What’s On interviews UAE-based singer-songwriter Adam Baluch who releases his debut EP this month.

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After years of playing live gigs in Dubai, UAE-based singer-songwriter Adam Baluch releases his debut EP this month.

Congratulations on your first EP Answers To Questions. Why now? Well, it’s been a long journey to get where I am today and I’ve been refining my sound. I left the songwriting alone for a couple of years and concentrated on playing gigs, but during that time I discovered a sound and the result is this EP.

The EP has four tracks. Is a full-length album next? That might come later, a lot later. I think the less you give people to digest, the better, so my plan is to release singles every couple of months. A lot of people don’t have time for albums these days.

That’s a shame, isn’t it? Yeah, it shows you the way things have gone, so as an artist I have to work with that.

“I wish melodies didn’t pop in my head when I’m trying to go to sleep”

Do you still listen to albums? Oh yeah, if someone is making interesting music I will listen to every track on the album and then everything else they’ve done. Maybe I have more time than other people [laughs].

Who are you listening to right now? I really like Matt Corby. I first saw him on Australian Idol and I knew he had so much potential. I was hoping he didn’t win because the winners never go anywhere. Luckily, he came second so he had time to develop his craft. Vocally he’s unbelievably gifted.

As a solo artist, is it hard not having anybody to bounce ideas off? That’s where gigs help. For instance, I was playing at a party a few months ago and some girls asked me to play something emotional, so I played this track Old And Youth. People were crying and I thought OK, that’s a good sign, I’ll put it on the EP.

You play so many instruments – is there a danger that could muddle your musical direction? I think you have to be really cautious with what you pick. I have all these options and it’s tempting to layer, layer, layer my songs, which can saturate the music. I need to know when to stop and strip it back.

How do you write a song? A lot of the time it starts from the melody. It’ll spark an idea, which snowballs.

When do these melodies hit you? All the time. I wish they didn’t come at night when I’m trying to sleep. I record it on my phone, otherwise I’d forget it.

You’re 34 – is your sound maturing? I’m really happy with the music I’m developing now. In the past year I’ve added the keyboard to my sound and I think I’ll add a few more things in the future. But it’s already a hassle going through airports with all the gear that I have, so maybe not.

Hear Answers To Questions for free at soundcloud.com/adam-baluch