Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Callum Sutton returns with the electrifying fourth single from his upcoming self-produced album The Union. Titled “Give You Something,” the track is a stirring blend of gospel-infused soul, rootsy rock ‘n’ roll, and lyrical depth forged over a decade of personal and musical evolution.
Let’s start from the beginning—what first drew you to music, and when did you start writing songs?
This is a big question as when I really thought about answering it, I realised I had to think back to my childhood and my earliest memories of experiencing music. I remember having a little cassette player next to my bed and feeling very safe and comforted when listening to the tapes. Music has always had a way of unlocking emotions for me, too, that I maybe haven’t been able to access in their full intensity up to that point. Songs present emotions in a purer, more dramatic arena than day-to-day life does, and that appeals to me and helps me to feel more and then heal more, too. I like the transportive quality music has; I’ve experienced albums like they are different worlds that I can explore anew every time I listen to them. I started writing poetry first and then songs later, after I learnt guitar in my teens, when I realised I wanted to sing and perform on stage.
How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard your music before?
I think I have a tough, energetic sound imbued with emotional sincerity. My influences are artists from the worlds of blues, jazz, soul, funk, gospel, world and folk. I like blending genres and writing songs with strong harmonic structures and memorable hooks, fun grooves, too. I don’t always achieve it, but I enjoy the failures too, as they teach me valuable songwriting lessons.
“Give You Something” feels both vintage and fresh—was it hard to strike that balance?
I wouldn’t say it was hard, but I did have to shut up and listen to my intuition a lot during the entire process. A lot of the balance was in knowing when to take the song by the horns and shape it into what I thought it should be, and knowing when to get out of the way, let things flow and find out what the song wanted itself to be. For example, in rehearsal, the drummer played a different groove than what I had expected he would, and I thought, ‘let’s keep going in that direction and see what happens’. Also, although I wrote the song and produced it myself, it was still a collaborative effort. Kotchin, whose studio I recorded the track in and who co-produced the album with me, has a background in hip-hop and electronic music, and I think this played a big part in the track sounding fresh, especially certain instincts of his during the mixing process. It was two different worlds colliding in a way, and it produced some interesting results.
How long did it take from writing to finishing the final version of this single?
Well, I wrote the lyrics in my early 20’s and finished the fully mixed and mastered single in my early 30’s, so all in all about 10 years.
What role does vulnerability play in your songwriting?
That is an interesting question, and, without getting too philosophical, it kind of depends on your interpretation of vulnerability. In order to write, you do have to get into a space that could be thought of as vulnerable, as you write the best songs when your whole self is wide open and ready to receive. It’s kind of a meditative process, but also a life-intensifying process so it really depends on whether you would see that state as vulnerable or not. I personally don’t, as I think it strengthens you and is very therapeutic, but it does also make day to day life a little intense. I often find I am making sense of things that have passed in my songs, and so, in that sense, there is no real vulnerability, as the actual events or people or subjects are no longer a part of my present experience.
The Hammond B3 is such a key part of this track—what drew you to include it so prominently?
It felt right – when I was arranging the songs for the album prior to recording I tried to hear in my head all the different instruments that would make up the soundscapes for the respective songs. The Hammond B3 is a massive part of gospel music and also soul music and I knew it should be on this one.
What’s your mindset when stepping into the studio as both artist and producer?
Ok, I’m going to use an analogy that may be a little out there, but it makes sense to me. When stepping into the studio as an artist, I am like a mother going into labour and in producer form, I’m like the midwife assisting in the birth and making sure all goes as it should. The song is, of course, the beautiful newborn baby.
Do you think being a multi-instrumentalist gives you an advantage in realizing your artistic vision?
For sure, it does as it widens the musical palette I have at my disposal and gives me different options on how to shape the sound. Riffs and chord progressions sound different on different instruments, and it really comes in handy to have many different options when it comes to producing a song in a studio. It’s different live when you are playing with musicians, and it’s all in the moment.
How do you handle creative blocks or burnout when working on a long-term project like The Union?
Well, you know I see my life as one long creative project, and my songs are the expression of that declaration, so I don’t stress if I haven’t written a song for a while because I expect ebbs and flows. I believe in the source from where the inspiration flows. There were challenges to overcome, though, but they were more to do with patience. I am someone who obsesses over what I do, and it was difficult to leave the studio sometimes and just switch it off – I wanted to work on the music all the time. But again, my co-producer and engineer, Kotchin, has had many years of experience, and he instilled some important habits early on in the process. One of these was that we wouldn’t mix for longer than four hours at a time. After that amount of time, you really can’t accurately assess what you are hearing, and you’re more likely than not going to make things worse by continuing to try to work on the stuff. So I had to channel my energy into these high focused bouts of creativity and then wait for the next session.
What part of the upcoming concert film are you most excited for fans to see?
I think the closing song of the show. The energy was really incredible, and the song was hard and funky, with an improvised breakdown with the drums and bass and audience participation too. I’m so happy that we captured it on film because there was real spontaneity in the performance. It could’ve fallen apart at many moments, but instead, the energy just kept rising. It was a great moment to experience, let alone capture on film and get to show the world.
You’ve received a wave of press support recently—how does it feel to get that kind of recognition?
It feels really great, I’ve been plugging away for over a decade working on my craft and it’s really encouraging to be receiving some positive reviews and kind words.
If you could collaborate with any artist—living or passed—who would it be and why?
Another great question, but a tricky one because it’s hard to pick only one! I think Joe Cocker and I could’ve come up with something cool, with the Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour band and Leon Russell producing. I snuck in a few in one there!
How has your relationship with music changed since you first started writing songs on the streets?
I’ve gone from mainly being a lyricist who sings to being more of a songwriter/ bandleader and arranger/producer, I would say. Of course, I still love writing and singing, but over the years of listening to all kinds of music, I’ve come to appreciate the entire picture, not just the parts most natural to me. I love to work on the backing vocals and horn parts because I’m really interested in making every part of a song crucial to its overall effect ,and I get more of a kick out of the subtleties now. I think it’s natural, as your ear develops and your musical instincts become more refined, to become more of a complete musician and desire more varied and complex sounds.
What does success look like to you at this stage of your career?
One of the best things to come out of this album has been the formation of my new band. I love playing with these guys and girls. So I’d really like to push forward with them and play as many live shows as possible. It’s a big 7-piece band (9-piece when we do it with the horn section), so it can be difficult to find the right venues, but the payoff is worth it when we do. I’m hoping the increased press surrounding the release of the album will lead to more opportunities when it comes to playing live with this big sound we’ve got going on.
Finally, what’s next after The Union? Any plans you can share?
There’s the concert film coming in the Fall at some point, and a live album too which is nearly ready to be mastered. I’m excited to show people who haven’t caught us live what that’s like. And we’ve been working on some new material, so 2026 will bring another studio album. I can’t wait! Thanks for the great questions; they’ve been fun and interesting to think about and answer. All the best!
