Rebecca Banks aka Folk Pixie is a 25 year old (bearing in mind she doesn’t actually age, being a pixie and that) singer-songwriter hailing from Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Taught by her dad, who was himself an original punk, to play guitar from an early age, it is clear to see why music has become such an intrinsic part of her life ever since. Being a folk singer, her influences range from the likes of Joni Mitchel and the tragic Nick Drake.
The sound of Folk Pixie echoes a haunting melancholic theme delivered with an archaic tone that is integral throughout her songs. Her vocal style has the niche haziness of The Velvet Underground’s female singer Nico, which is blended well with an angelic quality. She is a story teller, finger picking and strumming you through the episodes of a life filled with youthful deadpan irony and false ideas of devotion. The songs she sings have that confessional quality, which harks back to Bob Dylan’s very early 1960’s period, when he sang songs like “Hard Times In New York”.
This artist is fond of the literary use of language, using clever metaphors that may have you mistaking her just complaining about the weather, when in fact it will be a tale of heart wrenching solitude filled with philosophy and a curiosity that is a core part of us all. On factual terms, she’d argue that it’s largely literal, based on the autobiographical persona of the songs. Once you’ve listened, you will also discover that Folk Pixie is forever the optimist, misery is happiness would have to be her unhappy mantra.
“Chasing Shadows”:
The first example of Becky Banks’s romantic folk tales comes from this beautiful number “Chasing Shadows“. It’s a slow captivating piece with a beguiling melody and guitar part. It is at the very essence of folk tradition, celebrating the mundane by turning it into something magical, which coincides with that hippy discourse. The rough recorded sound really gives it a genuine ripeness that reveals the authentic nature of the song.
This next song “Heart Of Lavender” is a real treat. It is a sound lyric that reveals all that’s in the heart, and all that the heart can take, good, bad or ugly. This number is more upbeat, with a frantic strumming pattern, and vocals that’s delivered with fierce conviction. It has a real pop sensibility that provides you with a bona fide hook for the chorus, yet still remaining in that stripped down folk fashion.
“Heart Of Lavender” (Unfinished):
Showing a strong variation of songs, it’s pretty damn obvious that we have an extremely talented artist to behold and appreciate here. This Folk Pixie is a true original demonstrating her take on folk traditional song writing, and keeping in touch with its themes of heartbreak and majestic undertones that leave you nothing but bedazzled. She has recently been gigging around various parts of Yorkshire in a frenzy of excitable madness, and is currently working on recording her album Don’t Forget Dylan, DIY style which is going to be self-released. It’s fair to say that she does what she loves and loves what she does. Catch the Folk Pixie and Dylan soon playing here there and everywhere – oh Dylan is her guitar by the way.
Keep Tabs With Becky ‘Folk Pixie’ Banks: Facebook // Soundcloud
Words by Michael Barrett // Edited by Ayo Adepoju
