Having released his debut solo single, former Dry the River vocalist P.D.Liddle admits a change of career helped to revive his music.
The former vocalist of folk-rock band Dry the River has released debut solo single You Shouldn’t Have Called.
P.D Liddle, 31, first name Peter, released the single in April after signing with Xtra Mile Recordings in Acton.
After breaking-up with the band in 2015 Peter went back to university to complete a law conversion degree and currently balances his solo musical career alongside a full-time job as a trainee solicitor in the city.
On combining the two, he said: “It’s lovely actually because it’s changed my relationship with the whole endeavour
“Once music has become your profession your relationship with it changes – doing it this way is liberating.”
Peter says that in making his solo music he has adopted an ethos of choosing the path of least resistance, and the debut solo features original demos that the artist recorded in his bedroom.
“We just decided that the original demos had something about them.
“I didn’t know at the time that I was doing the album vocals so it felt relaxed and natural.
“My general approach has been if the music-making process becomes laborious than we’re not doing right.”
The new single – with tender vocals and a paired-back acoustic guitar part – digresses from the often heavy music of Dry the River.
“In the early days of Dry the River, when I was younger and hadn’t been writing songs for long, I had a tendency to be quite complicated with words and crowbar in unusual theological and historical references.
“In the new single I’ve tried to be more conversational and natural with how I write things, and more honest in what I’m writing about.”
Peter performed to an audience at Omeara near London Bridge in April to commemorate the signing in what was first live performance in two years.
He said: “The performance didn’t really feel like a solo gig.
“Most of the musicians who played with me are members of the extended Dry the River family.
“It felt comforting to have the gang around me, it took the edge off a bit.”
On moving forward with his solo career he said: “I’m going to maintain this approach of taking things as they come and see where it goes.”
P.D. Liddle is releasing a new solo album in September and is performing at various festivals in the upcoming summer.
