Pixey talks about her EP release ‘Colours’ and the power of loneliness.
Loneliness is a friend we have all met. Especially at this moment in time, as we retreat indoors spending time in our solitude, taking part in Zoom quizzes and baking banana bread. Thoughts of being alone, feeling lonely and being apart, together occupy my mind daily. And so, I suppose it is of little surprise that I found myself listening to Pixey’s EP Colours; a collection of tracks crafted from loneliness.
We’re chatting during lockdown via Zoom, a little strange but Pixey quickly eases any uncertainty. Her music is inspired by the likes if The Verve, George Harrison and Beck with influences from psychedelic rock, indie music and Lo-Fi. And of course, the 90’s. But more than this, Pixey draws upon her real life experiences when writing her music. When I first asked her who her main influences are, she replied with a remarkable story which humbled me deeply.
Until you’re in that moment where you think you are going to die, you’re torn between what you are doing and what you want and you just… let go
It was 2016 and Pixey was still at university when she became seriously ill. Taken by a virus that threatened her life, Pixey was left fragile and lonely in her recovery, “I was like a skeleton.” Spending a month alone in her room, and then time after still slowly recovering, Pixey began reflecting upon life. “It was a realisation. I’d always been a procrastinator. But until you’re in that moment where you think you are going to die, you’re torn between what you are doing and what you want and you just… let go. I remember thinking, what am waiting for?” It was at this moment that Pixey began to write. “Young was actually the second song I ever wrote. I didn’t have a bass guitar or anything, I just used the E string on my guitar” she laughs. Since then, music has remained a release for Pixey, she tells me, “It’s like a sneeze, it’s going to come out so just let it.”
Pixey remains an example of the positivity that can grow from being alone, especially during times of pain or struggle. “I still out myself in that place when I’m uninspired and think to myself; well, you’re living. It gives me some perspective.” Her tracks such as On My Own and Colours reflect the empowerment of loneliness. Pixey explains this as, “the difference between being alone, and being lonely.” Her EP is woven with hazy, psychedelic guitar riffs and groovy drum-beats. Her voice echoes and ripples like water; clear, honest emotion. Inspired by herself, Pixey has been succeeding for years at something many artists are only just starting to attempt; creating something beautiful through loneliness.
We can take this time to home in on our craft. Things will happen out of your control, but as long as you’re breathing and healthy and creating you are okay.
This throws some positive light on to the possibilities for the arts at this moment in time. Although undoubtedly the arts community is currently taking a serious hit, artistic creativity is thriving. Having ample time to reflect on, conceptualise and create art means some creatives are flourishing. Art has always been, and always will be, a reflection of the times and so isolation is becoming intrinsically intertwined with artistic output. Pixey grasps life with both hands, unstoppable and unashamedly proud, “It is difficult to admit that gigs will be the last thing to ‘come back’” she says, “but we can take this time to home in on our craft. Things will happen out of your control, but as long as you’re breathing and healthy and creating you are okay.”
Pixey’s EP is available via Spotify, iTunes and on vinyl. Her latest release, Supersonic-Summer Version is out now. Her work is a beautiful example of the possibilities we hold within ourselves and what we can create when we trust our instincts. This is undoubtedly an uncertain time, especially for artists and free-lance creatives. However, Pixey reminds me of the potential for raw, honest work to come out of this. She tells me, “You should enjoy your own work-I love my own music! I write for me. It’s more like therapy than a career. So just make stuff and release it and don’t care! Get over that fear.”
Words by Mary Olive
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