ON THE RISE
AUSTIN, Texas — The artist known as SomeoneCalledSomeone spent part of his early adulthood living a dream to be a musician and promote his songs, but he also paid a steep price, battling addiction, problems with the law and failed relationships.
Now he’s determined to recapture the joy of making and sharing music without exposing himself and his new family to the temptations of the music scene.
SomeoneCalledSomeone just released the second EP in his “Moods” series called “Frequencies: The Moods Vol. 2” out on streaming service as of March 10, 2023.
SomeoneCalledSomone said the first EP, “Pensive: The Moods Vol. 1,” released last November, was the slower, more introspective album.
“Volume 2 is supposed to be, ok, we got to think about some deep stuff, now it’s time to have some fun,” he said. “Let’s roll the windows down, let’s turn it up and let’s just vibe out. So that’s kind of the whole concept and motivation behind Volume 2, this one is the feel-good EP.
“I'm pushing a decade from when I was last relevant in music. It’s like what do I sound like in today's market because if I go start creating music like I was doing when I stopped, it’s going to be outdated. I was asking who am I in this new landscape of music. I’ve been playing in different genres, different sounds and I noticed a pattern so I created the ‘Moods” EP series specifically around that.”
SomeoneCalledSomeone said he lived the music scene and lived the problems it caused for a number of years.
“I was a touring and professional musician for years,” SomeoneCalledSomeone said. “I was also a drug addict. I had two options. One was continue with music and probably relapse because that had been my pattern, get clean, relapse, get clean, relapse. Or walk away from music entirely and stay sober and have some kind of a livable life. So that was the decision I made and I walked away from music entirely for eight years.”
While SomeoneCalledSomeone thought he was done with music, his wife knew better.
“Two years ago my wife would still see me writing,” he said. “I loved to write whether it was journaling or poetry, wrinting what may or may not ever be a song. So my wife had bought me a little studio-in-a-box, the little PreSonas kits, with a mike, a pre-amp, monitors. When she bought it I was like I don’t know why you waste our money on that, I'll never use it. I have no interest in doing music anymore, that part of my life is over.
“Then about June or July I was bored, I was at home, and I decided, just out of curiosity I want to see if I can do it. So I made a song called ‘Days, Nights and Weeks,’ and it was about addiction. I posted it online under the name SomeoneCalledSomeone just to be anonymous and it got really great responses and it kind of made me think, you know what, this is cool.”
It was cool enough that SomeoneCalledSomeone decided to see if he could make and release music without dealing with the music scene. And he figured out the technology had changed enough that he might be able to release music and promote it without giving up his anonymity,
“I made the decision that I can, from the comfort of my own home and the privacy and anonymity of this online persona, create music and still scratch that itch, but maintain the life I've built, the family I've created and the sobriety that I now have that is closing in on nine years,” he said. “When I quit making music MySpace.com just started. Facebook was still for college kids. There wasn’t digital. Every single weekend, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, I had a backpack on my back, I was standing on a corner on Sixth Street in downtown Austin with a CD players and headphones in my hand and approach every human that walked down the street sell them a CD for $5 or be out there promoting or pushing a show I had coming up.
“Now I never have to leave my house and all the promotion I do is online. It seems so easy like it’s a cheat code, but it’s not necessarily easy because everyone else is doing the same thing. It’s really interesting, I don’t know how to say which one is better, it’s just interesting.”
A new journey is now beginning. A new artist is molding and combining genre sounds and influences with the same deep and impactful lyrics which were once so highly regarded amongst fans. SomeoneCalledSomeone is the artist for anyone who has ever felt as though unfinished business beckoned for their undying attention.
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Elvis Presley – ‘Mystery Train’
“My first love was Elvis, no question. In our house, we had a French-release compilation album of his songs called ‘Le Roi Du Rock ‘n’ Roll’. As a small kid, I was obsessed with ‘Mystery Train’. The way Elvis held his guitar like a gun and the percussive way he attacked the strings made me fall in love with the guitar. Many years later, I went busking around Europe on my motorbike with a tent and played my guitar in the streets. But it was all because of Elvis and those early Sun [Records] recordings – and ‘Mystery Train’ in particular.”
Blondie – ‘Autoamerican’
“There was an Our Price on Finchley Road, North London that I’d go to with my older brother and sister. That’s where I bought ‘Autoamerican’ in 1981. Blondie – what can you say? Apart from the fact that as a young boy, it was impossible not to be in love with Debbie Harry. I love the variety on this particular record – it goes through different genres. Years later, I saw Blondie play [in 2013] at a private function in New York with Kanye West. Debbie Harry was still magnetic.”
Queen, Wembley Stadium, 1986
“Queen were supported by INXS. It was before they released ‘Kick’ [in 1987]. I only went because it turned out my friend Kieran’s dad was a big-shot in the music industry and he got four tickets. I was around 17, it was a year after they played Live Aid and Queen were phenomenal.”
The Beatles – ‘Eleanor Rigby’
“All through our early teenage years, my younger brother and I were always at the top of the house listening to The Beatles. ‘Eleanor Rigby’ reminds me of the ‘80s and the views out of our house in London: looking at the grey, rain-drizzled skies. I always felt its melancholy, looking out of the window back then as a teenager. Not that I was unhappy, but I definitely responded to that in music.”
Ever meet Macca?
“I have met Paul McCartney and he was a complete gentleman. At a political party, we were watching the American election on TV and he came up to me and said [Lewis does a pitch-perfect Macca impersonation]: ‘Oh, you understand a bit or two about the TV, don’t you?’. And I just realised he’d seen me on TV and I melted. I went to bed grinning. That McCartney knows who I am is incredible. I was completely tongue-tied.”
David Bowie – ‘Heroes’
“I know 173 other people will probably also have picked ‘Heroes’ for this, but from the opening note, it’s just relentlessly brilliant. It’s the most evocative, triumphant, euphoric song – and unbelievably cool. The second album I ever owned was Bowie’s ‘Hunky Dory’ – and he’s remained a touchstone for me.”
The Rolling Stones – ‘Little T&A’
“I listen to the Stones a lot and I can never get ‘Little T&A ‘ out of my head. Keith Richards is quoted as calling the song ‘dumb’ and that it’s just about rock ‘n’ roll energy. It’s a celebration of carnality, I’m aware of that, but that’s the one that stays in my head!”
Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers – ‘Swing the Mood’
“I can’t fucking hear Jive Bunny again! But I don’t mean that in a pejorative way. When I was in my twenties, I would go out on my own dancing to old-school rock ‘n’ roll at rockabilly nights. Then Jive Bunny came out and cut up my favourite songs into snippets and put them into this endless [novelty] medley. And then it was never off the radio, so I’d have to put it into the Room 101 of music.”
Crazy P – ‘There’s a Better Place’
“It’s an ambient rave tune with a fantastic Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory sample. I’m just that age. I left school right into the dance culture of the ‘90s and that will still always get me up on the floor.”
The Weepies – ‘Gotta Have You’
“It reminds me of moving to LA as a family with my late wife Helen [McCrory]. My daughter was one year old and my son was about to be born. We were living in Venice Canals – and I was filming out there. We had a babysitter who was a 23-year-old roller-skating, already-Botoxed sunny Californian girl. We asked her, are you listening to any good music? She gave us two great bands. One is The Shins but the other was a lesser-known band called The Weepies. That song will always get me going.”
Elton John – ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’
“I can’t say I do karaoke but I will proudly divulge that I was at karaoke in Fulham Broadway once. I went in there with a friend and I got up and sang ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’ and I won a bottle of champagne for best karaoke of the evening! Very chuffed I was too. If I was back looking for another bottle of champers, I’d pick it again.”
Talk Talk – ‘It’s My Life’
“I was an ‘80s kid and I liked electronic music. I’ve always loved ‘It’s My Life’ and Andy Hollis’ vocals, as well as its slightly bombastic nature. Life’s what you make of it – seems like a good sentiment to have.”
Damian Lewis’ UK tour begins on October 2. His album ‘Sweet Chaos’ is out now via Thin Red Duke
