Photography: India Bharadwaj
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realise that Jersey is pretty limited in what it can offer to budding music artists. The 9-by-5 mile island is filled with just over 100k people, who mostly champion indie folk guitar balladeers or teenage boys with decks on a Splash night. I personally live out in the depths of St Ouen, where the locals at The Farmers are typically country folk rocking to Jug Bands – far from the urban dwellers filling stadiums to watch the newest emerging RnB artist. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that those trying to make a name in more popular mainstream music would pick up sticks and test their luck on the mainland.
The decision is easier for some than others, but for one RnB/Pop artist, home will always be where the heart is. “When I introduce myself on stage, it always goes like this,” he said. “My name’s Harrison Mayo. Yes, Mayo like the sauce. And I’m from Jersey.” Explaining it’s a small island off of France, he asks the audience if anyone’s heard of it. There is a smattering of engagement from the crowd. But it’s enough for Harrison to start a conversation he has to remind himself to stop. “I have to catch myself sometimes and think, ‘you’ve got 30 minutes on the stage. This isn’t a tourism presentation.’”
Harrison is a fully independent artist, channeling a mix of 2000’s Justin Timberlake, Frank Ocean and Justin Bieber. His sound is a warm, RnB Pop, that has a cinematic nostalgia and catchy edge to it. Most of his tracks are within the realm of ‘feel good’ music, keeping an emotive tinge. “I do try to be as vulnerable as possible with my music, especially recently, where I’ve gone down the road of speaking about things I never normally speak about,” he explained.
Based in North London between Camden and High Barnet, Harrison unintentionally based himself in an environment that reminds him of Jersey, without realising it. Half an hour from central, he’s surrounded by green trees, fields and a nearby nature reserve. There’s even a few barns and stables. It’s a testament to the way that his childhood on the island shaped him – “I think nature is always at the heart of my whole being,” he said. Before he went to performing arts secondary school, some of Harrison’s core memories took place at his childhood home in Rozel. “As soon as I was ready for school, I used to go down to the bay,” he said. “I’d wait for my mum to be ready to leave, and when she was, she literally had to pull me off the beach.”
The slower pace that goes hand in hand with island life remains a lifeline for Harrison when he needs clarity. “When I need a break, I tell myself, ‘leave the London brain here, and fly home and take a beat,’” he said. Despite this, it isn’t long before his feet begin to itch again. His life may be fast paced in the city, but only because he makes it that way. Driven by the surrounding hustle culture, he pounces on opportunities to reach new heights, bending the rules if he has to. “If someone says I have to do this before I do that – I don’t believe it. I will get what I want from being consistent and working hard,” he affirmed, before jokingly adding, “and also just hassling people online.”
This mentality has led to performance opportunities in places such as The Jazz Cafe in London, and festivals such as CarFest and the Big Feastival this summer. Topping the list was The Royal Albert Hall, that prior had a spot on the music artist’s bucket list. “It’s somewhere that you hear a lot about,” he said, reflecting on the experience. “It’s such a historic and special place, so to be able to perform there was incredible.” Next on the list is the Southbank Centre this October, which carries a particular nostalgic sentiment for Harrison. He used to head there with a bluetooth speaker and some friends when he was a teenager, rehearsing in the foyer despite the security guards’ indignations. “They weren’t happy with us,” Harrison remembered, smiling. “We used to get up to all sorts there, so to be able to go back and perform in a proper situation is going to be really special.”
It’s likely some songs from his latest EP will make it into the performance, which he released in August. The tracks that form ‘Mirage’ tell the story of a relationship, from first encounter to walking separate ways, and is uploaded on major streaming platforms such as Spotify. Harrison has seen success spreading his music in this way, amassing 2.25 million plays of his ‘most popular’ songs, whilst being featured on major editorial playlists such as “New Music Friday,” “Fresh Finds UK & IE,” which are followed by hundreds of thousands of listeners and amplifies his exposure.
In terms of music to come, Harrison is on a path of experimentation, getting into the studio with more producers, and different artists. “I want to try different things,” he revealed. “Tap into different sounds, maybe work with some more strings, or my friend who’s a trumpet player.” The ultimate aim is to experiment as much as possible: blending genres, and telling different stories.
