Jack Critchlow: The Rising Star of Alt-Pop with a Gritty Indie Edge

Jack Critchlow is a name you’ll want to remember. Hailing from Manchester but with roots in Yorkshire, this alt-pop/indie-pop singer-songwriter is quickly making waves with his sharp, emotionally charged sound. His new single, "Bleeding," set to be released on July 5th, 2024 via AWAL, is a testament to his rising influence in the music scene. Written and produced entirely within his university digs, "Bleeding" blends gritty, relatable lyrics with anthemic melodies, capturing the essence of modern pop with a raw, indie edge. Jack's talent has already garnered him repeated airplay on major platforms like BBCR1 and Radio X, and his unique style promises to captivate audiences far and wide. If you're not already familiar with Jack Critchlow, now is the time to tune in—his music is bound to be a staple in playlists across the globe.

Your new single "Bleeding" has already caught the attention of prominent figures in the music industry and received widespread airplay. How does it feel to see such early support for the track, and what does this mean for you as an artist?

As an artist, it’s the best feeling to have early industry support for your tracks from the likes of Radio 1 and Radio X. As a lover of music since a young age and listening to radio 1 as a kid, it’s always been a dream to be played on national radio. To now have had two songs played on there by both Mollie King on Future Pop and Jess Iszatt on BBC Introducing is a dream come true. It means so much because as soon as you have that support people start to pay more attention, and it allows you to stand out more from the crowd. Stations like radio 1 are so well known for finding new upcoming music, so when you get that email saying you’ve been selected for radio 1 introducing, it makes all the work to that point feel worthwhile.

You wrote, recorded, and produced "Bleeding" entirely on your own in your university bedroom. What were some of the challenges and rewards of handling every aspect of the track yourself, and how do you think this DIY approach has shaped the final product?

Writing, Recording and producing this track myself was quite a long but rewarding process. Like most of my songs, the initial idea/riff comes out quickly, and most of the time is spent shaping the song and adding all the detail. Doing everything myself however allowed me to have full control over how I wanted the record to sound production wise and sonically. One of the biggest challenges I had was writing the verse. I must’ve written at least 6 different verses before actually settling on two because I couldn’t choose one (Verse 1 and Verse 2 have different melodies). I also wanted to make sure the song built in energy throughout, which was tough given the level of energy from the get go. The DIY approach allowed that trial and error process where I could try things until I was happy with the final product.

The lyrics of "Bleeding" delve into themes of stress, anxiety, and longing for someone to help ease the pain. Can you elaborate on the personal experiences that inspired these lyrics and how you balanced these heavy themes with the upbeat vibe of the music?

At the time when I wrote this track back in November 2023, I was going through a pretty stressful time in my life. I was in the middle of my first UK tour, I wasn’t overly happy with the music I had been playing and making at that time, I’d recently lost a very close family friend and I was generally feeling stressed and anxious. I wrote this track as a bit of an escape and longing for something or someone to help me get through it. The verses are somewhat a metaphor for that stress in my head, ‘Moonlight echoes on my walls’ ‘Car lights flashing through my mind’. Then the choruses bring that idea of longing for an escape and without that I can’t breath and am metaphorically ‘bleeding’.

With "Bleeding" being a blend of catchy pop and indie elements, and having drawn comparisons to artists like Nothing But Thieves and The Weeknd, how would you describe your unique sound and what influences do you draw upon when creating music?

I think it’s always tough as a new artist because people like to compare you to other artists and give you a place to belong, and as an artist I try to find my own sound and be different whilst also drawing influence from music I like. When describing my sound, I like to stay my music is Alt Pop fused with elements of Electronic and Singer-songwriter. You will hear more of that in my music to come, but I like to create an eclectic range from the more upbeat indie pop stuff that I love, to the more intimate singer-songwriter stuff that allows me to tell stories and be more lyrical. All of which is to come, but for this track I drew inspiration from high energy artists like Nothing But thieves, The Weeknd and Royal Blood.

You've managed to build a strong presence and gain traction through platforms like BBC Radio and social media despite still being a student. What strategies have you used to balance your academic life with your music career, and how do you envision your growth moving forward?

As a student at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, finding a balance between my music career and academic life has been quite easy, as I am essentially studying what I already do for my job. Being at college has allowed me to have that support whilst establishing myself as an artist, and I plan to continue to do so during my final year. Looking forwards, I have a whole release schedule planned for the next year and there is lots of new music to come. I plan to keep pushing the music, keep playing live shows and keep building my momentum in the hope that people will enjoy my music wherever they might be in the world.