At the start of 2010, singer/songwriter Fyfe Dangerfield released his first solo album ‘Fly Yellow Moon’. Fyfe has previously had success with his band The Guillemots, who have released two popular albums since 2006. Their debut ‘Through The Windowpane’ was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize and reached Number 17 in the UK Album Chart. Second album ‘Red’ was even more successful, making it to Number 9 and contained the band’s Top 20 hit single ‘Get Over It’. Despite a hectic schedule following the release of his new album, Fyfe was able to have a chat with Room Thirteen about ‘Fly Yellow Moon’ and his work with The Guillemots.
R13: What made you decide to do a solo album at this point in your career?
FD: It just came about really, it wasn’t a planned thing. I mean, it already seems pretty old to me now, because it was recorded at the end of 2008. At that point in my life, we’d been touring the second Guillemots record that year, I spent a bit of time on the road and at home to just try and write and so on. A lot of the songs I was writing were very acoustic and didn’t really need much more than a guitar and a voice. I just kind of fancied doing something a bit different, really. I’d always thought I could do stuff by myself at some point. It was more about what thing to do. I could have quite happily just gone in the other direction and made a very electronic, strange record, but I decided to write something quite simple.
R13: How did writing and recording a solo album differ from working with a band?
FD: It was just a different process. I knew what I wanted the stuff to sound like so I just played it. It’s totally different from working in a band in the way that everyone will spur each other on to do different things, but it was really fun. It just felt like doing demos at home, which was kind of what it was. It was more like a demo session that ended up turning into a record.
R13: ‘Fly Yellow Moon’ sounds like a more straightforward pop album compared with the work you’ve done with The Guillemots. Was that your intention before you made the album?
FD: Not exactly, it just sort of came about that way. I think it was because, in general, we’ve always been very bothered about every little sound. It was quite liberating to just try and do something that was the complete opposite, something that was very traditional. It’s the first thing I’ve released where I wasn’t trying to make something original. It was just a different process. In the past, it was always about trying to make everything sound different, but on this record I was happy for everything to sound very traditional. In that sense, I think it’s more straightforward because the songs are just arranged in a more simple way.
R13: Please can you explain the title of the album?
FD: It’s the first line of the second track ‘So Brand New’, so it seemed to feel right for the record.
R13: Who would you say are your main influences on the album?
FD: Nothing specific. Lots of stuff, really. Like anything, you’re always being influenced by anything you hear.
R13: Are you planning to release more albums as a solo artist?
FD: Yes, definitely. But at the moment, I’m planning things for the next Guillemots record, so that’s what I’m focused on at the moment.
R13: Do you have any idea what the new Guillemots album will sound like?
FD: There’s no point in even trying to say, because it will probably end up different, but we’re very excited. We’re going to start recording the new record in two or three weeks and we’ve got about forty songs that we are considering putting on the record. So, there’s a lot of stuff and that really excites me.
R13: Do you think that your experience as a solo artist will have an effect on the music of The Guillemots?
FD: I don’t know, really. I don’t see them as two particularly related things. It’s not like this record’s been some massive pop thing or something, it’s been quite under the radar. I think they’ll work quite independently of each other.
R13: The Guillemots are known for being quite experimental musically. What is you opinion of British music at the moment?
FD: I don’t really know. I’m not particularly focused on the British music scene or anything. When I get a chance to listen to the radio, I’ll have a listen to ‘Late Junction’ on Radio 3, which plays music from all over the world. I don’t really know how I feel about the British music scene at the moment.
R13: What other bands are you currently listening to?
FD: I’ve been listening to the Flying Lotus stuff recently. Also, The Villagers. They’ve got a record coming out in June on Domino. That’s a really great record.
R13: Will you or the band be appearing at any festivals this summer?
FD: I think I’ll do a few by myself, but we’re going to be in the process of recording, so I’m not really sure.
‘Fly Yellow Moon’ is out now and new single 'Faster Than The Setting Sun' is released April 26th. To read a review of the album, click here: Fyfe Dangerfield • Fly Yellow Moon