HRVY has been working in show business for since he was a kid, and even if you haven’t heard of him yet, you’ll most probably know his song „Personal”. Just as for a lot of people, the pandemic ruined his plans, as well, so much so that he even had to cancel the release of his debut album. Another opportunity came, though, and in 2020, he competed in Strictly Come Dancing and finished in the impressive second place. Since then, he’s been focising on his music career.
Today’s HRVY’s 23rd birthday, and what better way to celebrate than to release a brand new EP. It’s called „Views from the 23rd Floor” and a few days ago, we sat down to chat with the singer about how Strictly Come Dancing and the pandemic impacted his life, he told us what he learned from his fans, and we even found out what him and Jonah from Why Don’t We have in common… and of course, we didn’t forget to teach him a little bit of Hungarian, and he even sent a nice message to his Hungarian fans.
First of all, happy early birthday to you!
Thank you!
How do you plan to celebrate this year?
Okay! So, this year, because my EP come out on the day my birthday is, I think I’m gonna be doing a lot of this kind of stuff, which is fun. So I’ll be doing interviews and stuff life that, which is great, and then at night, I’m going to a restaurant in London with like, 12 of my friends and family.
We’re just gonna have food, maybe get a little bit drunk. I don’t know, we’ll see. Just have a nice night, you know. I feel like the last few years’ birthdays haven’t been the best because obviously we haven’t been able to do a lot, so I think hopefully this years’ gonna be a nice birthday.
Yeah, that sounds fun. Alright, now, as you mentioned, your EP Views from the 23rd Floor is coming out on your birthday. Now, you haven’t released a proper body of work since 2017, so, can you tell us a bit about how this project came about?
Yeah! So, like you said, I hadn’t had a project of work come out for a long time and I hadn’t realised it until, well, last year. I was thinking of putting out another, well, more singles, and I was like, „wait, I actually haven’t put out anything that is a body of work for a long, long, long time”. It’s fun doing singles here and there, but there’s no story or there’s no cohesiveness to it, it’s all just like, you know, a summer song, and then a slower song, and then a pop song, so I wanted to make sure I had al least an EP, to have out there for people to listen to rather than just random singles all the time.
Also, I had an album that was supposed to come out during the first lockdown in 2020. We kept postponing it because, obviously, we couldn’t go out and promote it and do anything with it, so I ended up cancelling it.
Then I was like, „you know what? I, at least, wanna release something”. If I couldn’t put out an album, I’d rather put out an EP at least for everybody.
Which song was the hardest to create on the EP?
Oh, that’s a good question. Which song was the hardest?
It was actually the song Talking to the Stars because it had kind of like a fast, kind of rapidness to it in the verses, and, I don’t know if you can tell, but I have a bit of a lisp, and it kinda gets in the way sometimes when I sing.
When I’m doing really quick singing, it goes all… It was quite difficult to record because, every single word, I’m such a perfectionist, I wanted to make sure I didn’t have a lisp in every word. So that was pretty hard to record but other than that, everything else was pretty easy, actually, so it’s alright.
Can you explain the meaning behind the title?
Okay, so, Views from the 23rd Floor is kind of like a metaphor for, I’ve grown up over the last, boy, like 3 or 4 years in hotel rooms around the world. I’ve been so lucky to travel and go to all these amazing different countries and I was always in a hotel room. I used to look out from the hotel room and in every city, normally, I’ve had the most incredible views of the cities that I went to. Obviously, I’m gonna be 23 when this EP comes out and I feel like as you get older, you have a better and bigger perspective on life and on everything that you know and you see.
So, it’s kind of like a metaphor for a hotel, I suppose, as you get older.
And now I’m on the 23rd floor and I’ve got a really good view of life and I understand things a lot more than I used to. It’s like every single year, you go a little bit higher in your hotel and you get to see even more and you get to understand even more. So that’s kind of the metaphor.
So, as you mentioned, you travel a lot. What is your favourite place that you stayed in, your favourite city?
Oh, that’s a good question. My favourite city that I’ve been to, I went to Tokyo. I went to Japan and that was incredible. That was so, so, so cool. It was just so different than anywhere I’ve been to, and the culture was just completely different. I really liked Tokyo, that was really cool.
Alright, now, you’ve been in this industry for several, several years now. I’m wondering, what was your most unforgettable experience of your career so far?
I think the most unforgettable experience would have been probably when I sold out a show in the UK and it was quite a prestigious venue. I bought this ring because of it, it’s like, I gifted myself because of this. It’s a Cartier ring, I know, it’s very bougie, but I’ll always remember when I sold the Apollo out. I drove past it so many times when I was younger and there’s so many famous people that performed there so when I sold it out, I was like, „okay, that’s pretty cool, that’s quite a cool accomplishment”. So that was one of the unforgettable moments of my career so far.
Alright, and now that you just mentioned shows, you just had your first tour in years a few months ago, and soon you’ll be back on the road again with The Wanted. Can you tell us your favourite concert memory?
Favourite concert memory… Oh, okay. Apart from the Apollo show that I did, that was incredible, I remember I went to South Korea and I did a show there at this festival. That was crazy. There was so many people watching and I didn’t expect anyone to know me out there and they were singing back my songs, which I thought was crazy considering obviously English isn’t there first speaking language. So that was an incredible show in South Korea. Another one that was really good, when I did Wembley Stadium, it’s called the Summertime Ball in the UK. I performed there with Jonas Blue and that was in front of like, 80 thousand people. That was scary. I came up from the floor, you know, and I felt like a really cool pop star. I rose up, and my legs were shaking, it was mad. It was really, really good, though.
What’s one thing that you’ve learned from your fans?
One thing that I’ve learned from my fans? Hmm, what have I learned… I’ve learned… hmm, what have I learned from them? I suppose that it’s okay to be a bit more vulnerable online, I suppose, because they’re so kind and so… I don’t know, you can put anything online and they’re really nice to you. I get DMs all the time from my fans and they’re really caring and they understand and they do actually care, you know. And when you meet them in person, they remember the things they say and what I say and, I don’t know, I feel like they taught me that I can be a bit more open online.
Because, normally, I’m kind of closed off as a person, and also online, as well.
I don’t really share everything online, you know, a lot of people share every aspect of their whole day on social media. I try to, ’cause I know that’s more interesting but sometimes I find it hard but they make it feel like it’s okay to be a bit more open.
Our next question is a fan favourite, actually. Which song of yours would you show to a person that doesn’t know you yet?
What song of mine would I show? Wow, that’s a really good question. I’d probably show… ahh… what would I show… I wouldn’t show „Personal” ’cause that’s a bit older. I think I’d show probably „Too Young for This”. That’s a new one, it’s on the EP. I think I’d show them that ’cause I think it’s quite cool, makes me sound a little bit cooler.
What is the best part of being a musician for you personally?
I think the best part of being a musician is that you get to, well, kind of get to work for yourself. You get to be creative on your own and, I don’t know, it’s not like having a normal job. I get to go into the studio and create music that I love and then I get to, you know, create EP covers and album photos.
I love the creative side of things, that’s always been my favourite thing, so the best thing about being a musician is just being able to make art, I suppose, and do it in your own time.
I think that’s what the pressure is, but I like it.
Do you have a dream collaborator?
Dream collaboration? Ah, every time I get asked this question, it changes, but I think I’d like to write a song at least with Ed Sheeran. Yeah, he’s an amazing songwriter and he’s British, as well, so I feel like we’d get on.
Alright, and who were your biggest inspirations as a child and who are they now?
So, when I was a child, I never really listened to a lot of, like, singular artists. My parents, growing up, they would always buy me the compilation albums, you know, like „Now 32” and „Now 68” and all those ones, so every Christmas, I’d get, like, a „Now” CD that I’d listened to and it’d be all different artists so I never really had one that I looked up to, I’d just listened to all different kinda pop music. And then, when I was about 11, 12, 13, I used to listen to a lot of YouTube covers. I used to hear songs that I loved and then watch YouTubers cover it and put their own spin on it, and that always used to inspire me. I used to think how cool it was to take out a really well known song and make it their own, make it slower, or make it, you know, whatever. I really was inspired by those people on YouTube. Now, it’s a lot of people that are my age, you know. A lot of other artists have inspirations that are a lot older, like, big legends, but
if I’m honest, I’m inspired by people like Billie Eilish and Shawn Mendes, all these people that are basically my age.
They’re very successful, they’ve got a good message, and their songwriting and music is amazing. There’s more people that are here right now my age that I’m inspired by, makes me wanna work harder.
Alright, now, you competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2020 and you finished in second place, which is pretty impressive. I’m wondering, how did this show impact your life?
How did it impact my life? Well, when I was doing it, my body ached a lot. That’s how it impacted. It impacted my body a lot. It was really good fun doing it, it was a really good experience. It was something obviously that I was not super comfortable doing, because it was a new craft. I enjoy dancing and I do dance but this was like, ballroom dancing and latin dancing. But it was a really good experience, and yeah, it definitely hurt a lot but it was worth doing. And obviously, and that time, it was lockdown, so there was nothing really going on. So to be on live TV every weekend for the British public, they loved it, so yeah.
Yeah, so you clearly have many talents. You sing, you dance, you write songs, but do you have any hidden talents that we don’t know about?
I can do this with my… wait, you wanna come closer, wait… I can make this sound with my mouth. Hear that? That’s pretty good, isn’t it?
It’s so funny because last year we had an interview, I don’t know if you know the Why Don’t We boys.
Yeah, yeah, I love Why Don’t We.
Yeah, and we asked this same question, we had this interview with Jonah and Zach. And Jonah does the exact same thing.
Does that?
Yeah! He does that, it’s so funny.
Kind of. I can’t do it, it only happens once! There you go.
So funny! Alright. So, if you could go back in time to when you were starting out in this industry, and give your younger self just one piece of advice, what would it be?
It would be, don’t have your hair like that. Don’t style your hair the way you are, ’cause there are some shocking pictures out there of my hair. So that’s what I’d go back to tell myself.
And where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself in 5 years, I mean, hopefully still making music, maybe in a TV show or a movie, I don’t know. As I get older, I’d like to get into acting at some point.
Who knows, maybe a family?
I mean, who know? I don’t know. That why life’s exciting, ’cause you never know what’s gonna happen.
So let’s just stick to the present. What are your plans for this year, for 2022?
Plans for 2022, go on tour with The Wanted, I’m gonna release more music after this EP, more singles, maybe get ready for an album, we’ll see. And then I’m going to… umm… what else am I gonna do… I don’t know what I’m gonna do, just keep touring, and hopefully, put on another tour, go to Europe, I’d love to come tour back in Europe, it’s been a while. Yeah, we’ll just see what happens, really. Who knows?
And finally, is there a message that you would like to share with your Hungarian fans?
All my Hungarian fans, if I have any, maybe I do, I wanna say thank you for all the support, and hopefully I can come and see you guys very-very soon. I’d love to! I’m doing a Europe tour at some point in the next… this year, so if I can come to Hungary, I’d love that to see you guys. But yeah, thank you for the support and see you guys soon.
Alright, so that’s all we planned for you today, but before we let you go, we would like to teach you something, so you can take away something from this interview, as well.
Yes.
So, is it okay for you if we teach you how to say I love you in Hungarian?
Please! That’s my favourite thing to say, I love you in different languages. Please tell me.
Alright, so it goes like this: szeretlek.
One more time.
Sze-ret-lek.
Szerelek.
Almost, it’s… we’ll just type this to you in the chat, as well.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, type for me in the chat. Okay!
And you pronounce it as „szeretlek”.
Szeretlek.
Yes!
Szeretlek. Sze-sze… it’s hard, this one, wait, let me see. Where did the chat go? Sze… Szeretlek.
Yeah, yes, that’s it!
Okay, I’ll take that.
Alright, so, Harvey, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us.
No, thank you guys. I really appreciate it.
And we’re just really looking forward to seeing you here in Hungary.
Ah, do you know what? I would love to come and visit so I think in my Europe tour I’ll come and say hi. You gotta come to the show.
Yeah, we will, absolutely. Thank you so much, enjoy your day and your birthday, as well!
Thank you guys. Cheers! Alright, I’ll see you guys very soon, okay? Thank you!
Thank you. Bye!
Bye guys! Bye-bye!
