Jethro Fox – Blinding Light?

We caught up with Jethro Fox to talk about influences, new single Blinding Light, and that BBC 6 Lamacq session…

A few months ago, Jethro Fox had yet to play his first gig. But in April of this year, he went from mixing demos in his bedroom to making his debut at the Kazimier – none too shabby a place to start.

Tomorrow sees him return to the Kazimier to launch new single Blinding Light. In the intervening months, much has happened; so much so, that we’re almost stuck for where to start, so we’ll just dive in.

In June, Fox was invited by Steve Lamacq at BBC Radio 6 Music to record a session for BBC Introducing , one which included the sophisticated pop – which is fast becoming his trademark – of Before. Fox, understandably, recalls “it was a really, really amazing experience, and I was pinching myself when I was there.”

For Fox, who came to Liverpool to study at LIPA from his home-town of Colchester in 2008, things didn’t stop there. The momentum seems to be with him, big time. Of the handful of gigs he has played, one included a support slot for dream-pop band Weird Dreams, a group signed to London-based label, Tough Love Records.

Whether a coincidence or not, shortly after, Tough Love made contact. “They got in touch and we took it from there … I’m really happy to put it out on a great label – it’s been great.” The ‘it’ he refers to is new single Blinding Light, a song you may be familiar with whether or not you realise it.

“It got played twice on Radio 1 which we were really stoked about!” We ask Fox about what it was like hearing your, as yet unreleased track, on national mainstream radio. Turns out there is a funny story attached. “I hadn’t paid my phone bill and [a well known service provider] had cut me off. When it eventually came back on, I had all these missed calls … I checked online and found out the track had been played. It was such a nice moment.”

As we mentioned earlier, Fox is starting to get associated with a predilection for real accessible, yet layered, pop. We wondered what it’s the result of, and found a ready – and impressive – list of influences at Fox’s disposal. “There’s the Beach Boys, the Hollies, Grizzly Bear, Villagers, Arcade Fire … I think I tried to absorb all that music. That’s the music I love.” But, insists Fox, “it definitely wasn’t incredibly conscious, it reflects the influences of all of those bands”.

So, it’s been, ahem, a blinding few weeks for this Essex boy. Surely the next thing is to put his feet up, right? Only kidding. He’s back in the studio, working on a few demos, mixing a couple of new songs which he says are “nearly done”. Following that, there’s talk of a tour, but not before supporting Ghost Poet in Gateshead in association with Arts Council England and the BBC Space Project.

No rest for the wicked, eh? First things first though is that official single launch which coincides with a free gig in the garden of the Kazimier.

Jethro Fox 6pm @ the Kazimier Garden, supported by James Canty, Beach Skulls and Spring King