Neu Get To Know… Jerskin Fendrix

Revealing details of his debut album ‘Winterreise’ today, meet pop’s bold new voice.

5th February 2020

Hello and welcome to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… getting you a little bit closer to the buzziest new acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.

Recently we’ve met Peckham-via-Falmouth five-piece Moreish Idols, internet sensation mxmtoon, NYC artist Okay Kaya, jangly-pop Canadians Kiwi Jr., and now we’re introducing you to pop’s boldest new voice, Jerskin Fendrix.

Already a pretty buzzy name around the London scene, collaborating and playing with South London staples like black midi and Black Country, New Road, he’s just announced that his debut album ‘Winterreise’ will be landing on 17th April, and is sharing wild pop banger ‘A Star Is Born’ (yes, named after the film) to kick off proceedings.

A huge slice of soaring synth-pop, which includes references to Nick Cave, Shave, Puccini and Wim Wenders, it’s gloriously OTT blending his unique take on pop music with pop culture lols.

We grabbed him for five mins to get to know him a lil better.

Describe your music to us in the form of a Tinder bio.

Let’s get pooey

What’s your earliest musical memory?

Playing my drum

Who were some artists that inspired you when you were just starting out (and why)?

Joanna Newsom for showing me that you could write a very long song and Bibi Bourelly for showing me that you could write a very short song

You’re from Birmingham! What do you think of the music scene there at the moment?

I left Birmingham when I was four years old. Every Christmas my grandparents took me to Symphony Hall to watch Handel’s Messiah.

Are there any other artists breaking through at the same time that you take inspiration from?

Listing those beginning with J: James Martin, Jockstrap, Jessica Winter

Who would be your dream collaborator?

Derek Rose, the pyjama designer

Musically or otherwise, what are you most looking forward to this year?

Getting better at cooking

If people could take away one thing from your music, what would it be?

Music is a respectable place to store your feelings. If someone is angry, at best they are pitied. If someone writes an angry song, they are revered for their honesty. The anger of someone trained to write music is therefore worth more. Why wouldn’t you learn a skill that transforms the worst parts of your life into social currency? And if you’re lucky, actual currency?

Nothing makes people more emotional than other people. When I first started writing songs, they were about other people. You soon realise that the veneration of the artist will come at the expense of those the art is aimed at. Learning to write songs can be about learning how to responsibly concentrate your feelings. You are training to be a gun.

When I found this out, I started to write songs about films and books. There you can find realistic dolls of people, and you can inconsequentially pump these dolls full of whatever. Soon I will find the flaw with this, and I can tell you more when I do.