Interview and Live: Seye

Seye
HMV Ritz
12 April
3 stars

Let me begin with this: Seye (pronounced shey-ah) is just downright lovely. As we sit and chat in the dimly lit setting of the HMV Ritz, I can’t help but wish he was my older, cooler brother.

Seye has a cool brother of his own though in Olubenga Adelekan, bassist with Metronomy, and it’s him he has to thank for his first breaks in the music business. “I was just bumming around on his sofa thinking about, but not really trying, to go to uni” Seye states, “he knew someone that needed a guitarist so I went and it all kind of spiralled from there”. And spiralled it has ever since, playing with Paloma Faith, an album in the pipeline and a support slot on tour with Brit Award winner Emeli Sande. So he got a leg up, but he’s carried himself the rest of the way on pure talent, which a view at his cover of Bat For Lashes ‘Daniel’ demonstrates for all to see.

A master of the fretboard with a bagful of ideas he picked up while playing across Africa at such events as Malawi Lake Of Stars festival (“my favourite festival in the world- Foals played and Beverley Knight too – random”), Seye’s set is spattered with colour. With the highlife-infused ‘Mexicana Bounce’ and a vibrant rendition of single ‘White Noise’, his creativity sparkles, only needing now to be coupled with the right producer to bring out his true potential.

Later there was Manchester’s Daley (from Gorillaz’s ‘Donkamatic’ fame) with his brand of soul-ite pop, and then, with more Radio 1 chart show hits than you could shake a stick at, Emeli Sande. A fine performance showcased Sande’s well-crafted songs and proved that she’s more than just the girl who did that track with Prof Green.

Seye – White Noise