Thinking Big: Loyle Carner

Thinking Big with Maisie Williams is a bi-weekly podcast where our Co-Founder, Maisie Williams, sits with influential creatives who are paving the way in their industries. This week Maisie sat down with Loyle Carner, the South London rapper, to discuss the role his childhood plays in his music, the importance of building honest relationships in the industry and his newly released album Not Waving, But Drowning.

Loyle Carner, whose stage-name is a play on his surname Coyle-Larner, is widely-known for his raw and honest lyrics which have branded him the 'sentimental face of Grime'. Growing up in Croydon, Loyle explains that for a while it was just him and his mum, until his step-dad moved in and his younger brother Ryan was born. Loyle has a close relationship with his mother, who features a lot in his music, saying she was a massive support to him growing up with ADHD, and still is today; "I owe it all to my mum… she believed in me, she was the only person that would allow me to do the things I wanted to do".

Loyle explains how his unique sound is heavily influenced by the music he was bought up with. He says he grew up listening to the likes of David Bowie, Miles Davis and Leonard Cohen. Loyle was drawn to the storytelling that grouped these musicians together, and would search for this when delving into the world of rap music. This is reflected in his lyrics today, each track a narration of events of his life. His gift for heartfelt storytelling extends to his newly released Not Waving, But Drowning, the title of which stems from a poem discovered in his grandfathers journals after his death, inspired by poet Stevie Smith's 1957 work of the same name.

Collaboration in any form is inevitable in the creative industries, though artists will use it in different ways. For Loyle, every piece of music Loyle's made has been a collaboration of some sort, but it's a very personal process for him. To be able open himself and his music to scrutiny, he needs to feel like he's working with people he can trust. In his career, Loyle has collaborated with the likes of Jorja Smith, Tom Misch and Jordan Rakai. He goes on to explain that the close relationship he has with these artists brings an element of honesty and trust, establishing an understanding that critiques are made for the right reasons.

Collaboration in any form is inevitable in the creative industries, though artists will use it in different ways. For Loyle, every piece of music Loyle's made has been a collaboration of some sort, but it's a very personal process for him. To be able open himself and his music to scrutiny, he needs to feel like he's working with people he can trust. In his career, Loyle has collaborated with the likes of Jorja Smith, Tom Misch and Jordan Rakai. He goes on to explain that the close relationship he has with these artists brings an element of honesty and trust, establishing an understanding that critiques are made for the right reasons.

To hear more from Maisie and Loyle, listen to the full podcast here

Next, Maisie meets musician Professor Green. If you've got a suggestion as to who you'd like to see on Thinking Big with Maisie Williams send us a tweet @daisie.