Lockdown Laughs with George Pelham. George Pelham has just released a beautifully stripped back acoustic version of his latest single, Be Myself, which was recorded in his shed. With this in mind we thought it would be a good idea to catch up with George for a fun filled Shed related lockdown interview.
1. You recorded your new single in your shed, if you had to spend the entire lockdown in there, what five items would you take in with you ?
You’ve got to start with food, so let’s go with baked beans – lots of them. I’d also have to bring a cooker in there; you can’t be having cold beans. Water would probably be a sensible choice too. For the last two, I’d say a guitar so I could write songs and a phone so I could record them, but it would have to have an incredible battery life, or some kind of solar powered situation. I’d be happy with that!
2. During your lockdown has there been any George Pelham DIY disasters you want to tell us about?
I tried to make an iced coffee the other day which didn’t go down well. You wouldn’t think it would be so difficult but I ended up using the wrong kind of blender and it went everywhere. Also I had a flat tire in my bike and I tried to patch it up – it looked a lot easier on the Youtube tutorial, that’s all I’ll say.
3. Which celebrity would you least like to spend time locked in a shed with and why ?
Probably Harry Styles – I’ve been trying to grow my hair out recently and I know it may never look as great as his, so I wouldn’t really want a daily reminder of that.
4. If when you opened your shed door at the end of lockdown you walked out into a different time period, which would you hope it was and why ?
This question reminds me of ‘Midnight in Paris’ – my heart is saying 1960s as it’s my favourite period of time musically and I would love to have experienced that, but my head is saying 5000 years ago – just out of curiosity. I’d probably go with my head to be honest.
5. One man escaped from lockdown dressed as a shrub to avoid detection, if that was you, what would you dress up as to avoid detection ?
A shrub is definitely a good shout – I didn’t know about that. My first thought was a dog but that might attract quite a lot of attention. Maybe as a pigeon then – they generally get left to their own devices, though I’m not entirely sure what the outfit would look like.
6. If you could have a zoom chat with any famous person from history who would it be and what would be the one burning question you would want to ask them ?
Sam Cooke – I’d ask him how he writes a song!
7. If you could spend 24 hours locked down in your favourite store which store would it be and how would you pass the time ?
I’m torn between a music shop, a supermarket or a pet shop. I might just go with the pet shop – I might be hungry and musically unfulfilled, but at least there’d be poodles everywhere.
8. If you could be a fly on the wall in anybody’s house during lockdown, who would you have picked and why ?
Maybe my next door neighbour’s house; I was trying to learn the trumpet and made some truly painful sounds. I wonder how much got through the walls.
9. The opportunity arose to perform a virtual collaboration with your favourite musician, who would it be and which song would you want to perform with them ?
I’d love to do a song with Gregory Porter, but I’d make him sing one of mine. I reckon he would sound incredible on Guilty – though he’d sound incredible on all of them.
10. What would you say is the best thing about being locked down with George Pelham ?
I may not be able to make an iced coffee, but my teas are killer – and you’ll never be left wanting for baked beans.
You can find out more about that here: https://www.totalntertainment.com/music/be-myself-acoustic-version-george-pelham/
