After releasing his debut single “I Remember” last year, British singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alex Spinney is kicking off 2022 with a brand new track titled “Boodiyayay.”
A soulful piece that flaunts the artist’s lush silvery vocals, which seamlessly float across a hypnotic blues-folk inflect soundscape, the song’s inception started with a voice note that Spinney left on his phone.
“To me, this song is a cathartic, revenge-filled anthem, detailing the brutal end of a pretty rocky relationship, which ended in a particularly cruel way,” he says.
The release also arrives with a slick music video directed by Lindsay Walker. The visual accompaniment to “Boodiyayay” captures its impassioned themes, and once the track builds to its climax, the video shows a small fire transform into a consuming blaze.
“People will inevitably ask what ‘Boodiyayay’ means, and the real answer is that it’s open to interpretation,” Spinney says. “I think it has a slight element of witchcraft about it, which for me places it in this very earthy world of catharsis and revenge, almost as if one is cleansing oneself of a past relationship. Hopefully, the song takes people on this journey to find closure as it builds to its huge, powerful climax.”
Developing a love for music after begging his parents to allow him to learn piano at four years old, Spinney brands his music as ‘piano-based pop,’ and likes to infuse his style with splashes of different musical worlds including folk, classical, soul, and blues.
Growing up, he experimented with a wide range of different genres, but whichever direction he took, he always gravitated back to the world of contemporary pop music. Now, he writes music that allows him to wrap his distinctively honeyed vocals around emotive melodies and classic pop choruses, all whilst looking at life’s events from his own, unique perspective.
“I’m a gay artist, and that’s definitely had an impact on my music,” Spinney explains. “I used to find it difficult to place myself in the commercial world, and when I was growing up, I thought you had to sing a certain way or have a particular image to have real credibility. This uncertainty often seemed to be around traditional notions of masculinity, These days, I’d like to think I try to be as authentically myself as possible, and if that means sounding more traditionally ‘feminine’ at times, and abandoning any preconceptions of masculinity, then I am absolutely fine with that.”
After years of musical soul-searching, Spinney has now honed in on his individual sound and style. With a debut EP in the works, there is plenty more to come.
“The LGBTQ community in general is so supportive of new music and new artists, and even this early on in my journey, I’ve been really touched by the amount of people that have reached out and shown support,” he adds. “I’ve got quite a few songs lined up about my specific experience of being LGBTQ, and not just coming out or being closeted, but also covering the subtleties and nuances of gay relationships, and navigating a predominantly heterosexual world.”
Stay up-to-date and connect with Spinney by following him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. “Boodiyayay” is available on Spotify and all other music streaming platforms.
I like that you spotlight new gay artists I haven’t heard of before.