Between touring and producing with Naima Bock and at last releasing his own debut album, it's been busy, good busy, at Bingo Fury HQ.
Photo: Holly de Looze | Words: Lloyd Bolton
Bingo Fury has been a homegrown favourite of ours ever since he first went solo with 'Big Rain' back in 2021. Since then, he has been a constant live favourite, with piano-samshing, cornet-wailing shows platforming his remarkably ambitious and idiosyncratic music. 2024 felt like the culmination of everything that has come so far, with his debut album 'Bats Feet For a Widow' releasing in February. Alongside this, he has somehow also found time to produce a string of exciting projects, those that have already been released including the brilliant Naima Bock album 'Below a Massive Dark Land'. Judging from our discussion with him at the start of the year, there is still so much more to look forward to from him, but for now here's a roundup of 2024 in his own words.
Tell us about your 2024 in brief.
Put out an album. Went on 9 Tours in the UK, EU and the US. Produced two albums (both in Wales coincidently). Played my favourite ever show at The Minack Theatre. It's been a busy one.
What is your Album of the Year and why?
My album of the year is 'Real Home' by Kiran Leonard. It's such an expansive and emotive record. I learn something new on each listen. I love the aesthetic of the recording and the production, his voice is magic and his sense of melody is truly singular.
How about Song of the Year?
My favourite song of the year is 'Rio's Song' by The Hard Quartet. I love Jim White's intentionally-lacklustre-simultaneously-mesmerising playing style on the drums in this song, it's probably it's best asset. Big fan of the interplay between Matt Sweeney and Stephen Malkmus, too. The vocal melody is unreasonably hooky. It simply can not be purged from my brain.
Favourite live show you've seen in 2024 and why?
A. Savage at Le Botanique, Brussels. I was lucky enough to accompany Naima Bock on guitar for a few shows this year. We did a few dates supporting A. Savage in February, I watched his show every night of the tour. His band were incredible and Andrew Savage is one of the best songwriters alive in my book. This show was in a circular room and in the middle of Le Botanique (a converted Botanical garden near in the centre of Brussels). In the middle of the show Andrews saxophonist Jeff walked to the middle of the room to do his sax solo off mic into the faces of the audience. It was a great moment.
What was your personal highlight of the year?
I spent a month in America over summer playing shows with Naima. We did a KEXP session in Seattle in September which was extremely surreal. Our friends who are in a band called Mildred stepped in as the backing band (check them out). There were a fair few surreal moment's on that trip but that was a special one.
Favourite thing someone's said about your music?
A journalist played a snippet of the album to a white van driver who replied, "It sounds like he has too much time on his hands".
…and the strangest thing someone's said about your music?
"Sounds like Adam and the Ants".
What you're looking forward to in 2025…
Spending more time at home in Bristol.
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