It figures that, if you’re going to be the smoothest, coolest, most soulful singer in a city like Liverpool, you’re going to have to look sharp.  All-black clothing, small circular Lennon-style shades, a insouciant hand in your pocket at all times. The trouble is, most of us would look like utter morons trying to pull that off. But what strikes you, watching XamVolo perform, is that the man is knocking it out of the park.

Still only 22, Xam has been combining performing and producing music with, until lately, studying architecture. Having been biding his time whilst at uni, he’s become something of a critics’ favourite in Liverpool’s musical circles – with a string of support slots and festival appearances across town leading to his first headline show at the city’s famous Magnet venue last September. More recently, there’s been a trip to LA to record, a deal with Decca and a session at the BBC’s Maida Vale for Radio 1, against the backdrop of increasing national notoriety following the release of his Chirality EP.

Blessed with a rich, varied neo-soul voice and citing influences such as D’Angelo and Erykah Badu, perhaps the most impressive quality Xam possesses is his refusal to be pigeon-holed. Live shows are orientated towards a rock set-up, whilst his releases have, so far, brought together Xam’s voice with waves of self-produced jazz-tinged electronic noise, alongside more traditional instrumentation. On stage, he’s something familiar, yet something different all at once.

XamVolo has always looked like he’s going to be a star.  He’s always sounded like he’s going to make it. 2017 might just be the year that it really happens.

 

John McGovern
@etinsuburbiaego