You can get a fair idea of the kind of artist that new singer-songwriter Fenne Lily is by perusing the titles of the Spotify playlists on which she features.
They include “Relax & Unwind”, “Winter Acoustic” and “The Most Beautiful Songs in the World”. The Bristol-based 20-year-old has a voice so soft it could be prescribed as a muscle relaxant.
Her early song Top to Toe, now approaching 20 million Spotify streams, is an acoustic ballad that recalls an older queen of hushed folk, Vashti Bunyan. It earned her a spot in a Burberry video, joining the likes of James Bay and George Ezra in receiving early support from the fashion house.
On her latest material, however, she’s getting louder, which admittedly is a relative term. Three Oh Nine features a tougher electric guitar line and even some drums, provided by Isle of Wight band Champs. For a While also showcases a fuller sound, while still being glacially slow and extremely lovely.
A London pub gig this week will be a chance to hear her before a debut album in the spring.
Jan 31, The Islington, N1 (020 7684 1577, theislington.com)
