Ade Fabola Talks of Music, Music, and More Music!

Singer/songwriter ADE has characterized his music as folk, blues, roots, country and good old classical music as well. So far in he has released an EP and several single's too. He wants to keep making and releasing music as much as possible. Ade himself talks about his music and where it will lead him next.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

I’ve had an interesting journey with music so far. I learnt to play the piano and a bit of bass guitar as a child. I probably didn’t apply myself as much as I could have, I just thought it was cool. Even though I didn’t realize this at the time, it laid a solid music theory foundation for me. I later picked up the guitar and got really into fingerpicking and I started down a path that has led me to what I now consider “my sound”. I moved to Manchester a few years ago and I got involved in the local music scene shortly after, and since then I’ve played several music venues, gigs and festivals. I’ve been releasing music for some time now and with each new release, I’m learning to appreciate how far I’ve come and I’m looking forward to the good things that lay ahead. 

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

It’s my name – Ade Fabola. Fun fact, Ade is a fairly common name in West Africa and it means “Crown”.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

I’m based in Manchester, UK. My local music scene is the best in the world, you could say I’m biased but I really believe that it is. There are so many fantastic musicians, both bands and solo acts and the level of talent is outstanding. In addition to all this talent kicking about, there’s so much support and love for each other which is pretty cool. In terms of local acts I recommend, check out Harry Houston, Edward Thomas, Clarky, Ideal Forgery, NGUVU to mention a few. 

4. How would you describe your style?

My music is a blend of folk, blues, Jazz and world music. It’s predominantly acoustic and driven by warm nylon string guitars that produce intricate melodies. My sound is predominantly warm and it’s characterized by soft, soulful vocals paired with precise guitar fingerpicking. My vocal timbre is similar (as I’ve been told) to that of Tracy Chapman and Jack Johnson, and my guitar style is somewhat evocative of that of Passenger and Tallest Man on Earth. These are all fairly loose comparisons, of course. I try to be my original self with my true voice, and I’m on a quest to be the best at what I do. Afterall, I’m the best at being me. :-)

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

So far I’ve released an EP and several singles. In terms of what you can expect from my music, I’ll borrow words from a review of my last EP. You can expect “...a solid collection of feel-good friendly acoustic guitar-driven tracks...with solid hooks and quirky lyrics amid beautiful finger-picked guitar..." - Jammerzine 

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

YES! I’ve been writing through the pandemic and lockdowns, and we had some productive sessions in the studio before the country shut down again. More music is on the way. :-)

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

There are no live shows/tour plans at the moment, no surprise there given the state of the world, or at least my neck of the woods in the UK. There a few livestream plans though, more announcements will follow shortly.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

To keep making and releasing more music, there’s a lot more coming this year. I’m in this for the long haul so I’m always working on new music. When the world opens up there’ll be touring plans and of course more music. Stay tuned. :-)

 9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

My website is adefabola.com. You’ll find links to all my socials, music and videos there. I’m @DrFabola on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and Ade Fabola on YouTube and Bandcamp.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

I’d like to thank new listeners for taking the time to listen, for taking a chance on new artists like me. I hope that my music makes them feel good. I hope that listening to my music will give folks a warm, fuzzy feeling in their core, a feeling that reminds us of what it means to be human, to take pleasure in the little things and to be kind to each other.