January 25, 2013 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Story by Kaleigh Rodgers
 

This week, local acoustic alternative musician and fourth-year Criminology student Gareth Bush released his debut EP This is for Keeps and the timing could not be better. Bush has been an emerging star on the London music scene for several years, honing his skills with street-performance and recurring gigs at various downtown bars. This past month, his years of practice have begun to pay off as one of his latest YouTube cover videos has been garnering international attention.

Bush’s version of "Scream and Shout" by Will.i.am and Britney Spears has received well over 20,000 views since it was posted at the end of December, and has been picked up by radio stations in the United States and Germany as well as being featured on an Israeli soccer commercial. In addition, he was recently named web celeb of the week by New York radio station Z100, and opened for Craig Cardiff at a Huron University College concert.

This turn of events has been surreal for Bush who has been working on his debut album for the past two years. The EP features five self-penned tracks including "Grow", which was the first song Bush wrote at the age of 16. He explains that the EP showcases his versatility as a musician as well as the evolution of his musical style. The album is entitled This is for Keeps as a reflection of his highly selective song writing process.

“I’ve been writing for over six years and I am so picky about what I write that I end up throwing out half of the songs that I start,” said Bush. “Every so often, if I really like a song I will say alright, this is for keeps.”

Bush draws lyrical inspiration primarily from his own life experiences and finds writing a great outlet for personal expression. Musically, he is most inspired by John Mayer and Coldplay. He tries to harness both Mayer’s unique style of guitar playing and the emotional appeal of Coldplay’s songs in his own music. Bush explains that his love of music is ultimately rooted in the power it holds to unite all people.

“I love that music allows me to build up a fun social atmosphere with friends and bring people together; it’s a universal language that can connect people across the world,” said Bush. “Now that my EP is out, I think it’s amazing that there will be people that I don’t even know listening to my songs on their iPods.”

During his undergraduate career, Bush has been involved on campus as a soph and as the concert commissioner for the KUCSC. When he is not busy with his studies, performing, or recording in the studio Bush spends his time pursuing his interest in journalism as a colour commentary OUA reporter for CHRW, and as the host of the CHRW sports talk show The Fourth Line.

While Bush would ultimately love to pursue a career as a musician, he also aspires to study journalism in graduate school over the next few years. For now, he is excited to be promoting his album and playing as many shows as possible.

Bush’s EP will release digitally on iTunes, Bandcamp, and Amazon on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The album release concert will be held on Feb. 15 at Wink’s Eatery in downtown London.

For more information on his music please visit:

https://www.facebook.com/garethbushmusic

www.youtube.com/gareth9