Introducing Interview: Fable - GigslutzGigslutz

Brighton-based nineteen year old, Fable, is a powerful new songstress who stands out from the norm in all the right ways. Having been compared to the likes of Thom Yorke and Portishead, Fable creates inspired pieces of music with intelligent lyrics creating an emotive, yet minimalist, aura. Her last single, ‘Stranger In My Head’ proved incredibly popular, and she has worked alongside artists such as Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll and Bloc Party’s Russell Lissack. With a new single, ‘Silence Myself’, out soon, we caught up with this passionate young woman to find out more:

Why the name Fable – is that your real name or a stage name?

It’s a stage name and an alter-ego. A fable is a story with a profound meaning and that’s what I hope to be able to put across in my music.

‘Silence Myself’ is quite mellow, was this a deliberate decision to show a different side to your music – if so why?

Not a deliberate decision as such; in fact I was really quite hungover during a writing session so we wanted to take it easy – I was in a bit of a vulnerable and fragile state, and that came out in the feel of the song and the vocal. It is different to what’s come before, we’d written some intense and grueling songs and this shows another side, but it still all comes from the same place.

You’re known for being ‘forthright and opinionated’ – do you think pop-music needs more of an edge?

Definitely. There’s a lot of fear around music at the moment and people are scared to take risks, so as a result we have a very safe and homogenous mainstream right now. Would a Hendrix or a Bowie get signed right now? Probably not, and that’s a really scary cultural direction to be headed in. If music does not represent and narrate what is happening politically and socially, it serves no purpose other than to put your wallpaper up to.

What female singer/songwriters do you admire at the moment?

I like St. Vincent’s lyrical take on things and I’ve always loved Björk. I’ve been listening to Sleigh Bells a lot too. Laura Mvula really stands out for me as someone who is melding genres and is great live, which is so important.

How did you get involved with Orbital?

Paul is Brighton based and we both share a passion for real ale, so we met over a pint or two of Harvey’s Best! He has a new project now called ‘8:58’, as Orbital is no longer. We wrote the last track on the album together and recorded it with Flood which was an amazing experience as he’s worked with everyone from PJ Harvey to U2.

What can we expect from Fable live?

A different experience to the record: no backing tracks, just a raw performance of the songs. In the past when you bought a record, let’s say a Led Zeppelin album, what you heard in your bedroom was totally different to what you saw on stage. It’s important for me to give that to people because otherwise you may as well just listen to the CD. Plus, performing is the most enjoyable part of being an artist because you’re connecting directly with your fans, so you want to send them home with something else to talk about!

Will there be an album or EP out soon?

Yes. We’re giving people a taste of things at the moment, and we released an EP – Parasite – at the back end of last year. We’ll probably do another EP in the middle of the year, followed by the full album which may well contain re-workings of what’s come before.

Where do you see yourself placed in the scene in the next five years – what would you like to achieve?

World domination, and to become a dictator of my own small country…

Catch Fable in her quest for world domination supporting Archive at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 10th April. Get your tickets here.

Fable’s new single, ‘Silence Myself’, is out 23rd February.