Antony Welford is an artist like no other, creating expansive rock songs accompanied by cool AI music videos. His track Friendly Fire is one such track – find out more about Antony below, and don’t forget to check out the video for the song at the end of the interview!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a new track called Friendly Fire. What can you tell us about the song?
The song is quite melancholy. It deals with the loss of a loved one, and the occasional feeling that they are still present when you lie in that state between awake and asleep. It’s not a happy song, but that’s life.
How has the reception to Friendly Fire been so far, and where can it be purchased?
My music is on all the usual streaming channels, but I would encourage people to subscribe to my YouTube channel and ping that bell icon for the full experience. I am producing music videos for every song, and I have even started tweaking the songs to align to some of the visuals prior to release. Sometimes I watch the video back in the edit and go “oh it would really work if the drums did ‘blah’ there”, so i go and make the change ion the audio!
Do you have any more singles planned for release soon?
The next song will be called try this at home. It’s a fast rocker. I am also planning to do a cover version of Gambler by Madonna. If anyone wants to hear some of my previous songs, they are all over YouTube and the other streaming platforms as well. The quantity is low, which i like to think is because i keep the quality high!
Are there any plans to release an album or EP in the near future?
My plan is to release individual songs, one at a time, then when there are enough for an album I will create one AND get some physical copies pressed. It would be nice to have something tangible that collects all my music together in a form that doesn’t need a subscription
You’ve also been making some pretty cool AI videos for your tracks. What’s your inspiration for this? How do you make the videos?
I watch a lot of content on YouTube, and i personally have always loved music videos since the 1980s. One of my rules is that I am totally a one man band, making all the sound and visuals myself. What AI provides that previous generation of software didn’t is creative input. I’m not an expert at prompting these tools, so my open ended ideas often lead to the AI producing great imagery that was nothing like i intended, and I use it.
The main AI tool i use is Kaiber.ai, then I use Lightworks to edit the videos together.
Your music has proggy alt-rock sound. What/who are you most influenced by? What have you been listening to recently?
Recently (by which I mean in the last 5 years) I have got into Katatonia and Ghost. I like very loud music, but melodic vocals are a must. I’ve seen Katatonia live a few times and they are incredible. Dead End Kings is maybe my favourite album of the century. Ghost are a total hit factory, and they keep getting better. The last song on their last album was as good as the first song on the first.
Where are you based? What is the local music scene like in your area at the moment?
I currently live near Tunbridge Wells, where there is a great venue called The Forum for upcoming bands. Oasis played there in 1994. Tough times for local venues but they are still going.
Do you have anything else exciting coming up over the next few months?
Probably the most interesting is that I am moving back ‘oop north’. I might not be too far from York by the end of the year. Musically, what I really would like is to figure out a way to play my music live. I haven’t managed to put a band together, and backing tracks don’t appeal to me, but maybe I’ll find something in between eventually.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
No!
Any last words for the fans?
Keep on supporting new music. You really have to go looking for it, but the rewards are out there, and I say that as an avid music listener. 2 hours of Radio Wigwam will provide more new music than a year of listening to the big stations. How many times do you need to hear the biggest hits of the Chili Peppers on the radio?
