A CONVERSATION WITH... CHRISTY
After his adventures down to (and at) The Great Escape, we caught up with the ever-charismatic Christy at his hometown headline show in Glasgow to talk about his journey with music and the social impact he wants to make.
credit: Dawbell PR
People make Glasgow.
It’s a saying plastered all over the Scottish city, from massive banners on buildings to the sides of the tiniest bins. The slogan has become almost an inside joke for Glaswegians, but it holds some truth, regardless. You’ll find all sorts of wonderful people here, including artists who don’t wait for their moment to shine — they grab the spotlight and run with it.
And they all make Glasgow the place it is, even if they’re too humble to recognise it. Even though he’s left for London, Castlemilk native Christy has clearly left his mark on the city.
It’s evident by the packed crowd in The Attic with smiling faces of strangers and friends alike, all singing along to Christy’s heartbreaking and healing songs to support one of their own.
So hours before his sold-out hometown headline, the tales of Christy’s great adventures began to fill the dressing room.
As someone who’s lived in Glasgow for years, he blew me away with the kindness he naturally offered right off the bat to me and every single person he interacted with. But he promises a tough Bear Grylls interior is still there somewhere.
“Glasgow’s given me more than I could ever give it back. Honestly, it’s probably given me the extroverted personality I have now! But I hope one day, when I’m more successful, I can really give back. You know, start a program for disadvantaged kids who want to get into music and give them an alternative to gang culture. I want to do something that actually makes a difference.”
That extroverted personality started on the streets of Glasgow (specifically Sauchiehall Street) where he began busking at 16 with an impressive falsetto voice to stand out amongst the hustle and bustle.
“I really learned to sing on the street, I mean, busking’s the most amazing experience because you really have to be in the moment. Not a lot of life is living in the moment, but with that… you have to be 24/7 aware. Crazy shit happens all the time, I love it, but it does!”
Some of that craziness includes jumping from being in a boy band (Supanova), acting (Moon Dogs and Find Me in Paris), and busking around central Europe.
He lets his heart lead him to the next whirlwind adventure. Like his journey to The Great Escape, where he was challenged by his record label to travel from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands all the way down to sunny Brighton in southern England to perform at the iconic festival.
“Tell me off or on record. Was it real or was that challenge staged?”
He pauses for an almost dramatic effect, then breaks into a smile. “On and off record, it wasn’t staged. Gotta keep it real!”
Getting the mysterious ‘challenge offered’ note and starting point was planned, but Christy was really doing what he could with the £100 he had in his bank account. He spent his days busking and nights editing the TikTok and Instagram videos to keep his fans updated on his journey.
It was a homage to his busking days and fuelled the flames for Christy to continue to explore different creative avenues to connect with all the people he meets. With packed shows at The Great Escape and his sold-out headline shows in London and Glasgow, he clearly leaves a great impact on whoever he meets and leaves them wanting more.
“Man, I’m always so chuffed when anyone comes to my shows. I love being in the crowd, especially in an audience tonight where it’s a homecoming,” he laughs. “I’m meant to jump around and be with the people!”
While his songs, like his latest acoustic releases ‘Heart Shaped Hole’ and ‘Coast to Coast’ lean more towards ‘enjoyable heartbreak’ than ‘mosh pit,’ there is no more jubilant place in Glasgow that night than The Attic.
Christy changed guitars throughout the night to perfectly accompany his cathartically crushing lyrics and his heart remained on his guitar pick through it all. But even with all the experience in music making he’s had since leaving school in his teen years, he still has some uncertainties about what he’s doing and where he’s going.
“Maybe I’m too emotional. Maybe. But a lot of my music has stemmed from what I’ve experienced and this need to make a difference. Further down the line, I want what I do to have an impact and maybe swing more into politically charged lyrics to say everything that’s in my heart. We’ll see.”
He’s figuring it out while baring his soul so we can figure ourselves out alongside him.
But fans, listeners, and strangers have figured some of Christy out already: they see the singer who stayed until the venue workers (understandably) kicked everyone out at closing, as he was trying to make sure everyone got photos or things signed. The one who moved our interview halfway through to join his dad in the dressing room to ensure he wasn’t left lonely. And of course, the guy who, as much as he’d humbly deny it, is a wonderful example that people really do make Glasgow.