Part 1

Name: The Degrees
Members:Charlie Bierman, Isha Campbell

Nationality: British
Occupation: Producer (Charlie), Singer-songwriter (Isha)
Current release: The Degrees's The Day out of Time is out now via Fallen Tree 1Hundred. Physical editions will follow around April 2023.
Recommendations: Charlie: Two of my favourite tracks from the past couple of years are Kipp Stone’s ‘Cheap Sangria’ and  Snoh Aalegra ‘Whoa’.
Isha: Ishmael – Daniel Quinn.  An amazing book that's bittersweet. 1421 – The Year China Discovered the World – Gavin Menzies – An interesting book about the Chinese circumnavigating the globe before the European explorers.

If you enjoyed this interview with The Degrees and would like to stay up to date with the duo and their music, visit them on Instagram. There is also a dedicated website to the duo's house project Degree of Freedom.



When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

Charlie: I learnt piano from a young age and moved to other instruments in my teens. I started messing around with 4tracks and sound modules around 14 and got into turntablism a couple of years later.

At that point, some of my inspirations were artists like DJ Shadow, Qbert, J Dilla and Premier. Hearing drum kits loud in a school hall really drew me to wanna learn the drums.

Isha: I've always been into music. My Dad, Mum and brother would play music all the time when I was young. I remember every Sunday you would hear blaring Dub, Reggae, Rocksteady etc. at our house from morning till night. So being interested in music and wanting to make it was a natural transition as it was a massive part of my upbringing.

I started songwriting at 14 and worked with music producers, I was in a choir and would perform at various locations around England and abroad. I then taught myself how to play the guitar and would write songs. I loved all the old classic songwriters, Bill Withers, Elton John, The Carpenters etc. My Mum would have Classic Gold on all the time and listening to the lyrical content of the songs was my favourite part.

For me, the music draws you in but the lyrics captivate you and tell the story you're there to experience.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

Charlie: I don’t really get that TBH, I enjoy feeling the vibrations, which is partly what drew me to bass heavy music like Dub and DnB. I think I’m more into grooves, and getting into the zone in that way, hence playing the drums and lot of the music I enjoy listening to.

Isha: I feel colour when I listen to music. I close my eyes and experience waves of it around me. My favourite is orange. If something is orange it is amazing.

The mood and feel of the music are also very important to me. I will only work on something if I feel moved by it. I hate and cannot work on something I don't like or if it doesn't touch me I'm out. I'll start a song but will only continue if the vibe and feel is right.

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

Charlie: I’ve worked in the DnB scene as an artist called Break since I was 18 so there’s been a long journey there. These other genres of music I’ve been involved in have always been slightly stuck on the back burner, so it’s great for them to have some time in the spotlight.

We found it challenging as a band over the years to find a label that got what we were about musically and as people, so it’s been great working with people who get us.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

Charlie: Even though Isha and myself both live in Bristol and take big inspiration from bands like Portishead and Massive Attack, we both grew up in London, and that shaped a lot of my identity as a person and a musician. Record shopping, raving, live gigs and house parties were all a big part of my musical journey.

Living in a big city like London does shape your personality in a certain way, which I notice with people from NY or Paris for example. I think mixing that with the Bristol flavours and then moving here 15 or so years ago created a real nice blend of identity and influences.

Isha: My identity is a mad mixture of life experience, creative energy and a lot of stubbornness. I am quirky, mad, eccentric and strange. I go with the flow when it comes to creating and I don't spend too much time on one particular thing. I always give something a go no matter how strange it may be because sometimes that's when you make gold.

I think the same thing applies when I listen to music. I'll always give something a go or give it the benefit of the doubt before passing judgement.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

Charlie: I was pretty big into art at school but gave up on it due to the whole premiss that any crap can be “good” art if the spiel on the plaque next to it justifies the work. I love art with a clever message and meaning but also, I always felt a painting or a sculpture can just be a thing with no reason if you want.

Preparation, planning and workings was favoured. I appreciate that refining an idea till you get to the final masterpiece can be a great way to go. But it’s the same with music, you might just sit down and write a tune for no reason, that’s just how you felt at the time, and that’s what came out … which is fine to me.

Isha: My approach to music is usually to release some form of creative energy. Sometimes I'll have an idea for a song or an idea for a backing track and I need to make it in order to get it out of my head.

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

Charlie: I would say all of those keywords are things I’d like to think I’m hitting when making music. I think our stuff leans more towards traditional and elements of reminiscence, but that’s partly to do with the era we grew up in (90s) being a big influence.

There’s a lot of music that may be futuristic / on trend but not timeless, and we’ve both always felt a great timeless song isn’t trendy … in the long run.

Isha: This question is very interesting. I personally don't mind imperfections in music, I think that makes music more interesting. I think clinically perfect music is not for me.

Music can be timeless regardless of its perfection &/or originality, it's more about how it resonates and touches the listener. I'm a big advocate for originality though, I would much rather make my own tune than cover someone else's. I am very interested in 'music of the future' & 'continuing a tradition'.

I like to think we've done both within the album. There's a very distinct nod to the past but I hope we've contributed something unique that can help propel the genres we've hit on also. We are both creatives that have a distinct voice and in working together we've sometimes had to compromise on our particular point of view, but at the same time, we've made something that would only exist within this paring.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

Charlie: Being lucky enough to learn the piano as a kid has been invaluable as a producer as so much can be played with a keyboard. Even though nothing beats real live bass, I can get pretty close playing bass on the keyboard, which I enjoy with tools like Trilian.

Isha: My most important tools have been

1) my gut instinct. It's taken a long while to trust and believe in it, but in doing so I have been able to be my most authentic and creative self.
2) knowing when to start over and let something go. The prospect of having to start over can be so daunting but you give yourself the opportunity to create something better / different than you did before.
3) not giving into self-doubt. You will always be your worst critic so learning to switch that off or ignore it has been a massive help.
4) being fearless. Sometimes I'll do things before I've properly thought it through so I don't talk myself out of it.