Interview With An Artist - Henry Cox

Grab a coffee and get ready to be inspired! Today we chat with the legend that is Henry Cox, musician (Boston Manor) and designer about his artistic journey, design inspiration and his creative processes… Enjoy!

Copyright: Gobinder Jhitta Photography

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do.

Hey, my name’s Henry; I’m a musician & designer from Blackpool via Manchester.

Can you share a bit about your background and how you got started in the music industry?

Since my early teens I’d just been making stuff, whether it was little short films, graphics or songs. I played in a bunch of bands in high school and was pretty active on the Blackpool music scene at the time. I ended up going to Art School in Manchester to study film. During that time a friend of mine put me in touch with a couple people from back home who were starting a new project. I started writing songs with them & 11 years later I’m still doing just that! 

In your experience, how important is branding and visual identity for musicians in today's industry? How do you ensure that your visual language aligns with your musical style and messaging?

I think it’s essential, more so than it ever has been. Honestly, I wish I’d paid more attention to this earlier on in our career. When we started you didn’t need to be as chronically present online; most of the communication was done in a live setting. I actually really enjoy the way things like instagram can be used as an extension of your art. I think it was difficult for us to nail down our visual language because we hadn’t really nailed down our ‘sound’. We drastically changed the type of music we played after our first album. Once we’d dialled that in, the visual side of it followed pretty quickly. 

Could you walk us through your creative process when collaborating with creatives for an album cycle? How do you convey your artistic vision and the overall theme of the record to them?

For the project we’ve been working on for the last few years we developed a visual bible. Almost like you would create a brand identity for a client; it details everything from the projects’ story, themes, video references to colour pallets, even film stock that we try to emulate in our photography & music videos. 

Have you ever encountered challenges within the process of aligning your vision with the visual representation of your music, and if so, 
how did you overcome them?

I feel like that’s the constant struggle right? It’s also a part of the fun, I love that the work we do is so collaborative, between the five of us but also all of the amazing creatives we work with. It yields loads of unexpected results; sometimes the end result is different than you thought it’d be & way better because of it!

Have you ever had a design concept significantly influence the direction of your music? Or is the process always lead by the music with visuals coming secondary?

I’d say probably music first, for Boston Manor at least; but I feel like I’m always thinking about the look of things as we’re putting together the music.

Have you ever consciously aligned your visual style with current design trends, or do you prefer to take a timeless approach?

I try not to look too much at trends, I think things can get so homogenised & boring really quickly. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take influence from art & design. I love it so much & try to ingest as much of it as possible. 

Many creatives draw inspiration from various art forms. How does music inspire your visual creations, and conversely, how do visuals inspire your musical compositions?

I have mild synesthesia, so when I listen to music I often see colours & specifically textures. I listen to a lot of electronic music & I feel like that sometimes creeps into my colour choices or use of textures & negative space. 

How do you balance artistic expression with marketability when working on the visual elements of your music? Is it a consideration or do you just do what feels right for the record?

I think this probably comes into play the most in merch design. We always wanna do some out there stuff; but you have to take into account what is gonna sell, our target audience’s tastes etc. Often stuff that sells the best for us is stuff that is very simple & under-designed. 

How do you think creatives and musicians can better collaborate to create impactful visual narratives that resonate with audiences?

I think just do it more honestly, I feel like in the music world bands specifically are really weird about collaborating, in the streaming age it may have actually held the genre back; no one wants to talk about it but I think genuinely there’s a weird competition, especially in the UK scene. On the design side, I think collaboration is so sick; I’d love to do more with other creatives in my design practice; whether it be other artists or designers themselves. 

Can you share any insights or advice for creatives looking to work within the music industry or collaborate with musicians?

I think just get involved wherever you can. If you’re a designer or an artist make some designs inspired by artists you like and tag them, if you know any local bands then maybe do some merch for them. If you’re a photographer and you wanna shoot a bands show, send them your work etc. Don’t wait for people to come to you just start making stuff.

Can you share any specific artists, designers, or creatives that have inspired your approach to artwork or overall brand aesthetics?

I mean the list is endless but off the top of my head

-Hassan Rahim
-Uncanny/Elliot Elder 
-Samuel Burgess Johnson
-Jackson Green
-Blackhaine
-Hideo Kojima 

What are your thoughts on the rise of AI generated artwork within the music industry? Do you think it has a place?

I go back and forth with this a lot in my head; I’ve heard all sides of the discussion & I think it’s one thats gonna continue to grow as the technology does. I think everyone is scared of AI taking their jobs, I certainly am; but I also think it has its’ place as a tool; what that looks like in practice is constantly changing, but I don’t think it’s something that can just be ignored. There’s no putting the genie back in the bottle so to speak. 

Imposter syndrome is a big issue in the creative industry. Is this something you have ever encountered, and if so, do you have any tips to combat it? 

Oh every day, stuff like instagram is so difficult; we’re constantly looking at other people & comparing ourselves. It’s no different in design or music. I think the only answer really is to make sure you’re creating for the right reasons, find something that piques your interest and pursue that direction & remember that it’s all a constantly developing process.

Finally, we love music over here at Nurture. What new upcoming artists would you recommend us checking out?

Currently really enjoying the new DIIV material, the new Oneohtrix Point Never record & the new Effy material with Mall Grab. 

Questions by Charlene Payne. Answers by Henry Cox