has been good.
Next Wave: Most recently, you released a ‘beat up car’. Great song, by the way, I absolutely love it. It seems to be a song about making the best out of bad situations. What inspired the song and how do you think it reflects your own experiences?
Henry: I was actually in the US, I was in New York, and something about New York makes me feel like a main character. I just felt like I wanted to write a song that had a “life is a movie” kind of vibe. Even though this song is like a love song, it’s kind of inspired by how when I'm with my friends. I just feel like all the issues in the world go away for that period of time. So when I was in the studio, I wanted to write a love song because I haven't written one yet. I kind of drew inspiration from friendship, if that makes any sense, because I'm not actually in a relationship right now. I'm single, so basically I'm delusional. That’s the answer to the question, being delulu.
Next Wave: In your song, ‘you were there for me’, you sing the line “if we were a movie, we'd be in Hollywood”. If your life was a movie, what genre would it be and who would play you?
Henry: Oh my God, it'd be a drama. And I don't know who would play me. I don't know if anyone would be down to play me. Maybe… not gonna lie, but who would play me…
Next Wave: Would you want to play you?
Henry: I would want… I would want Tom Holland to play me, just because he's kind of sick from the UK. He grew up kind of where I grew up as well. So we're like, similar, in that sense?
Next Wave: What draws you to storytelling through music? And how do you approach crafting lyrics that resonate with your listeners?
Henry: Oh, I think I'm just a massive Swiftie, and I always have been. That's kind of the reason I got into music, to be honest. So with my music, I sort of feel like I could sit in a similar lane songwriting wise, because I kind of draw inspiration from that very personal, organic songwriting style that Taylor Swift does. Also like Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray, that group of artists. I just try my best to be as open and vulnerable as possible in my songs, because that's the music that got me through hard times. That's kind of my dream as an artist, is to help someone who's going through something and feels like it's a super unique experience, or they're alone, but they listen to my music and feel less alone. One of the songs I have out called ‘pick up the phone’, I think might be one of my favorite songs. When I do like shows, that's kind of the one that resonates the most with people, because it's about going through a hard time. It's like a mental health song. So it's kind of my lane as an artist. I really want to stay in that lane and try my best to write music that motivates people.
Next Wave: How does it feel being able to do all these live shows and see all of your fans resonate with the lyrics that you wrote?
Henry: Oh, my God, it's insane. It's so weird, because it’s a number on a screen, saying that ‘pick up the phone’ has this many streams. Then actually, in real life, seeing the people who were listening to the songs is so different. There's such a disconnect through social media. So being there in real life, just seeing people who have been moved by my music is the reason I do all of this. It makes me very grateful.
Photo Courtesy of Katie Silvester/Sony Music
Next Wave: I've seen a lot of your fan interaction on Twitter or Instagram. It's a very open relationship, I feel like, between you and the people that go out to your shows or the people that interact with you online.
Henry: Yeah, I'm like, chronically online. I'll be honest, I'll be tweeting like every hour at this point. I got up at six, because of jetlag, then spent three hours on TikTok like “I need to get a life”.
Next Wave: Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations as an artist? And do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations that you're excited about?
Henry: Oh, I think looking ahead, my goal is to put on my first album, which I'm super excited to really get into. And to just keep building a core fan base and making music that helps people. Collaborations… I don't have any planned, but I really would love to do a collab with Lauren Spencer Smith, who I supported on tour. When the right song comes about, I'm gonna pitch her on it because she's just incredible. I draw a lot of inspiration from her as well. I'm an open book. I would love to do collabs with those people, but I haven’t thought much about it.
Next Wave: So you're doing LA and New York. Are there any other cities in the USA that you'd love to come back and perform at?
Henry: I've only ever been to LA and New York. Obviously go back to LA, New York, but I'd love to just do a proper US tour. Like Chicago, Dallas, all the big cities in the US, Denver. Yeah, I would love to really get out to the US and do a proper tour.
Next Wave: Do you have any venues that are on your bucket list? Not even just in the US, but also worldwide.
Henry: I think like my biggest bucket list, ust because I'm a Brit, is probably the O2 Arena in the UK. Like that would be insane, one day, if I could do that. I'd love to do Madison Square Garden as well in New York. It's quite a big one. So I'm setting high expectations.
Next Wave: You recently finished your tour across the UK and Europe? Did you have any highlights from the tour, any memorable moments that stood out to you?
Henry: Oh, I think the London shows, since it was like a hometown show. Then in Birmingham, I had supported this band called The Vamps and I brought out two members on stage with me. A lot of my fan base is like The Vamps sort of fan base because I supported them, so those people got super excited about that during the show. It was a really cool moment. People's faces lit up when they came out, so that was a cool memory because it's just good to throw a little surprise in there. And I think at Utrecht in the Netherlands, there was so much energy and I just went into the tour not really knowing what to expect and then I was just blown away by how much energy there was. It was such a good night. It's such a cool memory.
Next Wave: As your audience continues to grow, what message or feeling do you hope to convey through your music both on Tik Tok and through your original songs
Henry: I really just want people to, like, see themselves in my music, if that makes any sense. I think being the most vulnerable as possible is something that I am definitely doing going forward. There's so much new music that hasn't been teased yet. There's a lot of songs about life and things like outside of relationships, because one of the biggest issues that all artists have, not even just me, is writing songs outside of relationships. It’s really difficult for some reason, writing songs about life, and even happy songs, it's so difficult. But I feel like on this next body of work, I managed to do that, and I'm so excited about that. I love stretching myself and trying new things. So there’s songs about my journey with my mental health and songs about embracing the moment, trying to be positive. Then obviously there's loads of really depressing songs as well, because that’s just me. Apart from that, I just think there's more to come of different concepts.
Next Wave: I know you have kind of a small run of festival shows that you are doing this year. Which one are you most excited for? Are there any that you would love to do that you aren't already doing?
Henry: Oh, I think I'm most excited for Japan because I've always wanted to go to Japan, like my entire life. And one that I haven't… I would love to do Glastonbury or Coachella. I think those are like the two like every artist would die to do. I'm seeing all the Coachella TikToks and I'm getting so jealous.
Stream ‘beat up car’ on all available streaming platforms, and follow Henry on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter.
Henry is gearing up for his debut headline performances in the US! Catch him live at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, NY on April 23rd and 24th, followed by an electrifying show at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, CA on April 27th. Tickets for both dates are already sold out, so if you snagged one, get ready for an unforgettable experience.