30.76°C Every time I’ve watched Colchester artist Porteous perform, one thing has stood out.
Whether he’s playing with a full band or performing solo, he always looks like he’s having the time of his life.
Watching him behind the keyboard reminds me of the late Reg Webb because they share that same joy in performing. Both have that ability to make the keyboard feel like an extension of themselves.
When I mention the comparison, he smiles.
“I just have so much fun. It’s the best.”
His new single, Change, is released on 8th July, but it’s only the starting point for our conversation.
The Porteous sound
He describes the Porteous sound as “indie rock with funky elements”, although the influences stretch much further than that.
“There are definitely elements of Led Zeppelin in there. I grew up on rock and indie through my parents, and my uncle introduced me to bands like Yes and Pink Floyd. I remember watching all these incredible live videos from the 1970s.”
Then, at around 12 years old, he picked up a Stevie Wonder album in a record shop.
“I asked my dad about it, and he just said, ‘Yeah, you might like it.’
“I remember saying, ‘I can’t believe you’ve never shown me Stevie Wonder.'”
“I’m a keys player first that loves guitar music, so I’m always trying to weave those two worlds together.”
Having watched Porteous over the years, it feels like his live performances have become much freer. The songs are still recognisably Porteous, but live they’re no longer tied to reproducing the record.
“I think playing with lots of different musicians has had a big influence. I’ve always had people rotating in and out because they’re involved in other projects, and everyone brings something different.
“I’m also very impulsive with music. One mood will take me, and that’s what I want to make. The challenge is finding a way to do that while still keeping the project consistent.”
“I improvise a lot more now. Before, everything had to be exactly as we’d rehearsed it.
“Now I’m asking myself, ‘What can I do that makes this more exciting?’
“If I can surprise myself, hopefully everyone watching enjoys it too.
“I love those old Led Zeppelin live recordings. Jimmy Page never played Stairway to Heaven the same way twice. I love that feeling that the music is alive.”
Earlier this year, he joined The SKBs for their Colchester shows. From the audience, you would never have guessed he’d only recently stepped into the line-up.
“I’ve always loved playing with different musicians. Improvising has become such a big part of what I do now because every person brings something different. It keeps everything fresh.”
Music started with djembe drumming at school before he taught himself piano through YouTube at 13.
A couple of years later, after his parents separated, it became much more than a hobby.
“Songwriting became an outlet. You can pour anything into it. You can say things through a song that you’d never dare say in real life.
“I think that’s why music connects with people. One person hears a lyric, and it means one thing; someone else hears exactly the same lyric and takes something completely different from it.”
Writing Change
We move on to his new single, Change, released on 8th July.
“It came from anger, really.
“I’ve always been interested in political songs, but I never like them being too specific. I like people to be able to apply them to different situations.
“I couldn’t believe I was finding things out through social media posts that had been shared by someone I’d met once. It just fuelled something in me.”
Although the song was sparked by the conflict in Gaza, Porteous says it quickly became about something much broader.
“I remember thinking, ‘What am I trying to do here?’ It felt quite angry and politically charged.
“The more I listened to it, the more I realised it wasn’t really just about that.
“It’s about hoping for change. Hoping things can get better. Hoping people can change. Hoping governments can change. It can apply to so many different things.”
I mention that, whatever the subject matter, people always seem to leave his gigs feeling better than when they arrived.
“I always try to write songs that make people feel good. Even if they’re about something difficult, I still want there to be hope in there somewhere.”
He’s already working on the next batch of songs, which may well become his debut album.
“My last EP was quite optimistic. This next group of songs definitely has some darker moments, but they’re still upbeat musically.”
One of them, currently titled Camouflage, explores depression.
“It’s about being so depressed that you hide yourself away. You’re almost out of sight, out of mind.
“But it’s actually quite a fast song. Quite uplifting. I like that contrast.”
Keeping music human
We also talk about AI.
“I’m quite anti-AI when it comes to music.
“I come from a creative family, and I just don’t find music exciting when it’s made that way. I’ve grown up around artists, getting to watch people spend time making and creating art.
“On Change I wrote it, played it, produced it, then got a friend to help me mix it. This time, I could also get it professionally mastered, which was really nice.
“If I’ve played a full drum take, that’s the take.
“I don’t want to replace everything with samples.
“I just want people to hear someone actually playing those instruments.”
Trying to make a living from music isn’t something Porteous romanticises.
After university, he threw himself into music full-time before realising it wasn’t bringing out his best work.
“I found I was saying yes to things I didn’t really want to do.
“I was rushing. I wasn’t making the music I wanted to make.”
These days, he’s found a balance that works for him, combining music with other work rather than relying on it to pay every bill.
“It doesn’t make you any less of a musician.
“If anything, it’s given me the freedom to make better music because I’m making it for the right reasons.”
BBC Introducing and Latitude
One of the highlights of the past couple of years was being invited to play Latitude through BBC Introducing, but before Porteous talks about the festival, he wants to talk about the person behind the invitation – Angelle Joseph of BBC Radio Suffolk.
“Ang’s amazing,” he says. “Talk about someone who’s completely authentic and does things her own way. She gives so much to independent artists.
“I’ve seen her leave one gig she’s organised just so she can get to another and support somebody else. She’s literally a grassroots music hero.”
The invitation came a few weeks after recording a BBC Introducing live session.
“A few weeks later, Ang phoned me. I just thought we were having a catch-up. She was asking what gigs I’d got coming up and how things were going.
“Then she said, ‘You wouldn’t want to play Latitude this year, would you?’
“I was trying not to get too excited – or swear – because I knew she was recording the call.”
When the day arrived, he’d brought plenty of friends and family with him but still had no idea what to expect.
“It was raining, so I just thought they’d all be hiding somewhere.
“Then we walked out, and it was just a sea of people.
“There were times before that when I honestly thought I might never get to play a stage like that.
“I remember standing there thinking, ‘I’m so glad I didn’t give up.’
“I know I’ll never give up now.”
Colchester and what’s next
Later, we talk about Colchester and the musicians who’ve inspired him along the way.
Geoff Lawrence is one of the players he remembers most.
“My mate lived in Rowhedge and recommended seeing Slugworth at the Colchester Free Festival in Castle Park. I remember watching Geoff play and just thinking, ‘Wow.’
“He’s such an expressive player and an incredible songwriter.”
Porteous says the local music scene has played a huge part in his own journey.
“There’s a real scene here. You meet other musicians, you learn from each other, and there are still places that give people opportunities.”
Before we finish, I ask what people can expect if they’ve never seen Porteous live.
“There’ll definitely be some improvisation.
“I like taking songs somewhere different each night.
“And hopefully you’ll see someone who’s enjoying themselves.”
Change is released on 8th July. You can pre-save the single now, with the official video to follow soon after its release.
