BIMM’s newest EP release

Located in the heart of the Liberties in Francis Street, BIMM Dublin has long been the starting point for the young music aficionados, attracting students from all over the country. The music institute boasts a long list of success stories including Meteor Choice award nominations and countless EPs, and that list is about to be added to by Wexford native Scott Williamson. Starting in BIMM in 2013, Scott is in his second year in the institute and I sat down with him to talk EPs, gigs and musical influences.

Scott Williamson. Photo: Kt Williamson

I wondered if Scott would still be releasing an EP this year if he hadn’t have studied at BIMM and what influence it has had on him. “BIMM has been a great source of learning for me. I’ve gained a lot of confidence from studying there and it certainly motivated me into writing a lot more songs than I used to” he said. “I’ve always wanted to record my own songs and release an EP; my experience from BIMM did help with the whole process but I was going to do it regardless”.

Scott plans to release the EP in spring of this year on both iTunes and on CD. “I decided to release the EP around that time because the songs have a summer feel to them and I want these songs to be stuck in people’s heads by summer” he said.

Scott recorded in the premier Grouse Lodge studios in Westmeath, famous for housing acts such as Michael Jackson and Muse. He also worked in SUN Recording Studios as part of Temple Lane Studios in Temple Bar, Dublin. “It’s such an exhilarating feeling hearing my songs come together in the same studios as so many of my favourite artists” he said. “I lived for the next day where I could go back in and start recording again”. The talented musician played all his own instruments on his EP except for the drums “I am a drum enthusiast but you can’t replace skill with enthusiasm, so I asked a friend from college to help me out.”

As of yet, the EP is still nameless; “I feel like I’m trying to name a child” he laughed. But is there a favourite song? “There are 4 songs on the EP and there’s not one song on there that I’m not happy with. It’s a tough decision but if I had to choose it would probably be “Somehow”. It was the first song I wrote and it means the most to me. Without it I wouldn’t be doing any of this.”

The song ‘Somehow’ also features an artist that Scott names as one of his biggest influences; American singer-songwriter Tyler Hilton, who has been compared to Howie Day and Elton John. Scott said “Tyler Hilton has been a big influence on me. I heard his songs and thought ‘I want to write songs like that someday’ and now he’s singing on one of my songs. It’s such a dream come true; it’s hard to believe.”

Scott plans on playing a few gigs around Dublin to gather buzz around the EP’s imminent release. “Hopefully I’ll be able to create some sort of a fan base and get more people interested in my music” he added. Watch this space.