At the start of the year Huw Roberts appeared on TV talent show Let It Shine and reached the final with his band Nightfall. He has now recorded his debut single, From My Heart and is continually gaining many fans across social media. He talks about his time on the show, From My Heart and his plans for the rest of the year.

How did you get into music and who were your inspirations growing up?

My musical influences are John Legend, Billy Joel, Bill Withers and Eminem, to name a few but honestly I’ve grown up listening to everything from Brahms to Skepta! My mum is a huge geek when it comes to music and has an ipod that has loads of music. Every journey we made as a child it would be playing and we’d all be in the car singing along at the top of our voices. I feel like music has always been a part of my life, it’s all my memories.

How did you hear about Let it Shine and what made you decide to audition?

I was a student at Stagecoach and Eily, the Principal, asked me if I was interested in attending an audition in Truro for male singers. I had no idea at that point what it was for, it was a week later that I found out about the show’s format.

Was the show as you expected it to be?

I can’t say I had any expectations as I hadn’t ever done anything like this before. The whole experience was amazing when it came to it, but I had no clue I was going to end up on TV.

What was it like being in Nightfall and are you still in contact with them?

It was great being part of a band. I was the youngest member and it was the first time I’d done anything like that. I loved the connection between us but felt we all had our different talents to work with. We are in contact, via a group chat, but we all live in different parts of the country so I haven’t had chance to see any of them since the show finished.

If you had wanted to stay together as a group after the show, would you have been allowed to do so?

We did discuss staying together after the show finished but it was difficult for some of the band as they had bills to pay. We had been told that we wouldn’t be able to keep our name either.

What was it like meeting Take That and how did they and the judges help your experience on the show?

It was fantastic to meet Take That, Mark and Howard spent lots of time backstage when the shows were being recorded. They were always ready to listen and give support when needed. We didn’t meet the judges at all throughout the recording, however I had the opportunity to talk to them at the wrap party. I felt I had lots of helpful feedback from all of them.

Are you going to see The Band, and do you still talk to any of Five to Five?

I plan to see the show when it’s in Plymouth, as that’s nearest to me. I haven’t spoken to any of them since the show finished as they’ve been flat out rehearsing for the show. I’m sure I’ll catch up with them at some point in the future though.

You tweeted saying you went busking, how different is that than performing on stage, and do you still busk?

I still busk when I get chance, it’s very different though as it’s just you in the street singing to people passing by, no props, no routine, just you and that makes it very special. I’ve also done a couple of Open Mic nights in London which has been interesting.

Did you write your single From My Heart, if so, where did you get the inspiration from?

After LIS finished I knew I wanted to continue with a singing-based career but knew I had to still try and stand out. I thought I would have a go at writing and came up with From My Heart. I’ve been really lucky to meet Gareth Young, he’s a record producer that lives here in Cornwall, and he helped me with my idea for the lyrics. I loved the idea of someone loving someone they haven’t really met, because that’s happened to nearly all of us at some point. I’m working on other songs with Gareth, he’s such an amazingly talented guy and it’s great that we’ve been able to get creative.

What was it like recording your own music video in London?

It was incredible, especially the look on people’s faces as we filmed. The whole experience was surreal, I couldn’t believe I was recording my OWN video, haha.

Are you happy as a soloist or would you like to be in a band?

I’m always open to anything, I love the relationship that I have with a band on the stage, it’s a rare chemistry. However I also love the limelight of being a solo artist as that gives me freedom to be myself.

Are you hoping to tour soon and what cities would you like to visit?

It would be a dream to tour one day. I’ve been very lucky and have travelled all over the world, so I would love to return to some of those places and have the opportunity to perform.

What is it like having the new popularity on social media?

It’s been a fantastic experience, I have had contact from all around the world which is amazing. I had no idea when this started that it would have this impact, even down to doing this interview for you today.

What are your plans for the rest of 2017?

I plan to stay busy, I have lots of college work to catch up on as I was away for long periods of time this year with the show. I have just got back from London so I’m waiting to see if that will go any further. In July, I’m off to Berlin for a few days to work with Simonne Jones and I’m super excited about that. I’m also comparing and performing in Kids For Cornwall in Truro in July, so I’m going to be quite busy for the next few months.

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