Starting as a school band, a break for university, and eventually evolving into Zulu Winter, Henry gives us a glimpse into the life of a successful indie band. Henry also shares insights into his transition from the music industry to founding two successful sales & marketing agencies working with Founder-led B2B companies.
How did music become a part of your life?
I first became interested at around 11 years old, but it really took off when I was 14. My father died unexpectedly and playing the guitar became my escapism. Having something to concentrate on took my mind off what was going on around me. One lunchtime, having asked to borrow a guitar, I remember the teacher saying, ‘don’t get any blood on it’, which seemed strange at the time. After practising for some time, I looked down and low and behold there was blood all over the guitar; I didn’t have any technique and had ripped the skin off my fingers.
Eventually, all the practice paid off and I ended up a reasonable guitarist and, as teenagers love to do, formed a band with friends.
Did Radley encourage and support the band?
Yes, I remember Mr Madden and his son Tom Madden being very supportive, he helped us with our first recording session. And we put on a concert in one of the theatres, lights, smoke, and a video. We were all quite serious about it! It was amazing at the time. Radley certainly helped foster our creativity. I hope we inspired an era of Radleian bands!
Were you tempted to pursue a music career rather than go to university?
I was, I wanted to get on with life, I wanted to play music. But I met another musician who was quite successful, he hadn’t gone to university and felt it was a big mistake and said I should go. So, I did, albeit reluctantly.
I wanted to go to Manchester and study Anthropology but didn’t get the grades – leading up to A Levels I was focussing more on music than studying! I ended up taking Sociology at Liverpool, I admit I didn’t work very hard, how I passed my exams I’m not sure.
How did your early music career start?
During our university years, Dom Millard (1997, A), who was in the Radley band with me, was also at Liverpool University, and we teamed up with local Liverpudlians; we started booking gigs, playing at parties, becoming very much a part of the local music scene and forming connections. It really cemented it for me that this was what I wanted to do. Dom and I were still in contact with the rest of the Radley band and after university we decided we wanted to give the band a go.
Our first manager was a guy from Liverpool, he obviously thought there was something about us worth pursuing, he arranged for a photo shoot, recording time in a studio, on the back of which we ended up in a magazine which led to gigs. During a London gig, we were spotted by Fierce Panda, an indie record label, who said they wanted to produce a single with us. We didn’t know this at the time as our manager never mentioned it!
A few months later, perhaps for obvious reasons, we parted ways with our manager and were approached by Fierce Panda again. Given their track record of helping to propel the likes of Coldplay and Keane, it will come as no surprise we decided to sign with them.
Life could have been very different. I had been working with the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund on a project in Malawi where they were trying to introduce better social services for children affected by HIV. That led to a contract offer to work for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. At the same time, I had an offer to do a master’s at King’s College London, and we had just been offered a record contract. It was a fork-in-the-road moment. I don’t regret my choice; I think you must go where your heart tells you.
What were the highlights for Zulu Winter, and for you personally?
I loved the travelling and camaraderie, we performed in Tokyo, Mexico City, Australia, Europe, and the States. At the time it really felt like we were doing something important, you’re part of a gang, you’re invincible, and it’s the best thing in the world. Being on stage was such an amazing feeling.
From the band’s point of view, probably the release of our album ‘Language’ in 2012, it received lots of airplay and praise from the indie music scene. We played at most major festivals around Europe which were always fun. It was just a really fun time.
Zulu Winter
Any low points?
Travelling and seeing the world is fun, but equally, it can be tough. I remember being on a tour bus going around Europe on a 30-day stint, a show every night except three nights. It was a weird way to live, full-on, and really tiring. And for some reason, I don’t know why, people just kept pressing and prodding each other’s buttons. You really need to be aware of people’s emotional space and not drive them mad! The band unit is a strange one to understand.
What led to the disbanding of the band?
Looking back, I think we did amazingly well. But a band is just like a business and music is the product. When people pump money into a band, they expect to see a return. When we turned 30, we had been together for many years, we discussed whether we should carry on or perhaps even start over again. But we were tired, and I think needed new challenges, more security, and wanted to spend more time with our partners. It seemed a natural point in our lives to go and do our own thing.
What did you do next?
I started working with my brother pretty much straight away. He had an idea for a start-up, a fun gamification fundraising platform, it gained some traction but not enough to keep plugging away at it.
How easy was it transitioning from music to entrepreneurship? Was it challenging?
Honestly? Surprisingly easy. A band teaches you about teamwork, resilience, and selling a vision – all essential for entrepreneurship. I carried those lessons into starting businesses with my brother. A lot of success comes from building a good team and understanding how the right people fit together, understanding the dynamics of the team.
In my band days, it was a democracy, we split everything equally, and if five people have a different vision then ideas get diluted, and rarely anything happens. I believe if one person has a strong vision you need to let that person fly and support them.
You still work with your brother now, who takes on the role of visionary, you or him?
I can flip between visionary and integrator but sit more firmly in the latter, whereas my brother is the visionary. I think we make a good team, a visionary on their own can be just ideas and complete chaos. And an integrator on their own will struggle to start their own thing and to be brave enough to do things differently.
Tell me about Outsell Sales
Quite simply, we help founders build relationships. We work closely with tech and professional service companies to grow and develop their B2B sales and marketing, allowing the founders to step back from direct involvement. When you have a hard-to-market product or service, traditional marketing activities such as paid advertising and websites don’t work, and everyone is tired of spamming. So, we’ve gone back to basics, ‘building and maintaining relationships with people’. We’re targeted and strategic about building these relationships, we put a lot of effort into researching and understanding why target that company and prepare well for when they give us some of their time.
Outsell Sales is not your first entrepreneurial venture, what have you learnt from past mistakes?
Not to grow too fast. This time we are being very disciplined. Most of our clients come from referrals, which is exciting and a good sign, and we could grow quickly but we have made a conscious decision to keep to a small number of clients (up to 15) and focus on high-quality service.
And I’ve come to realise I work best with others rather than trying to go it alone.
What’s the most creative fulfilling thing you’ve worked on recently?
Professionally, bringing Outsell Sales to fruition. On a personal level, for the last three years, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring young Cypriot musicians, something I really enjoy. It gives me great pleasure to share ideas, insights and solutions that bridge the gap between the artist and the entrepreneur. It’s an area I would like to get more involved in.
Also, I’m writing a book which is a collection of personal memories entwined with understanding what was going on in the world at the time. With two young children, it’s hard to go and make music but I can sit and write, and I find it a great outlet for creativity. Will I ever publish it? I don’t know.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Validate your ideas by speaking to people and understanding their needs, do your research. And once you’ve done that, assuming you believe your idea is workable, just start.
Secondly, don’t worry about failing, it’s rare an entrepreneur’s first idea is a success. You learn so much from what went wrong.
Looking back at your school days, what did you enjoy the most?
I have great memories of summer evenings playing sports and other times relaxing in the Tutor’s garden, having a beer and chatting. Naturally, being in the band was a huge part of my life.
Take a look at Outsell Sales
Take a look at Zulu Winter’s video for We Should Be Swimming.
