New life on the road for Leeds music graduate who transforms bus into home and recording studio

But what initially began as a hunt for a small van to take his keyboard out and about, has turned into a whole new way of life for the University of Leeds music graduate.

The 27-year-old in fact managed to snap up an ex-library bus and then spent nine months transforming it into a mobile home and recording studio - moving in full time in the summer of 2018.

He now lives, works and travels the length and breadth of Europe on his trusty studio on wheels - an “awesome” way of life, he says, which has led to him meeting and collaborating with hundreds of musicians, writing an album, and forming a music production business which now employs five people across the world.

George moved from Lincolnshire to Leeds when he was 18 to study music and lived here until moving onto the bus at the age of 25.

Speaking from Brighton, where his bus is currently parked up, George told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “I loved city living but I was just itching to get out and see the world and wanted to go and properly experience these places” he said, but acknowledged: “It’s an odd concept to me that this little bus thing has become a full company.”

It was George’s desire to follow his heart into writing rather than performing which led to his new nomadic lifestyle - despite a successful stint as a gigging musician.

During the two years after graduating, he worked with artists including JP Cooper and AJ Brown, supported Lionel Richie in Scarborough, and had performed in Leeds at the likes of Brudenell Social Club, Oporto, The Library as well as at universities and Leeds College of Music.

But he said: “I’m a piano player and I was really struggling to travel and write music at the same time. I would always travel and feel really inspired but by the time I was back at the piano, the idea had gone or the feeling wasn’t as strong. I needed to find a solution.”

And the unique result has gone on to capture the attention of musicians across the UK and Europe, who lined up to work with him on what became a six-month tour in 2018 and led to a 16-track album called Made on the Road.

The first single from that album, ‘Drop By’ was supported by BBC Introducing, who also named George as an ‘Artist to Watch in 2020’. It received further air-play from DJ Jamz Supernova on BBC Radio 1Extra as well as being chosen as Track of The Day on BBC Introducing: South.

The next single, Young & Free, released this week, and was recorded across five countries with five artists - but with the vocals, by Isaac Tyler, of Keighley, laid down in Leeds.

George said: “Leeds was the first stop on the tour. We travelled to Roundhay and parked the bus by the Lakeside cafe. We were there probably two nights and ended up doing two songs there.

“Leeds just felt like home to me so it made sense to go there first, to start the journey from where the idea first started.”

From Leeds, George then travelled to France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Spain before returning back to England - where the music has continued, with the bus having become a ‘creative hub’ for fellow musicians and producers to collaborate and work.

George said he was surprised but relieved at the level of interest in his bus when he first started out.

“I found it strange that people were willing to turn up to the bus that I’d never met before. That people were willing to do that was great. I ended up meeting just short of 100 people visiting [during the tour], showing me their culture, cooking up meals that represented where they lived. It was just amazing really.”

For now, George hopes to continue living in his solar-powered bus for as long as possible, working with artists virtually or ‘on the road’. Covid may have thrown future destinations up in the air but he hopes to travel to Spain and Italy next.

He added: “I have experienced so many things off the back of travelling around. I didn’t realise how much I would learn from other people. It’s a really awesome way to live.

“Without sounding really hippy about it, I feel a lot more connected to the earth. And being able to sit at the same desk but change the view out of the front window [is also a pro]. I thought I would feel quite lonely but it’s amazing how many people you meet.”

For more information on George and his bus visit https://www.madeontheroad.co.uk.

To listen to George's music on Spotify, click here.

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Thank you

Laura Collins