- Title: UK: Banker leaves the city to seek fame an fortune in the music industry
- Date: 18th November 2008
- Summary: MARTYN SHONE OF HONEY RYDER PLAYING THE GUITAR
- Embargoed: 3rd December 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA2LK78IFGO1PNRX2BVDSOJZEC4
- Story Text: Banker swaps suit for guitar as he pursues dreams of being a rock star.
As the global economy suffers from its worst financial crises in eighty years, the music industry would not traditionally be considered a career safe haven for people seeking fame and fortune, but that's exactly what Martyn Shone did, packing in his lucrative day job as a City worker at Credit Suisse in London's Canary Wharf and following his life long ambition to be a rock star.
"I have always been into music, I have always aspired to be a professional musician, said guitarist Martyn Shone, one half of pop duo Honey Ryder during a break from rehearsal.
"I did my degree in business and French, came to London and everyone needs to earn a wage and I just got a job in a bank as a consultant, I had a good time there, but I have always been playing music."
Joining Shone in his life changing career move is business partner and fellow band member, singer-songwriter Lindsay O'Mahony.
O'Mahony gave up her job at MTV to begin gigging with various bands around the London pub circuit before meeting Shone through mutual friends and forming the pop band Honey Ryder.
"It takes a certain type of personality to go for your dream and go for it and to put your money where your mouth is really. People who know me well they know that I am a risk taker and I have always believed in this, always so people aren't that surprised really that I have been doing it full time. But obviously there are people have said, maybe you should stay where you are, the irony now is that the credit crunch is setting in and it almost looks a safer option anyway."
Using his years of experience working in London's financial capital, Shone and his partner O'Mahony came up with a unique business plan to raise capital for their first album without the need of having a recording contract with a record label.
"What we've done is sold shares in Honey Ryder's future profits for this album 'Rising Upwards' which we're releasing 17th of November and each shareholder actually received dividends on what we make, album sales, single sales, touring, all the merchandise and revenue the band bring in."
Listing their company as Honey Ryder Ltd, and offering the public the opportunity to purchase 100 shares at GBP 3500 (approx 5200 USD) each, Shone and O'Mahony recorded their first album 'Rising Up', and record two pop videos with the money raised from the venture.
And success favours the brave as Honey Ryder's debut single 'Numb' carted at number 32 in the UK singles charts back in August. Since achieving chart success, Honey Ryder have performed at the Royal Albert Hall and have been booked to open for pop star Will Young in his up coning Winter Tour.
"It's really nice to have been playing for 20 people in a small bar in north London years ago to me standing in front of the stage for 3000 people who are all listening to my music, it's great, it's a great feeling, it's why we do it, it's why we did this whole thing, that's the best feeling I get really from performing."
With a positive start to his new career Shone is overly concerned about making a quick return to the City.
"I've got lots of good friends there; I'm still in close contacts with lots of my good colleagues. I've burned bridges but lots of people are very supportive and they're very excited about what I do as well. It's great to catch up with them for a few beers every now and then when I'm off tour but I'm quite happy to be doing what I'm doing."
Honey Ryder's debut album, 'Rising Up,' goes on general release in the UK on November 17. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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