Fabienne is a British singer born in Bradford, UK who spent her school years listening to the likes of Kanye West, N.E.R.D and J’Dilla. These artists have been key to Fabienne’s developing interest in the art of sampling; in particular old 60’s soul records. Her debut EP ‘City of Shadows’ (available HERE for download) was out on March 24th via Super Recordings (AlunaGeorge, Bondax). Raw and heartfelt, this is an EP to sum up the long, and hazy days of Summer.
We were blown away by Fabienne’s soulful vocals and funky R&B style, so we decided we wanted to find out more about this talented young woman. Here is our Q&A with her.
Q: Who is your main inspiration?
A: Aretha Franklin probably, just because I think that I’ve listened to her and been affected by her the most. I love her style, every word she sings just sounds so real and raw and I love her for that.
Q: How and when did you decide to become a professional singer?
A: I think when I was about 14/15 my step-dad had put me onto all these old 60s Stax and Atlantic soul compilations and I really became obsessed with that whole sound and story behind Atlantic, so I wrote to the label in NY asking if they needed anyone to make the tea haha, just so happens they did, and that summer I flew out there. I think I bragged my way into nearly every open mic night in the city, that’s when I knew I was supposed to be a singer, I was obsessed.
Q: How do you write your songs?
A: I usually have the title in my head, and a whole bunch of lyrics that I tend to scribble down on the bus or the tube, then I’ll take it to the studio and get the producer to play piano or guitar and find the chords, we can be sitting there for ages and suddenly they just fall on a chord sequence I love, then it all just starts pouring out and writing itself. I have to start from the roots up though, I don’t really like just writing over a track, to me that’s not as fun as starting with nothing and watching it build.
Q: You recently released the new EP “City Of Shadows”. How was working on it and will this lead to a full album?
A: I tend to not plan too far ahead but I do definitely know that I’m going to put out another EP this year, I’m writing that now, but making the first EP was actually mad fun! I think I was lucky because I had no one trying to make it what it wasn’t, no one asking me to make a euro dance/EDM pop song, haha everyone involved was just on the same page and that made the whole process so enjoyable. Working with an independent has been the best way for me to start out, cause everything you hear from me or see, is 100% coming from me. And that’s sick for me to be able to say that so early on!
Q: Any chance for UK fans to see you performing live any time soon?
A: I’m playing on the 29th supporting Chasing Grace at the Old Queens Head, at Liverpool Sound City on the 1st may, then I’m also at The Great Escape in Brighton so hopefully I see some faces at least 1 out the 3 hahaha.
