A JOURNEY TOWARDS STARLIGHT

HE HAS RECENTLY SIGNED UP TO WASSERMAN MUSIC, THE SAME BOOKING AGENTS IN CHARGE OF BILLIE EILISH, COLDPLAY AND ED SHEERAN’S TOURING SCHEDULE, AND HIS RECORD DEAL WITH POLYDOR MUSIC COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE FRUITFUL; HIS CHANNEL NOW REACHING OVER 20K SUBSCRIBERS ON YOUTUBE.

I’m talking, of course, about singer-songwriter Shaun Farrugia, he who has had thousands jumping and singing to his music during the last Isle of MTV concert. Shaun Farrugia is Malta’s very own boy wonder, living proof that - given enough talent and determination - yes, our homegrown talent is perfectly capable of flourishing even under the harsher spotlight of the international stage.

And flourishing, he certainly is. But not so much as to lose sight of his origins, or to lose that charmingly humble persona that instinctively makes anyone he comes in contact with root for him. Shaun famously started out composing songs from his bedroom in San Ġ wann, but today he’s based in London. I asked Shaun, in a world where TikTok stars hav e led many to dream that you can hit it big even from the smallest village anywhere, how crucial was this move?

“Making music is a long journey. You start from your bedroom, yes, or from any room where you feel creative. Once you start putting your work out there you can gauge reactions, start building a following. And once you get bigger, or move to another country, opportunities start to grow. You get the opportunity to connect with people who can open doors. You start from anywhere, but travelling and going to the places where the industries are mainly located, to where those who have the tools to help you are based… that’s always a good thing,” he tells me.

I ask him if he’s seen his actual music change since he’s taken things to the next level. His reply is refreshingly honest - "I recently found the first song I wrote five years ago, and compared to today, the music is unrecognisable. I can’t believe that was me. It's amazing how much I've learned over this time, it almost feels like I evolve with each song" he replies. "I recently found the first song I wrote five years ago, and compared to today, the music is unrecognisable. I can’t believe that was me. It's amazing how much I've learned over this time, it almost feels like I evolve with each song" he replies.

So he’s still learning? He nods emphatically: “In this industry, once you stop learning, you stagnate.”

It’s no secret that the label has a lot to do with the sound and direction of an artist. How is his partnership with Polydor developing? Perhaps predictably, he replies that he loves the label and the team. Catching the look in my eye he goes: “No, I don’t want you to think I’m just saying that to score points. They’ve become my family. A family that understands the music process and the time it takes to grow. They’ve done it all before, so they’re in a good position to know how to see something that can be developed further, to help me shape my talent.”

The passion in his voice is seriously too genuine for this to be a mere stock reply, especially when he tells me that I should not be asking what Polydor are bringing to Shaun Farrugia - or viceversa - but what the two can achieve together. And then the clincher: “It’s a relationship. Suddenly, you realise that you speak to them about everything, not just work, but also about life itself.”

I turn my questions onto a more personal angle. From when he showed up on Sigala’s doorstep in London and ended up staying, there’ve been multiple highlights in Shaun’s career since. He confides that his proudest moment was not seeing the hundreds of thousands of people show up to his concert, but hearing his songs being played on the radio.

“It’s actually making my parents cry with happiness. When my father tells me that he’s proud of me - that is my highlight. Making my parents happy is incredible. And so is being in Malta, meeting strangers who are all so excited for me, who wish me well and who just stop to have a chat,” he confides. “I do love Malta and all it entails.”

One thing that strikes me about Shaun’s music is his range as a musician; he is as comfortable collaborating with Martin Garrix on party anthems like ‘Starlight’ as he is working on solo tracks like ‘Dear God’ (1.1m views on YouTube and counting), and ‘I Don’t Wanna Fall Asleep Yet’, which showcase Shaun’s striking vocals and musicianship. Which one is the real Shaun?

“The truth is the real Shaun is in the lyrics, the music and the meaning behind it. I write from the heart, always. I never write something I don’t believe in. I gravitate towards acoustic as a solo artist. But the beauty of music is collaboration and meeting people expressing themselves. I love collaborations in different forms, maybe in dance form, maybe not. It’s about coming together and making music. And people’s reaction to the lyrics. ‘Starlight’ has been tattooed on so many chests!”

Likewise, ‘Dear God’ has pretty much reached cult status online. Reading people’s comments is heart-warming, everyone explaining how they relate to it. Some go as far as translating the lyrics into Spanish and Portuguese. It is lovely to see.

“The fact that people can connect to what I feel, this is the purpose of what music is all about. If somebody can connect to your song, you’ve succeeded,” he replies.

I do feel that all his tracks have one thing in common. They’re all about love. Something else that’s refreshing about this guy is that he has made no secret of just how into his girlfriend he is. There’s nothing of the ‘dudebro’ energy about him, thankfully.

“My girlfriend is my best friend, everybody knows it. Every song I’ve written I can relate to her. But also to friends and family; all kinds of love. So they also are for my family. I want people to feel that these are songs for the people they love, or the loves they lost. I’ve had people reach out to me because I made them think of loved ones they lost and happy memories. So I hope my music can be a catalyst to feel and talk about love and good experiences,” he says.

And on that lovely note, our interview comes to an end.

“Yes, the future looks bright,” he concludes, semi-shyly. I can’t say I disagree.

Shaun will be performing at Rock The Fort on June 29th. Tickets from www.showshappening.com