Liverpool singer-songwriter BANNERS recalls meeting 'role model' Chris Martin

Liverpool singer-songwriter BANNERS says hanging out with "role model" Chris Martin when he was young was extremely inspiring.

The pop singer - who went viral on TikTok in 2020 with his 2017 earworm 'Someone to You' and has had his songs featured in Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carell's movie 'Beautiful Boy’ and shows such as 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Suits', to name a few - has hailed the Coldplay frontman's incredible "work ethic" and "undeniable power".

The 'Shine a Light' singer admits he has been privileged in his career and got to meet the 'Yellow' hitmaker as his dad was a producer on the Grammy winning group's first few records.

Despite this, he would be too "intimidated" to work with his heroes.

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Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, BANNERS - whose real name is Michael Joseph Nelson- said of his favourite artists: "You know, like I really love Chris Martin. I really love Guy Garvey from Elbow.

"Obviously, you know I would like the opportunity to hang out with either of them. Really, I would be far too intimidated to. Sometimes it's best to just admire people's music from a distance.

"There's incredibly charismatic people. I have hung out with Chris Martin before, and he has such an incredible power. Is way to describe it, even when they were a lot younger. And at the time, you know, I think we're considered quite dweeby. Or, you know, whatever. Even then he was such a presence and an undeniable power that you just think, well, if I could just get a tiny bit of that it would be good."

On being lucky having a father in music, he said: "He's an engineer/record producer. He worked with them [Coldplay] early on in their career. So really, when I was little, and that's sort of what I mean in terms of the privilege. You know, you get to be around this stuff, and you get to have role models. Role models are so important; getting to see people who are obviously very naturally talented, but also who just work unbelievably hard. I think that's like, one of the biggest takeaways from them and him [Chris Martin] particularly, it's just the constant work ethic. So that's really the sort of most important lesson I think, is to just try as hard as you can do everything you can. And then when you go to bed, or maybe at the end of everything, you go, well, whatever happens I did everything I could. If you don't do that, that's the only way you have regrets, isn't it? You can't regret anything."

BANNERS' album ‘All Back To Mine’ is out now.

Photo (c) Marieke Macklon