Bio en français par ici.
Lionel Solveigh, he is that friend who's playing guitar in a tree, looking down on passers-by underneath. Lucky us, we happen to be sitting on one of the boughs. Don't even think of sawing it, you old fool, geniuses would fall off. Some Adem, Damien Rice; even Neil Young is within reach.
Lionel belongs to the Belgian school of singer-songwriters. What do you mean "there's no such thing" ?! There is , he is it ! We might have seen flashes of talent in some performers, but whenever this gift is wrapped - for it can be chilly in Belgium - in sensitivity and spontaneity, you'll get that. A smooth, sensual guitar. A voice that's equally suave and spell-binding.
Once upon a time, Solveigh thought to himself : "I want to be a happy man, I'll set about it right now". He went searching for inspiration in every nook and cranny, in his head first, in his guitar, at his cousins' (Kings of Convenience, M. Ward, Elliott Smith, Iron & Wine, and Sufjan Stevens). He paced up and down the house from the kitchen to the cellar, went from second-hand shopping to making do; lived on cans and on the road, from hand to mouth. And all these echoes play along his guitar. Six strings, ten fingers, lyrics, tambourines, and a couple of maracas.
A head bubbling over with ideas, and a burning desire to do well. It sounds like well-crafted tunes, always coupled with a gutsy feel to the instruments. What ? Lots of hot air ? It is not, it means a lot. Listening to his songs, you can't help being moved to laughter or tears. Or the other way round, a tear on the lips or a smile in the eye, it all depends on the mood.
On opening up a photo album, a badly glued picture may fall out and he will dwell up on that very one.
These folk-pop tunes let themselves be discovered with a pretty brunette's gaze on you, at a bar table, on a Sunday out in the countryside or by the sea.
For a year and a half he lent his 10 fingers, amp and backing vocals to Austin Lace. Needless to say, he is akin to pop music. He knows the tune.
This time, for sure, he is striking out on his own. Well, we all have two ears. No doubt we can "listen along".
PRESS
« Des délicatesses gourmandes comme on en voudrait plus souvent » (WebzineNameless)
« Jamais très loin d'Alfie, M. Ward et autres Kings Of Convenience, le chanteur multi-intrusmentiste bruxellois pose les jalons d'un avenir radieux. » (MusicZine)
« Lionel qui voulait être heureux se mit du même coup à rendre les gens heureux avec ses mélodies lumineuses et ses chansons attrape coeur. » (A Découvrir Absolument)
« L'ancien guitariste d'Austin Lace, singer-songwriter de son état, aborde son seul en scène avec décontraction, fraîcheur, spontanéité et des morceaux qui ne sont pas sans rappeler Kings of Convenience et Elliott Smith... » (Le Soir)
« le parfait compagnon pour un après-midi pique-nique dans l'herbe entre fourmis danseuses de salsa et gâteaux moelleux de la région de Wépion. » (Le Soir en ligne)
« De liedjes van Lionel Solveigh zijn van dat soort dat onmiddellijk onder je huid kruipt, zonder dat je moeite hoeft te doen je in de muziek in te leven. » (CuttingEdge)
LINKS
www.lionelsolveigh.be
www.virb.com/lionelsolveigh
www.last.fm/music/Lionel+Solveigh
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