Something new for your ears… Gavin Simpson as “sourfish”
sourfish – what do you say?
This is a link to the EP of the same name that was released today. Four songs, eight minutes long. (which is shorter than most postrock songs) But totally worth your while. The genre would be alternative/ singer songwriter. “What do you say” is an upbeat song with a pop song melody. It makes you move in your chair and puts an easy smile on your face. It was written in 2019 with the hopes of writing a suitable song for a TV / advert placement, which didn’t happen. But it inspired Gavin’s podcast. (more about that later)
The highlight is certainly “Angel of my Eye”. The lyrics are simple yet poetic – something I really like. It is a song that evokes emotions. It was originally written as a finger-picking guitar piece that turned into a piano-driven piece. The first line “Three words – it’s over…” sets the tone for this break-up song. Sad, but real and telling the story of a situation we all went through at one time in our lives. And when Gavin sings in the chorus “Angel of my Eye, I want to say one more goodnight” I cannot help but think about the moments I sat with my phone in my hand, wanting to send a message to an ex just to be able to say goodnight one more time and missing them so much it breaks my heart every time anew.
Between “What Do You Say” and “Angel of My Eye” sits “Swim Against the Sea” a little demo/shortened song that is not quite finished but has lots of potentials. I’d say, give it some time to grow.
The last song is short and instrumental, using strings and guitar. Perfect for an add on TV, was my first thought. It is Gavin’s first self-produced song and it is called “Fowk”. But why “Fowk” you ask? Well, Gavin was raised in the Scottish highlands and this is their pronunciation of the word “folk”. And just like that, you’ve learned something new.
Gavin also has a podcast called “what do you say?”. The first episode is online and has an interview with Amanda Palmer. It’s a nice interview, a conversation really, that is fun to listen to. (coming from someone who is usually not too keen on podcasts). Here’s a link to the first episode.
And as I am alone, sitting outside and waiting for the sun to go down, I can’t help but think that Sourfish shows many facets of his talents on this EP and I hope to hear more of this talented artist in the coming months.
See what Sourfish (Gavin Simpson) is up to here:
