London-raised singer-songwriter Paul Dixon first came to fame in 2010 as ‘David’s Lyre’ but has since re-launched himself as the musical project Fyfe.
His debut EP ‘Solace’ was released in April last year and became an immediate internet sensation creating waves amongst music blogs and reaching the number one spot on Hype Machine.
Fyfe’s music has proved notoriously hard to pigeonhole and has been described as everything from ‘grandiose’ through to ‘glitchy R&B.’ What is clear is that Fyfe is an exciting new act whose skilful compositions and spine-tingling vocals warrant a listen.
On the 21st July I went to see Fyfe celebrate the release of his single ‘For you’ with a headline gig at The Social in central London. Quietly tucked behind the relentless buzz of Oxford Street The Social became a peaceful Mecca for gig-goers. The number of 20 something year-old Fyfe look-alikes dotted about the place made it obvious that most were there to see the man himself however we were nonetheless treated to some spectacular support acts. The scarcely-lit walls of the venue’s basement bar resonated with the stunningly soulful tones of young blues singer Eva Stone who was followed by the equally heart-felt melodies of Tennessee-folk act Liza Anne.
By the time that Fyfe arrived on stage it would be fair to say that most there were in the mood for something more upbeat, which he unquestionably gave us. As a self-professed ‘London lad’ Fyfe begun his set by treating the crowd to an acoustic version of ‘Conversations,’ a song inspired by sleepless nights spent wandering the capital’s streets. Whilst this stripped down performance perfectly showed off his bittersweet vocals it was to the great delight of everyone there when halfway through he burst in with the synths providing us with that punchy, edgy energy we’d all been waiting for.
As a performer Fyfe is polite and unassuming which is part of what makes him so appealing. There are few artists that would be able to make interrupting a set to apologise for the fact that their laptop may crash at any moment seem charming, but Fyfe somehow managed. The contrast of his fresh-faced look with the melancholy of his music is captivating and makes for a powerful live act. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the performance of ‘For you’ alongside saxophonist David Turay who blew our minds with his incredible sax solo.
Despite being hard to define Fyfe feels like one of the UK’s most definitive new artists. He is fearlessly creating fresh and exciting music that challenges traditional genres making him an act not to be missed.
Fyfe at The Social review by Freddi Miller
