TOWER Family: Dr. Martens and TOWER meet Sub Blue

For AW22, TOWER teamed up with HQ resident Dr. Martens to shine a spotlight on up-and-coming talent across the city. This collaboration celebrates individuality and the durable, rebellious spirit of Dr. Martens — an anthem for artists carving their own path.

On this occasion, R&B artist Sub Blue takes centre stage. He gives our community an insight into his style inspirations before delving into the on-stage footwear essentials that make him tick.

Meet Sub Blue

"There is an assumption that kids in the suburbs have it easy, that money solves everything. But this is far from the truth. Suburban life brings its own challenges, from 'absent' parents and lack of guidance to the suffocation of monotony and, perhaps most damaging to the young, the peer and societal pressure that comes with a more middle class upbringing. This is the essence of Sub Blue's music – that juxtaposition of perception versus reality.

The name 'Sub Blue' grew out of the suburbs of Merseyside. As one of the only black children in both his school and his postcode, he was shy and introverted. 'I didn't want to stick out too much, so like most kids I tried to fit in with my peers' he remembers. Therefore, despite being raised on a wide range of black music at home, he began to follow what his classmates were listening to – mainly white indie and rock bands.

It all began to change for him after a trip to Houston with his parents. While there, he heard Drake, long before he made a name for himself in the UK. Sub Blue returned to school telling his classmates that Drake was going to be one of the biggest stars in the world. Two years later, he was proven right. This – along with a seismic shift in teen culture – brought him around to R&B."

In Conversation

What's been at the top of your 'On Repeat' playlist lately?
I've really been bumping the new Steve Lacy Gemini Rights album on repeat!

Walk us through a typical day for you when you're making music.
I'll usually wake up pretty early — I'd say I'm a morning person. Then I'll start by freestyling a few melodies, play some chords on my guitar and hit record on my voice memos to see what comes out. There will usually be a standout moment in the voice note that ends up becoming either the chorus or the first verse of the track.

What keeps you going creatively when you feel unmotivated?
I'd say being surrounded by supportive friends — having them there to talk to when I'm low — keeps me going. Life experiences are a big part of my writing process. My last project, Honesty, speaks for itself: being honest with myself was the main driver and inspiration for that project.

What traditional 'style rules' do you like to break?
I like mixing unexpected colour palettes — that's one of the style rules I deliberately break.

A large part of performing is expressing your identity through not just your voice but your image. How does Dr. Martens weave into this?
Dr. Martens weaves into this by being both innovative and durable; I can build an outfit around Dr. Martens for any occasion.

We're proud to spotlight voices shaping the next wave of contemporary R&B. You can follow Sub Blue's journey on Instagram. Keep an eye on the TOWER editorial feed for more emerging talent.

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