Raised on Culture: A Conversation with Alfie Templeman
By Chelsea Tiso
Graphic: Emily Lantzy
From the quiet village of Carlton, Bedfordshire, 16-year-old Alfie Templeman is not your typical teenager. While most kids his age are doing nothing but studying their academics day in and day out, Alfie can also be seen performing on stages across the UK. Having produced all of his music himself from the comfort of his bedroom, the future is looking very bright for this rising star. He’s shared stages with the likes of Gus Dapperton and Sundara Karma, recently signed to Universal Recording studios, and will soon be playing large festivals around the UK. I had the pleasure of sitting down with him for a chat before his benefit set supporting the Marsicans in Luton in aid of Alzheimer Society.
What drew you to pursuing music?
From an early age, my dad played a lot of instruments. My mom was singing around the house, and I was like, ‘Maybe I should do something rather than play football like most other kids,’ so I decided I’d do that instead. I started recording stuff when I was about ten. My dad helped me get my start doing that kind of thing.
So you recently turned sixteen, what are some songs that have helped shape your childhood?
Oh man, what’s that song? I grew up with that song that’s like [starts singing chorus of “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” - Eiffel 65]. Mate, that was my jam and so was literally every ‘Pop Jr.’ song. But I would say growing up, I started listen to a lot of progressive rock, which is a weird way to start, I suppose. Then, as my music taste developed, I started liking bands such as Tame Impala and Mac Demarco. So that’s what inspired me to go into indie.
Being from a small village like Carlton, how’s the local reception been to your recent stardom?
It’s been really great! Everyone has been really supportive because, obviously, everyone knows everyone. It’s really small; the community is so nice and you’re always talking and giving updates about how things are going.
The UK has been home to many successful artists. How has that influenced you?
I think that all of my favourite bands are British, like Led Zeppelin, The 1975… it’s like culture! Just seeing how they act influences everyone else. Liam Gallagher, people like that— it’s just like watching them, you kind of want to be like them at the same time. Maybe not too much like Liam Gallagher; he gets a bit over the top sometimes. It’s just great seeing how many British artists, like the Beatles of course, have turned music into such an amazing thing recently, especially since the sixties. British music has kind of influenced everything popular today, which is great!
You post frequently under Ariel Days on SoundCloud. How does the consistent production of music help you formulate your sound?
I think because I produce pretty much every day, you just learn from different things. You learn what makes a song good in different ways. Like, sometimes I'll make synth songs and sometimes I'll make guitar songs, and I can blend the two together and try different things. I mean, a couple of years ago, I wasn’t great at production, but over time I was gradually getting better at each song because I was recording so much. I was gradually starting to piece it together more, so Ariel Days is a good way of me continuously updating things and continuously releasing songs in that sense so it helps me get better quickly.
What do you see yourself doing in five years time?
I’m not sure— I’m playing Brixton next month [Supporting Sundara Karma] and it’s my first London gig. I just can’t imagine what it’d be like in five years. I think it’d be roughly the same as it is now. Maybe a few more albums, maybe playing somewhat bigger gigs, but I feel that right now, I’m at the level that I want to be at forever, basically. I’m quite happy at this stage. So in five years time? Hopefully about this level as well, maybe a bit bigger. And I’m thinking about doing R&B music rather than indie! Maybe blend them together, that kind of thing.
Do you have any advice to aspiring musicians?
I think you should just keep going at it. Keep releasing stuff on the internet, because as much as live music is great, I don’t think quite as many people go out to live gigs anymore. It’s revolving more around the internet; that’s the biggest thing right now. People say ‘be yourself,’ but I’d say you need to kind of listen to other artists as well and create your own style inspired by that. I mean— that’s what I did with Mac Demarco and if I didn’t listen to him, I would probably be stuck doing progressive rock or something no one would listen to. So just listen to people that you’re inspired by and go by that, but make your own kind of stuff as well. Blend the two together.
Do you have any local bands to recommend?
Yeah, actually quite a few! There’s this band called Masks who are from Bedfordshire, The Basement Strippers, The Radio Decade, Johnny Desolate, Sarpa Salpa, The Courts…
Do you have anything to say to your fans?
Just thank you for even listening to my songs, that's amazing. I’ve been looking at Spotify recently, and one of my songs [“Like an Animal”] has near to 900,000 streams. It’s incredible seeing so many people listening to it, and I’m just very grateful for that. So thank you if you’ve even listened to a song; maybe not even liked it. Good criticism helps an artist grow.
Thank you to Alfie Templeman and his wonderful team for a great interview. Supported by his friends as he travels the UK on tour, there is a striking sense of endurance and motivation from this up and coming singer/songwriter. Not long after our interview, the budding star released more music through Ariel Days [“move on”] and under his own name. You can stream his most recent release “Stop Thinking (About Me)” on all major streaming services!