A singer songwriter from Totton has shared his delight with working on music with a Mercury Prize and Brit Award winner.

Harry Kemish collaborated with Alex Reeves, the drummer from Elbow, on three tracks for his upcoming EP including Nights Like These and Blue Moonlight, which drops on Friday.

The 21-year-old said of the latter: "When Alex started playing the drums on it, I just couldn't help but smile as it gave the song the perfect vibe."

Of the song's conception, he said: "I was just messing about, I didn't sit down with the intention of writing this particular song about this particular thing, but it all just came out of me."

Harry wrote Nights Like These during a holiday to Greece, where far from enjoying a relaxing break, he found himself gripped by anxiety and a surprising bout of homesickness.

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Harry said: "I wasn't having the best of times and was very anxious and very homesick and wasn't sleeping very well. I had my laptop with me and I opened up Logic, and this tune sort of fell out of me."

“Music helps me regulate myself. I’m a very anxious person naturally but I find when I pick up the guitar or write a tune, I can just kind of relax. Some people get that feeling from going for a run or hitting the gym. For me, it’s music.”

Daily Echo: Totton singer songwriter Harry Kemish

Nights Like These is a heart-on-your-sleeve ode to distance, showcasing reflective Alex Turner-esque lyrics and gorgeous vocals. 

Alex replaced Richard Jupp in Elbow in 2016.

Daily Echo: Alex Reeves plays drums with Elbow

The band have released nine chart-topping albums, many of them award winners. Their single First Steps was the BBC theme for the 2012 London Olympics.

Harry comes from a musical family but despite his rich musical upbringing, it wasn’t until a friend played a simple riff on an acoustic guitar that music clicked for him.

He said: “I didn't really get the whole music thing, until I was about 15. I'd had lessons on the guitar and piano but it hadn't stuck and I was kind of the only one in the family not to be into it. Then a really good friend of mine was around one day and he picked up my acoustic guitar and just started playing 'Seven Nation Army' over and over again. As he played it, it's hard to explain, but seeing him do it, it was like my first proper hit, and I was addicted."

"My goal is to make people feel the same way."

Follow Harry on Instagram at @harrykemish and Twitter at @harrykemish2002