We’re back with our lovely Knead To Know feature, in a brand new format – we’ve put together an interview with the one and only Dr Fabola! 😊

we’ve known Dr Fabola for a long time now and he’s only gone from strength to strength over the past few years – with absolutely brilliant songwriting and guitarwork that is so intricate and lovely, it’s fantastic to see him putting out so many releases and songs. ☀️ we were hooked when we first heard “Sweetest Thing I Know” and we’re huge fans of his upbeat and positive songwriting style.

his new song “Autumn Dream” is super lush, maintaining his signature fingerpicking style on guitar, with gorgeous soundscaping around him and a lovely soft vocal from the man himself. 🤠 a perfect song to put on during these cold winter nights!

we’ll get into the interview now, shouldn’t we?!

So, tell us a little more about your latest release, Autumn Dream!

Autumn dream came on on Friday, 19th Nov, right in the middle of the Autumn season. I wrote this song as a sort of escape from the unfortunate events we’ve encountered in the last year and a half. We’ve been through an unprecedented couple of months, a harsh winter, an unusual spring and a summer that seems to have flown by. Now we’re entering Autumn and as we look forward to things getting better, I’d like to escape from the harsh realities and seek solace in the pleasures of the season – taking long walks in nature with loved ones, basking in the golden bliss, taking in the crisp cold air and just living in the moment. That’s my Autumn Dream, that’s what this song – this seasonal ballad – means to me.

What are your main influences within your songs – artists, music, the general world.. Lots of things often come into it!

My music has been influenced by so many musicians over the years. Bob Dylan’s story telling, Passenger’s fingerpicking, Tallest Man on Earth’s stage presence, Jack Johnson’s calming vibes, Jason Mraz’s sweetness, I could go on, but you get the idea. It’s all been a blend of my favourite folk, blues and pop musicians overtime. In general, my inspiration comes from everyday life.

How has the past year impacted your music and releases, or even live gigs and the such?

There are fewer venues and opportunities for gigging now due to the pandemic, but in recent weeks things have started opening up again, which is nice. Also, due to a lot of the closures, I’ve not done as much recording as I would have liked, but it’s all good because I’ve been fortunate enough stay creative and write alot, so the next time I’m in the studio, the problem will be choosing which songs to record 🙂

Which of your songs are you most proud of, and how come?

Something Good is one that I’m quite proud of. Sweetest Thing I Know is quite popular on the local scene as well. To be honest I think my best songs have not been released yet; some have been recorded and are going to be released in a few months so you’ll just have to wait and see 🙂

With regards to recording and studio time, how do you come into your own – what kinds of things do you do to get into the mood of recording?

I do a couple of breathing exercises to warm up my vocal cords. I also warm up my body (sometimes I do stretches or a few push-ups) to ensure I’m not too cold or stiff. Once my body is taken care of, I then need to immerse my mind into the music and get in the right headspace. It’s important for me to feel the music, the emotion, the vibes we’re trying to create in the studio, because if I don’t feel it, the recordings just won’t come out right. 

What’s your favourite part about music – be it playing gigs, writing songs, collaborating with others, and how come?

I enjoy the creative process, writing songs, seeing them come to life in the studio and releasing them into the world. I also enjoy playing live, maybe this is my favourite part actually, being able to engage with an audience, share ideas with them and see how they respond 🙂

Have you got anything coming up that we should know about? Any gigs, music videos, more music, etc?

My next gig is at CPH for LongStoryShort on December 2nd. I’ve also got plans to release a few singles in the new year, and there are more music plans in the works as well. More info coming soon 🙂

well, there we have it 😎 amazing to see such a lovely insight into Dr Fabola’s world. make sure you head on over to his Spotify and check out the new song – it sounds proper lovely. we’re super stoked to have been able to put together these interviews, let us know what you think of them and we’ll be back with another one super soon! 🍞