Teaching himself how to DJ at the age of 14, Bailey P quickly formed a passion for making, and soon started producing his own beats.

Releasing music independently for the last three years, Bailey has landed a single in the iTunes Dance chart (ranking #12), created a guest mix for Kiss FM and had a track synced for JD Sports' Black Friday campaign in 2022.

A frequent collaborator, his latest track, 'Slaps Like', links up with two rising artists, rapper Dialect and vocalist Amelia. A UK Garage/House that fuses underground and commercial sounds, it's the perfect party tune to get you ready for a night at the club.

With support from the Youth Music NextGen Fund, Bailey P was able to create a music video for 'Slaps Like', as well as run a marketing campaign around the single.

We caught up with Bailey P to dive into his creative process and repping the West Yorkshire music scene.

You have created club-ready tunes across a range of genres – from Trap to Grime. What inspires you?

I’m a sucker for harmonies and I just love a good melody. I think that’s my strong point, so it allows me to adapt to any genre. That’s what inspires me - that feeling that you get when you hear a wicked track for the first time and you think, wow. In all honesty, I’m inspired but a whole lot of things, my goal in life isn’t just to be a successful music artist, it’s to also be a successful businessman. So when I see people such as Bugzy Malone succeeding at the level he’s at, it's super inspiring. I aim to carry that on for the generation after me and give them someone to look up to. 

What is your creative process like when making a track?

You get lost. For me personally, it’s like a flow. I’ll play in a melody and then next thing I’ll get a vocal, then I’ll make the drums, then I’ll add a counter melody or maybe some vocal chops. Before you know it, you have a piece of music.

One side the audience don’t see of me is the critical side. Ask anyone around me, I’m super super hard on myself and I’ll sit on track for 2+ years until I think the mix down sounds right or the track's at a high enough level. 

With support from the Youth Music NextGen Fund, you just released the single, ‘Slaps Like’, with an accompanying music video. Can you tell us the story behind how the song came together, and your concept for the visuals?

I produced the track in late 2022 and I was playing it in clubs just as an instrumental and it was doing really well in terms of reaction. Around the same time, me and Dialect started working together on pieces of music and I came to realise we have a really good chemistry and our styles suit each other so well. I sent him the track and said, 'I think this will be a big track and I want you to write to it and hit me back with what you come up with'. He texted me and said, 'I’ve written to it and I’ve also asked Amelia to sing on it'. 

Then I got sent the track and as soon as I heard the first 30 seconds, I knew it was going to be a standout track. 

Connect with Bailey P:

Instagram: @baileyp_uk

TikTok: @baileyp_official

The Youth Music NextGen Fund has been made possible thanks to our principal partners the Players of People’s Postcode Lottery, and support from PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) and the Dr Martens Foundation. We are also grateful for our vital support from the National Lottery via Arts Council England.