You’re a very busy and creative man, being a filmmaker, composer and producer. How do you find the time to work on all three?
When an idea comes my way I like to grab it by the balls and run with it; the medium it comes out on only matters when it comes to the technical aspect of making it. I love working on cross-platform ideas – a sound might inspire a visual piece or vice versa. Film and music are very similar in the cerebral way they can hit you. I find that I spend a couple of months working more in music and then going back to film – it’s a more interesting that way for me. Directing music videos is right up my alley because they are smack bang in the middle.
Beginning your career, which direction did you first want to head towards, films or music? How did you end up doing both?
When I was a kid I was learning piano. I hated it. I wanted to write my own shit even though I could barely play. I probably had a short attention span. I spent my early twenties playing in metal bands and then got into film. I was drawn to film because of the added sense it was stimulating; ideas had more room to exist. I was still writing and recording music all the time and when I realized I had an album of ideas, I started putting it down.
Your self-produced video clip for new single, Leave that Street Alone is well worth a view. How did you come up with the concept and how was it making your own video?
The idea came to me when I drove past an old laundrette late one night. I had the demo of Leave that Street Alone playing and – bang – I was there. It was a trip editing a video to my own song. Working with my regular film crew was a great experience and made the process as easy as possible. Having worked on films before, I had a strong sense of the visual vibe that I wanted to nail and I think we got there in the end.
What’s next for George Kalpa? What creativity can fans anticipate?
I’m working on a new record that’s sounding very acoustic, as well as two film scripts. I’m always working on music videos for other artists too.
GEORGE KALPA’s new album Mode is available now.
