Invoice Fay, the cult singer-songwriter who discovered success later in his profession with the discharge of a number of albums by Useless Oceans, has died on the age of 81.
“It’s with nice unhappiness that we announce the passing of Invoice Fay, who died peacefully this morning (February twenty first) in London, aged 81,” Useless Oceans mentioned in an announcement. “Invoice was a delicate man and a gentleman, clever past our occasions. He was a non-public particular person with the largest of hearts, who wrote immensely transferring, significant songs that may proceed to seek out folks for years to come back.”
“Solely a month earlier than his passing, Invoice was busy engaged on a brand new album,” Useless Oceans’ assertion added. Our hope is to discover a technique to end and launch it, however for now, we bear in mind Invoice’s legacy because the ‘man within the nook of the room on the piano’, who quietly wrote heartfelt songs that touched and linked with folks all over the world.”
The North London native launched his eponymous debut in 1970, and adopted with Time of the Final Persecution in 1971. However with neither album experiencing business success, Fay was compelled to pursue different careers, together with as a groundskeeper, fruit picker, manufacturing facility employee, and fishmonger. It was not till the Nineteen Nineties that his music started to earn one thing of a cult standing, with Nick Cave, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, and Okkervil River’s Will Sheff counting amongst his greatest followers. Lastly, after greater than 40 years, Fay returned in 2012 with a brand new album known as Life is Folks by Useless Oceans. He put out two extra albums by the label: 2015’s Who Is the Sender? and 2020’s Numerous Branches.
Describing Fay’s music in a 2024 interview with the Guardian, Tweedy mentioned, “There’s a simplicity and an magnificence to it. You instantly recognise that is one thing uncut by ambition and trend; it’s simply any individual humbly including their voice to contribute some magnificence in, and perhaps make peace with, the world.”