With due acclaim from national press, TV and radio, whiskey stained vocalist Harvey Jay Dodgson releases another sensational single “You Belong To Me” - as heard on the UK’s favourite summer series ‘Love Island'. The track lands on the back of his awe-inspiring performances at The Great Escape, Isle of Wight Festival, High Tide Festival and merely weeks ahead of his forthcoming appearances at 110 Above Festival, Victorious Festival, Live At Leeds - it’s safe to safe Dodgson is making a distinctive imprint in the current live scene and soundscape.

We chat to Harvey about his latest single, the process of writing and future projects.

Thanks so much for talking to ReVamp, how did you get involved in music and who inspired you?

A pleasure! It was my mum who put me into guitar lessons when I was 7, and both her and my dad introduced me to my first artists - Kasabian, David Bowie, Justin Currie, Kate Bush, ELO. These all inspired me to start singing along whilst playing guitar, and this progressed to writing my own songs. 

Do you remember the first album you bought?

I think it’s a shame, but I don’t think I’ve ever bought a physical album due to the internet. However Kasabian’s first album was the first I listened to. 

You have a new single ‘You Belong To Me’, what inspired you to write this track?

I wrote ‘You Belong To Me’ as an attempt to break up my live set - literally writing it the afternoon before the gig. It’s short, simple, and portrays my love of music. 

What made you decide to go down the acoustic route of the song?

To match the simplicity. It’s pure and stripped back, hiding nothing, trying not to cover the melody and lyrics with too many production tricks. 

You also have an official video out for the single, can you talk about the process of filming for the music video?

The music video filmed by Tom Knibbs is a one-take shot at the shore by my house. I wanted it to be near home, and at a place I spend a lot of time to sit and write music. We (once again) got very lucky with the weather and Tom was able to capture the peace and beauty of the afternoon perfectly into the shot. 

How was the recording/writing process for ‘You Belong To Me’, and how did you know it was finished? 

Get in the recording booth, record vocals and guitar at the same time, come out with a pure but rough around the edges track. Subtly produced by Michael Smith and we had our track. 

How does Portsmouth reflect in your music and your life growing up?

I think I would struggle if I had to move away from the sea, or maybe even the Portsmouth area in general. It’s where I’ve grown up, where most of my friends are, and every spot in and around the area holds different memories for me. The sea influences me massively and this is due to being around it all the time. 

What is next for Harvey Jay?

I’ve got a busy end of the year, with festivals, new releases and shows. It’s going to be a very exciting next couple of years I can only continue to put 100% of my effort into it and hope I see the benefits.