Half Scottish, but Galway-based Dave Skelton (Spy-Fu) while having spent some years working on his craft he is now about to open his commercial account with the release of Oxygen this October.
Some, may view his story as un-orthodox in parts, but in a good way of course! Picking up the guitar when he started his university course at UL, he says his drive, at the time, was to be able to play at house parties to further enhance the college experience! However, something changed as his relationship with the instrument grew and like any good relationship as he became more comfortable with this particular interpersonal relationship of sorts, his mind freed up to the idea of committing more long term!
After all, it wasn’t a demanding or nagging relationship rather the perfect world scenario and he quickly discovered the more he invested in his new hobby, the guitar started to open up more to him and soon it became apparent that playing his guitar at parties was quickly becoming an lovely secondary addition. Now was the time to start building the blocks further to see where this might lead?
You see Dave went to Limerick’s UL to study Computer Engineering & found music!
Dave performs under the band name of Spy-Fu, a quartet piece who came together with the “overwhelming ambition to perform meaningful music, which can cast the same spell of aspiration; the same joy to be alive, on its listener, as it does on its creator and the band when delivered”. He happily suggests, “Our objective is not to corrupt your mind, we do not intend to assimilate all of humanity into our collective. We want you to assimilate us. We have something to share”.
Following college Dave worked as a session guitarist for just about five years. During this time he continued writing his own material and decided it was time to get into the studio. In Ireland he started working with Chris O’Brien & Graham Murphy of The Production Suite Dublin (Gemma Hayes, Lucie Silvas, Clannad, Moya Brennan, Something Happens) and New York with Steve Greenwell (Joss Stone). The collective band sites its influences as ranging from Feeder and Muse to Therapy?.
While this writer believes each artist should be allowed to be recognized for its own sound, I also surrender to the workings of human nature & as such were comparisons on the table, the band believe Temper Trap wouldn’t be too far from the mark!
A strong emphasis on melody softens the steely rock undertones, which make this thumping anthemia music much more than a sound, but a feeling. Narrative and anecdotes parked up, the initial rehearsal is now over, and it is time to deliver!
Oxygen was released on 29th October via iTunes and a host of other digital sites. The track is the first to be taken from Spy-Fu’s debut album, currently penciled to land in spring 2011. This track was produced and mixed by Chris O’Brien & Graham Murphy at The Production Suite, Dublin and mastered by Richard Dowling of WAV mastering.
|
