George Shelley says a stint working shifts in a north London espresso store has led him to essentially the most fulfilling musical venture of his profession.
George Shelley says a stint working shifts in a north London espresso store has led him to essentially the most fulfilling musical venture of his profession
The 32-year-old singer first discovered fame with boy band Union J after their look on The X Consider 2012, earlier than ending runner-up on ITV’s I’m a Movie star… Get Me Out of Right here! in 2015, however after leaving Union J in 2016, George spent years combating grief, trade rejection and monetary difficulties – ultimately taking shifts as a barista in Enfield final 12 months.
But it surely’s now emerged it was there that he met his future bandmates and fashioned a brand new group.
He advised The Solar about how his newest venture took place: “Final 12 months I used to be simply grafting lots, doing lots of video enhancing and low store work. I did 4 shifts there.
“However throughout these, Alex was my boss and I did smash lots as a result of I’m fairly excessive power. I’m at all times knocking issues over and slipping over. I’d given up on music.”
George’s supervisor on the café, Alex Pothecary, revealed a background in musical composition, and the pair started writing and recording collectively.
Shortly afterwards, George met Will Jackson in one other café, and the trio fashioned a band known as Lightlines.
They launched their debut single Wasted in July, adopted by a second monitor, Animal.
George added: “I needed to maneuver away from the entire boy band factor. The songs that I write on my own, they’re very introspective and deep.
“And once I realised these boys may play guitar and drums, I used to be like, ‘This feels actually proper’.”
On Wasted, George sings about “capsules and bars” and “getting wasted”, admitting he went off the rails when he moved to London.
He stated: “I used to be simply very naive and once I got here to London I obtained swept up in it.”
His sister, Harriet, was killed in a automotive accident in 2017, a tragedy that compounded his struggles.
George stated in regards to the tragedy: “When my sister handed away, coping with the grief on high of the rejection of the trade, it was lots.
“My coping mechanisms had been poisonous for a very long time and I used to be simply within the incorrect environments.”
Now George has durations of sobriety and is concentrated on the band’s debut album, recorded over six months and set for impartial launch.
He stated: “An enormous a part of me doing music once more is to ensure I don’t hand over my autonomy, and that I’ve company over my very own life and my inventive selections.”
Reflecting on his years of fame, George added: “There have been durations once I couldn’t exit with my buddies with out a great deal of individuals following us. It obtained fairly intrusive and scary. I constructed up a concern of going out since you’re anxious about that.”
Regardless of his new musical chapter, George stated he stays pragmatic about work.
He admitted: “If in a month’s time I have to get some money in, I’ll simply do some evening shifts someplace or do some gardening.
“I’ve not obtained an ego, pondering that I’m too good for having to work once more.”
