Joby Fox – Songwriter & Musician

This is a musical journey – and one very brilliantly strung together – but, it isn’t just that; It is an artistic and personal statement from singer songwriter and war veteran of the music industry, Joby Fox. The thing is, he doesn’t care what anybody thinks. It is here. Take it, if you can, and if you do, there is no doubt that you will enjoy it and find something of yourself in the words and melodies. His music draws from folk, country and western, punk and pop, and Irish traditional.

Joby’s album is self-produced and self-financed with help from online crowdfunding. Generous people from across Europe and as far as Canada who saw the value and potential of the project have pitched in to secure the last stage of the process. Not only does the music reflect a journey, but the creation of it was indeed a journey in itself.

“The album is a play on my personal growth and the conflict which raged around me in my youth. I hope it provokes some thoughts around the subject… Conflicts don’t always occur in the outside world, but also occur internally. We don’t always know what is right and we struggle for the answer that, sometimes, just isn’t there.”

On this journey with him has been his co-conspirator, artist and cultural entrepreneur, Sophie Rasmussen, originally from Denmark. Along side the album they have developed an idea of Fox’s which led to the production of the short film Lost Commandos – This film is like a never-ending cycle; Entrapment in a situation of which you are not the master, caught in a mindset. Where End of the War offers a resolution; a positive ending, Lost Commandos does the opposite. Together they offer a reflection on the many complexities of conflicts.

Both the album and film, released under their joint artistic banner of SOJO, are a comment and tribute to life, love, war and peace and all the strange scenarios that humanity dishes up. It is about the absurd situations we can all wind up in – unwillingly and willingly.

This work, masterly written by Fox, will in years to come be a defining piece of the times we live in now – a cathartic experience for us, and one of hope and inspiration for future generations.

Fox’s musical heritage, enourmous energy and professionalism is carried through from his Good Vibrations teen-band The Bankrobbers in ’79-’81 to the international fame of Energy Orchard, of which he was the main catalyst. He penned their hit single Belfast. This song has for many of his generation become the unoffical anthem of his hometown, and Terri Hooley’s favourite song.

The single of the album, I Love You is available through the online launch from 1^st Feb 2012.

End of the War is available for download from the usual online stores from 1^st March. The cd can be bought from www.jobyfox.com. Lost Commandos will be released with the launch of the album tour in May 2012.

Strange thing, Life! I was in Belfast City Hall last night performing for Mayor Tom Bates of Berkley, USA and Californian Senator Loni Hancock. There I was: me, wee Joby Fox, playing  “Belfast “, the song I wrote when I was 17. Belfast was a pretty scary place then. It was ’79 and with all the sectarian tit for tat killings and what ever else the thought of getting pick up or picked off was always in the back of your mind. I remember realising back then that things were not normal where I lived!
Punk had just been and gone, and I was falling in love with music. The idea for the song ‘Belfast’ came to me on an old guitar that my brother Hugh had left behind. It was my first song.

Last night at the Mayor’s chambers I expected it would be full of people I wouldn’t have anything in common with, but to my surprise I knew half of the people in the room, and most of them were people I had shared a little something with somewhere a long the way. It pleased me! There was a good down-to-earth open and easy atmosphere. This is Belfast in 2011. A more relaxed place, not all pomp and ceremony – a million miles away from the hopelessness of the past. And we have a mayor who is 26 years old… That’s great!

Playing ‘Belfast’ last night was a moment for me to afford myself a wry smile and a wish that
I could pass the feeling back to that 17 year old lad: ‘wee Joby Fox’, who loved his city so much he wrote a song about it!

End of the War, is the title track of my first solo album – The album is  a play on my personal growth and “the troubles” which raged around me in my youth . I hope it provokes some thoughts around the subject of conflict.

Conflicts don’t always occur in the outside world, they also occur internally. We don’t always know what is right and we struggle for the answer, that, sometimes, ‘just is’nt there’

Understanding the principles of cause-and-effect is something I became interested in growing up in the troubled streets of Belfast. There was even a term “Tit for tat killings” which took hold in the local vernacular. It seemed there was some natural law which was playing out – whether that was so or not. The thought captivated me and led me on a journey into the soul.

Have a listen to the first 3 songs on my tracks section for a flavour of  whats to come on the album.

JOby

Joby is performing with the Inishowen Gospel Choir in the historical Berry St Presbyterian Church,  Bank Sq, Folktown Belfast.  As part of the main events at the Belfast Fringe Festival 22nd – 24th Oct 2010  he will be performing a 45 mins set and then perform his well loved song ‘Belfast’ amoung others with the Inishowen Gospel Choir. He will also be performing songs from his forthcoming album End of the War.

The performance will take place Saturday 23rd Oct at 8pm in Berry St Presbyterian Church, Folktown. (You’ll find the entrance at the side of Castle Court) Doors open 7.30pm. Coffee and tea available. Price: £7

I was approached by the Belfast Media Group to perform at the New York – New Belfast Conference, 9th & 10th June. I was delighted to be asked to perform! Going to New York was on the agenda for some time before the release of the album, End of the War.

I’m hoping to get out and perform as much as possible. I’ve got a few gigs and meetings lined up, but I’m still very much open to offers to perform at the moment. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t finish the final edit of Lost Commandos beforehand – it would have been a great opportunity to showcase my other passion as a film maker.

Hi, I’m gigging the next couple of weeks in Belfast and Derry.

I’ll be doing a few songs with a cello player in St George’s Market, Belfast as part of the Fashion Week.

Then performing with my band in the Errigle Inn Tuesday 30th Mar. Hope to see you there, it’s going to be a good night! Nick Scott on bass and Peter McKinney on drums. Support by Sons of Robert Mitchum and slam poet Seamus Fox.

Friday 2nd April I’ll be heading up to Derry with Seamus Fox (slam poet) to do a gig in Cafe del Mundo.

Joby performed alongside Midge Ure, in-the-round on the last day of the songwriters’ festival in King’s Head. Superb gig! Great atmosphere! Midge Ure was a gentleman!

Joby went to London in 1985 and formed Energy Orchard. He managed to land them a 5 albums deal with MCA in 1988.
It was Energy Orchard’s first single ‘Belfast’, written by Fox that really kicked off the band’s career. They worked hard and toured the first album “Energy Orchard” extensively in UK, Europe and North America over 3 years till Joby eventually left the band in 1991. Read the FULL STORY here...

I had this idea 5 or so years ago for a short film called “Lost Commandos”. It was an idea I just could not let go of.  It’s a story about four commandos lost on a mission in Belfast. The idea is that they get lost and then end up back to the place where they started out from. Yes, that is it. Sounds familiar?

There is a twist though, but you will just have to come along and see it when it gets out there.

Imagine four commandos with AK47s running around some of the most politically sensitive locations in Belfast, like Stormont, the Shankill Rd, The Falls.

How did we get away with it? I hear you ask. Well, good planning and a brass neck. Sophie is the master when it comes to planning. She had to clear all the locations and have a police escort with us at all times. The actors were all stoked when they got the parts, though as we came close to the three-day-shoot the emails started coming in to the office: ” Hey have you told the police were going to be running around with Ak47s?” Signed Yours, a bit concerned. Self preservation is a strong instinct, we think…

See the trailer here

Joby Fox

Check me out on amuze.com:

The debut single, Perfect Stranger, will be launched at Kings Street Arts centre on Thursday 25 February, as part of the Nashville Songwriter Festival. There will be a very special live performance from Joby to be filmed for DVD, to be released later this year. Joby Fox will also perform at the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival’s 6th Birthday Concert at the Kings Head on Sunday 28 February with the legendary Ultravox front man, Midge Ure.

Joby Fox was a founding member of the iconic Belfast rock band Energy Orchard. The band released their classic, self titled and critically acclaimed UK Top 50 album back in 1990. Energy Orchard where famously championed by then MCA record label mate, Steve Earle. They toured the world and, reputation has it, properly enjoyed a true rock n’ roll experience!

Whilst the majority of the songs were written by front man Bap Kennedy, it was Joby Fox that wrote the bands breakthrough single, Belfast. This debut single made the official UK singles chart and was an Irish number 1.

Brought up in Catholic tradition, though now a practicing agnostic, writing has always been a vehicle for Joby to purge his emotions and relieve his emotional tensions. This debut single, Perfect Stranger, explores the period in his life which was ruled by alcohol and hedonism.

Joby’s confidence in song writing has developed over recent years. This has helped him import some of the subjects that he feels are important to write and sing about. Although his sound is more contemporary pop than folk, telling stories and dealing with particular issues, social, political or otherwise, is what defines him as a song writer today.

“I’ve grown up with a folk tradition of storytelling through songs,” says Joby, “My mother would often launch into a ballad at any given point in the day, and my father would tell stories that were at times horrifying and others like parables and useful for life.”

Joby Fox is also a well known member of Belfast local arts community. He works day to day with various community groups and regeneration projects, and runs the independent arts organization King Street Arts in Belfast’s Castle Quarter area.

Available via on-line retail from: Monday 22 February
Belfast Nashville Songwriters Fest, Kings Street Arts @ 7pm: Thurs 25 Feb (free)
Belfast Nashville Songwriters Fest, King Head (Midge Ure): Sun 28 Feb