Berwyn, Amaria BB and Deyaz talk breaking in with Dr. Martens

These days, it’s bloody hard getting your big break as an artist. We’re not talking about making sure you’ve got your full, contracted hour to demolish a sarnie at your desk; but making your mark in a music industry that’s as saturated as the filling of said sandwich.

Behind every breakthrough moment in music is a testing period of soul-searching, hustling and sacrificing. While a few lucky ones get shown open doors into the creative industry, loads of us don’t even get a key cut; having to instead break every door down through intense hard work and hefty inner strength.

Celebrating this resolve, Dr. Martens has joined forces with three of the UK’s most hard-working breakthrough artists, all with their feet now firmly planted on the music industry ladder and running up the rungs at blistering pace. The result is Boot Room Sessions, a new series shot at the brand’s very own live music venue tucked away in its Camden Stables store.

First up is Berwyn, the Trinidad-born master-storyteller who overcame immigration issues and homelessness to earn a Mercury Prize nomination and international success. Next is Deyaz, the self-taught multi-instrumentalist who picked up his brother’s guitar at 13 (traded for a tenner and some Maccies) and now, at 23, is reinventing folk music. Completing the lineup is Amaria BB, who battled her way through kids’ TV talent shows before bagging a deal with Columbia Records at just 19 years old.

Fittingly, DMs have got SB​.TV involved, the original online incubator for UK rap talent. Standing for SmokeyBarz, the musical pseudonym of the platform’s late founder Jamal Edwards, the ​“SB” is now also tagged as Self Belief. It’s a tribute to Edwards’ eternal legacy and the brand’s continued commitment: to both recognising new talent and helping these new talents recognise their own.

To make it a properly powerhouse project, unstoppable creative pair Meeks and Frost have directed the series. ​“We always look at the artist first before we hear the song they offer us. There’s a heavy psychology in analysing artists as people then as creatives,” they tell THE FACE, explaining that each video has its own style that matches the artist and our interpretation of them.

​“Berwyn’s has an intensity to it but is still as smooth and delicate as his delivery; Amaria’s is vibey and vibrant; and Deyaz’s is mellow and somber. These are our interpretations to make it our vision.” The result? Intimate portraits of the artist (so far) that sync up with the sounds that make them stand out.

Having themselves worked their way up through the industry – their breakthrough moment was directing the video for Pa Salieu’s Frontline (“We kinda just went on instinct,” they say) – Meeks and Frost know the strength it takes to keep pushing forward. ​“We are in an industry that has a lot of competition and a lot of other creatives making moves, it’s very fast,” they say. It’s a driver, though, rather than a barrier. ​“It actually fuels our fire to make sick work.“

But how did Berwyn, Amaria BB and Deyaz get their big break in the first place? THE FACE caught up with all three to find out.

How did you first break into the music industry?

I found out after I made my mixtape that without my (immigration) papers I couldn’t put it out so I was gonna give up and go back to Trinidad. But then a friend of mine sent a song to a friend of his and that made it to a guy who called me and said he wanted to manage me and not to go back to Trinidad. He rang me the month before I planned to go. After that ​‘nuff crazy shit started happening.

Do you think you had a specific breakthrough moment? What was it?

Not really sure, maybe the Jools Holland thing. I’m really not sure, I haven’t really looked back on much of the last few years.

How can we help make, rather than wait for, our own big breaks?

Find a corner in the world, sit there, use passion and blind faith and repeat the thing it is you want to do over and over again. You’ll know when it’s time to come out of your corner.

When you need a break from work, what do you get up to?

Not much really, whatever entails not moving my body. Chess and video games are my go-to.

What’s the value of grassroots platforms like SBTV in giving emerging artists a first chance to show what they’re all about?

Undeniable; I came up watching SBTV videos on loop. It was a well-needed source of inspiration in a very uninspiring world. Critical.

How did you first break into the music industry?

I grew up surrounded by music, but didn’t take it seriously until I was 15 or 16. I knew it was something I could be one of the best at. I started uploading covers and people started paying attention.

Do you think you had a specific breakthrough moment? What was it?

A moment that stuck with me was seeing Slow Motion take off during lockdown. It blew up in the UK, then India and then across America and Kylie Jenner used it on social media! Seeing my music go global felt like a breakthrough moment. I have just finished performing in Canada so getting to see fans from different countries sing my words back to me, feels like a breakthrough too.

How can we help make, rather than wait for, our own big breaks?

Self-belief is important. It’s easy to wait for someone to give you a moment if you’re relying on them to tell you when you’re ready. You have to believe you’re ready and make it happen.

When you need a break from work, what do you get up to?

If I’m not in the studio, I might go to a motive or go skate.

What’s the value of grassroots platforms like SBTV in giving emerging artists a first chance to show what they’re all about?

Platforms like SBTV allow for different voices to be heard.

How did you first break into the music industry?

I made my first EP WHY NOT back in 2020 as a light-hearted project intended to be songs for other artists. I grew quite attached to the material so in the end, I decided to post it up on Soundcloud and it didn’t get a ton of views but it attracted the right people in my corner, to help take my career to the next step.

Do you think you had a specific breakthrough moment? What was it?

TikTok was definitely the biggest contributor to my first breakthrough moment. My originals and covers were doing well on the platform but I posted a track called Don’t Leave, Don’t Go. I feel that really took things to another place for me. It was also one of the first songs I had fans sing back to me in a live setting so that will always be an integral memory.

How can we help make, rather than wait for, our own big breaks?

Staying consistent with creating and also utilising social media to get the word out there about what you’re doing. Whether you have ten fans or 100, allow them to be able to feel close to your process and don’t let them forget about you easily. Also ​“big breaks” come in all shapes and forms, a lot of the time in ways we’re not aware of, so as much as you are striving for greatness, remember the roots of why you do what you do. Maintaining your love, passion and creativity is just as, if not more, important than chasing a break.

When you need a break from work, what do you get up to?

I live with my partner and my three dogs so I mainly spend time with them. I love my family more than anything, if I’m not creating I’m speaking with my mum on the phone or taking my dogs for a walk. Music won’t ever leave me but we’re not in control of how long our loved ones are here, so staying loyal to those relationships is important for me.

What’s the value of grassroots platforms like SBTV in giving emerging artists a first chance to show what they’re all about?

Its value is integral to UK culture; it allows undiscovered and emerging artists to reach an audience without any recognition prior. In a world where so many people are trying to make it, I do believe some of the best don’t get the shine they deserve. Platforms like SBTV allows those talents to find light and get their name out there.