PHOTOGRAPHY LEWIS KING - WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS
London-based alternative queer artist Harry Strange invites listeners into the raw, winding journey of his twenties with his latest EP, Watch Me Trying. Through introspective lyrics and an evolved sound, he transitions from the heartbreak ballads of his earlier work to more nuanced reflections on identity, friendship, and personal growth.
We caught up with Harry as he celebrated the success of his biggest headline show to date. He shared insights into his creative process, the close-knit team behind the EP, and some of his strangest experiences along the way.
MD: Hey Harry, welcome to F Word magazine! How’s everything going?
HS: Everything’s going great! We just released a brand new EP and played our biggest headline show last week so still very much riding that high. Waiting on the sweet come down…
MD: How did the show at The Lower Third go? Was this the first time playing the new EP live?
HS: We have played a couple of the songs on our Carson tour but last week was the first time we played with a full band with drums etc and I loved every second. I really enjoy being able to go from very intimate moments with just a guitar to full drums, piano etc.
MD: You’ve released your new EP Watch Me Trying - tell us about the ethos behind it.
HS: Watch Me Trying only really came into fruition in the later stages of the process. I first went away with my best friends with the aim to get the whole project written within a week, which is how I approached my previous EP. However this one just took a little longer and understandably. My previous EP was very much heartbreak central whereas this one was a little less intentional with subject matter. As a result I see this project as being very much ‘where and who I am right now’.
MD: The EP was created with Jamie Clarke (Sfven), Duncan Brookfield (Good Neighbours), and Eddie George (Bugeyed, Woody). How did this collaboration come about?
HS: I’ve known Duncan for years now and he actually produced my very first single. We met after I came across some of his own artist stuff on YouTube and I slid into his DM’s… the rest is history! There’s a theme here as the same thing happened with Jamie after hearing his stuff on Spotify - we now live with each other! Eddie is sadly the only one where no DM’s were exchanged.
MD: Watch Me Trying is so deeply personal and introspective, how easy was it for you to open up around others during the creation process?
HS: With them being my best friends it makes it a really easy process, I can feel vulnerable with what I’m writing. And with it being such a safe space it always feels non judgemental.
MD: This is your fourth EP - how do you think your music has evolved since your first release?
HS: I’d like to think it's become more mature. I believe I’m dealing with more adult and human themes as my projects go on, most likely because I’m getting older and working through things with a more responsible/mature mindset?
MD: What do you hope listeners take away from this EP?
HS: From my experience being in your twenties can be fucking confusing. This project is an exploration of all going on in my life and hopefully someone can relate to that and find some comfort in my chaotic way of exploring my twenties.
MD: Is there a genre you’d like to experiment with in the future?
HS: I really love more experimental electronic music so would never say no to delving into that side of music, if not, the complete polar opposite, give me an EDM feature any day.
MD: Let’s do a “strange” quick-fire round!
MD: What’s the strangest place you’ve ever been?
HS: Last year I ended up at the man who wrote ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ house on halloween. Strange is a great word to describe the evening.
MD: What’s the strangest thing about you?
HS: My nighttime routine.
MD: What’s the strangest thing you’ve eaten?
HS: Lego, didn’t go down well.
MD: Do you have any other exciting projects coming up that we should know about?
HS: I’m back into the studio next week so get cracking on the next bits of music and we’re planning something fun for December so keep an eye out for that!
MD: This is F Word magazine, so of course we have to ask - what’s your favourite “F” word?
HS: My cat is called Fooffee - ironic, I know, since I hate cats. But also, as a gay man…
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