Comments

Rory replied about 21 hours after.
Interesting to hear you're thinking of releasing stuff under pseudonyms - is that so you can try out new sounds and genres? If you do, keep us fans posted on what the names are. Good man
mark replied 2 days after.
Toying with releases under a pseudonym could be a cop-out. If you really believed in a piece you'd be proud to put the Foy Vance stamp to it. Changing gear musically isn't really the problem - never did the Beatles any harm - and I say this not to be critical, just challenging. Mind you, you got your work cut out from here on in. I was listening to 'Hope' the other day and thinking 'Christ, Foy's got his work cut out following this up'. Not that it's not a tad flabby, self-indulgent even, at 15 tracks. The version I tend to play to people is the last track added on to the first 10 tracks. It's not that there isn't other good stuff on there - there is - it's just that those 11 tracks make such a strong statement in terms of your talent it's like 'OK you fuckers...follow this!' Trouble is, you've got to! x
Foy replied 2 days after.
mark...I agree that changing direction isn't an issue... The alt names would not be based on a lack of confidence but a desire for clarity... Not clarity in the Market place!! Screw that...my own clarity...I don't want to be better understood but to understand what I do a bit better...selfish wee fecker that I am....thanks for your comments...all helps me think........p.s also... it might make finding music a bit more of a treaure hunt!?
Mark replied 3 days after.
fair play.... even though I don't entirely get your reasoning (and why should I?, it's your head not mine!) but since you put it like that, it's important you do what you need to do to find the best way to express yourself as an artist and if using different personas enables you to so do, then who am I (for one) to argue. What I love about 'Hope' - and your live show, which I've to date only caught once but can't wait to catch again - is that you striving to be more than a one trick pony, in any event. For example, though you are blessed with one of the most gut wrenching soul voices this side of Aretha Franklin, you don't sit back on that but use other skills, colours and textures in your voice as befits a diversity of material...as but one example. Harmonically and melodically you can no doubt find endless new songs...lyrically, you've set yourself a standard that is gonna challenge you but... I'm glad you aren't overly concerned with commercial success - everybody knows the best art is found in the underground anyway - although your talents deserve to keep you and your family in the best furs and silver....so may a happy compromise be reached by fate, luck and good judgement in any event. Being selfish myself (ourselves?)....a treasure hunt might be fun but one which fans could well largely miss out on, unless you drop a few enormous clues to the chosen few...it's big wide world of music out there (with myspace etc) for better or worse! Anyway, you are one the most important artists around today (with all the positives and negatives that brings), so for all our unkind expectations, challenges and critiques we offer you nothing but good fortune, best wishes and support! You are a gem in a sea of mediocrity.
Derek replied 5 days after.
Hi Foy, I was at your support slot at the Sage in Gateshead on Saturday night and was absolutely blown away. Your voice was in absolutely mint condition, and along with the lyrical content, "track layering"(as i have decided to call it) and performance simply demanded attention and respect from an audience who had mainly come to see, in my opinion, an average American act in the shape of Brandi Carlisle. It's the first time that I have bought a ticket to a gig to see the support act alone, and you made every penny worthwhile. As a singer and songwriter myself, I cannot always comprehend or understand why some acts are "chosen" as the next big thing, when other's god given talent is, or seems to be, so tragically overlooked. Saturday night illustrated this to me in the starkest (i don't even know if that is a word!) terms. Giving you 40 mins was scandalous in comparison to Brandi's full set. On a positive note, there seem to be a few of us spreading the word of the Gospel according to Foy, as I overheard a guy sitting behind me who had press-ganged three of his mates into coming to see you as support, and they were completely knocked out by your performance. Hall 2 at the Sage is a great little room, did you enjoy it? The North East of England has been starved of your presence for too long, and we need to see the full Foy Vance show sometime soon. More than happy to do a support slot for you, if needed. Derek
leeroy replied 5 days after.
Nice post man. Specially the bit about falling in love with a guy. Made me think there may be hope for us after all. Hee ha ha! x
Mark replied 5 days after.
Just an general observation but music is not a meritocracy, never has been, never wil bel. Anyone who can earn any kind of living in the music business - particularly anyone singing their own material - is achieving a lot. Although there is no guarantee even in this...it all comes down to money. Not money to produce the product...money for marketing and promotion (as in hundreds of thousands, not tens of thousands of pounds), Without that, all artists, any artists, are largely pissing in the wind. Sad, but there you go!
Jay replied 5 days after.
Agree and Disagree with you there mark, you are not gonna get the financial backing without talent. Of course there is always gonna be the odd exception!! At the end of the day no matter how talented you are alot also falls on luck, u need to get that break and hope it gets you wer u want to be whether that be ur first gig in the local pub or your 54th number one single! And what is wrong with pissing in the wind?? As long as you do it with a smile on your face and remember that one day the wind can always change direction and start to blow back in your favour.
Gaz replied 6 days after.
It's all gotten a bit heavy in here. For what it's worth, I don't believe it's particularly important whose name is attached to a piece of work in order for it to be good. And at the end of the day, it's the quality of the material that really matters. Is a beautiful piece of artwork any less beutiful because the artist hasn't signed his own name on the canvas??? For me.... no. It might not sell for as much in an auction as it would had he put his own name to it but I think Foy's point is..... who gives a shit?? As long as it's good!!
leeroy replied 6 days after.
My favourite bit of this whole thread was mark say "not that its not a tad flabby......self indulgent even"....Man I pissed my pants at that bit. Cant wait to hear marks album. "Everyone wants to critisize the stew, but no fucker wants to stir it"......Lee Rogers, yoda-like sage.
Mark replied 6 days after.
Don't worry about me boys..I'm not trying to upset anybody here, I guess it's just my style to be fairly direct...but the end of the day I'm just expressing my view, doesn't make it right, doesn't make it wrong...it's just my opinion. Nothing wrong with pissing in the wind Jay, it's just good art and commerce don't always make the best bedfellows. Love to able to agree that talent is a prerequisite of financial backing but a quick look at the charts leaves me wondering.....Somethings are too good to be popular? Yeah, Leeroy, I do think 'Hope' would be more impactfull if shorter (albeit this is a point about presentation more than content) but that point doesn't stop me believing it's still one of the best three debut records I've ever heard (Lewis Taylor and Citizen Cope being the others). It's also on my personal list of the 5 albums one should hear before one dies.....safe to say, rightly or wrongly, I'm a huge fan.
Jay replied 6 days after.
Did you sit down one evening and just decide to make these little lists of yours? I would view your style as more arrogant and the belief that you know it all but like everybody here you are entitled to your opinion even if people disagree with it. I have no idea why you would say the album is too long, for me you can not get enough of a good thing but more importantly I strongly believe every song on the Album offers something different and has a place on the album, Personally I could not pick one song I wud remove.
Derek replied 6 days after.
Hi Y'all, just thought I'd join in again. I'm sure that Mark didn't mean to patronise me with the Music is not a meritocracy patter, but it felt a little like he was. What I was trying to say was that it is frustrating that more people are not given the opportunity to hear someone like Foy, and make their own decision as to whether the like his work or not. I don't for a minute think naively that this can be easily remedied, it was merely an observation of a fact of life that winds me up. I am basically a musical bigot in as much as if I don't like it, it ain't good, and I feel that the recipe for beautiful worthy music lies in graet lyrics combined with great melody, and just as importantly to me, delivered honestly from the heart and soul of the performer. Too much "emotion" in songs these days is false, and arranged in a paint by numbers, X factor taught style, and to hear the real emotion of someone like Foy makes truly inspiring listening. If an artist can make the hairs stand up on thee back of your neck, or fill your eyes with tears and put a lump in your throat, then he is a master of his art. Bottom line is, I think Foy is the main man. Cheers. Derek
mark replied 7 days after.
Well, like I said don't mind me....I'm sorry if I came across as arrogant and/or patronising, that's wasn't the intention. I'm just expressing my views with a degree of personal conviction ....if people take a different view, that's something I totally respect...it's all about opinion. But, bottom line , I think Foty is the main man too and, for sure, I certainly agree all you say about the importance of 'real', as opposed to 'manufactured', emotion, Derek
Derek replied 7 days after.
Nice words Mark, we are beginning to see your soft side, ya great big jessie! For the record, I would put Foy in the same bracket as Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Van Morrison, Lowell George (of Little Feat) and more recently, Ray Lamontagne, as a truly unique, soulful innovator and troubadour. "Hope" had the same dramatic effect on me as an album as "Trouble" by Ray Lamontage. In my humble opinion, these have been the best two albums of the last 10 to 15 years. Are you aware of Lowell George? He died in the 1970's unfortunatley, but if you get a chance to hear the song "Long Distance Love" that he performed with Little Feat, or "Twenty Million Things" from his only solo album "Thanks I'll Eat it Here" you will realise what a miss to the music industry he and original Little Feat Band are. Yet another artist, who although he has a cult following, was never heard by enough people. Like Foy and all of the other aforementioned artists, he was a true one off and a gem worth finding! Cheers, Derek.
mark replied 8 days after.
Yeah, man,,,I've been into Little Feat when they were, effectively, Robert Palmer's backing band (before Robert discovered rock and electro!) and their 'loose' style of playing is legendary. A guitarist friend of mine saw them recently in London and said they were great (whoever L Feat are now!). I run a musical collective - I'm an organiser, not a musician, mind) and we do 'Long Distance Love' sometimes (If I can find a live recording of it, I'll maybe stick it up on myspace). One of the young out and out soul singers in the collective - she's very, very good, Incognito wanted to have her as a featured singer when she was a 14 year old - has recorded a version of Foy's 'I was Made'...purely as a tribute to Foy, nothing more, nothing less. I'll stick it up on youtube sometime soon. Blimey at this rate Foy will have to set up a discussion board. Assuming he's thick enough skinned and grounded enough, that is (ha ha!)
mark replied 8 days after.
Things like this indeed (Palmer and Lowell George) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsLz2pvO5N0
leeroy(theboy) replied 8 days after.
I was sitting during a break at my gig tonight. I have been inspired by this thread. I wrote a song for Foy.........here are some lyrics. This is for you big dog. x Foys Song by Leeroy Theboy Foy, Foy, you are the best, You have tattoos upon your chest Foy, Foy, I often wondered How you can sing like a bastard (needs work) Foy, Foy, You never Know, Is it rain or is it snow, Foy, Fo...... Then I ran out of room on the back of my ten deck of marly lights. You get the jist. Not sure what the other verses will be about, and it needs a middle 8. Needs a bit of work, I know, but with the right producer behind it and some turntables and sandpaper......it could be good. Very good.
Old Bloke replied 8 days after.
"Pseudonym" - literally "false name". I wouldn't worry about it. Your stuff and your approach is about as "true" as you can get and you won't be able to change that whatever genres you pas through. And you have a nice name. Makes you sound like a jazz pianist from the 1920s.
Claire replied 8 days after.
Leeroy(the boy)....sounds good, don't change a thing...I'd buy it! :) And I thought I spied a tattoo on Foys chest during the Q&A videocast thingy. Foy get yourself a messageboard goin mate xxx :)
leeroy replied 9 days after.
Awww, cheers. I think its good. I heard the tattooist who does Foys tats is a great, great artist.... and unbelievably handsome. Like a movie star only better looking. I heard he is gentle and kind, yet masculine and strong. No-one knows who he is. Some say he is from some far off land, some say he is a travelling enigma, a ghost disguised as a man. Others think he is from some other part of the solar system, and not of this world at all......Thats just what I heard though. Could be all bollocks.
Jane replied 9 days after.
Hey foy just wanted to comment on what you said "I'm in constant flux musically speaking... I write a whole lot of material but never get around to releasing it, and I'm beginning to question my method..." am really glad for the pieces you do record. I have been getting great comfort from Hope since Jimmy died, dont know if Joanne passed that on to you, but you hit the nail on the head with your lyrics there perfectly. Love it xx
Derek replied 27 days after.
Mark, just in case your interested, there is a live version of "Long Distance Love" by Little Feat on Youtube, as part of a weird japanese tv tribute to the band. The tribute is about 9 minutes long, with the song starting around 6 minutes in. Well worth seeing. Since your last message, I have gone back to purchase all of the early Robert Palmer stuff on CD, which I had already been aware of as a kid, listening to these albums from my dad's collection. It's great making new discoveries such as Foy, and it can also be just as satisfying to rediscover old favourites, almost forgotten. Thanks for ther heads up, Derek.
Mark replied 29 days after.
Cheers, for that Derek, I'll check it out.
Mark replied 29 days after.
Oh and Derel, I stuck this up just for fun....this was the version I mentioned on nights I run. It's a bush recording of a totally unrehearsed jam..hence a few jazz notes...but a nice little rendition by vocalist/pianist Robin Scott, if not exactly Little Feat! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZUFwDAF7H4

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