Pool Of Sound - Pixey

Lizzie Hillesdon aka Pixey

Lizzie Hillesdon grew up in the sleepy but picturesque village of Parbold, near Wigan before moving to Liverpool to study English at uni and remained there. She first discovered music through the likes of Kate Bush, Björk, and George Harrison, whose classic songwriting struck a chord with her in her youth.

In 2016, midway through her studies, Lizzie, convalescing after a mystery illness had hospitalised her for a month, explored and experimented with the Ableton production software her father had bought her but which she'd never used. It was to prove life changing for the to be singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer as found her 'music-making groove', teaching herself to play the piano and guitar. She began writing music and sent her first song, 'Psychodolic' to Sean McGinty at Radio Lancashire's BBC Introducing who really liked it. Following her mother's advice to not use her own name, she took on the moniker 'Pixie', and wrote her second song 'Young' on the same day as her 'on air' interview with Sean and sent that off to Dave Monks at Radio Merseyside, who played it and things spiralled from there. Radio 1 Introducing playlist took the catchy 'Young' to its heart and championed the song with 'Pixey' swiftly snatched up by new northern record label Modern Sky, also home to Liverpool band 'Sugarmen' and 'FUSS'. She says about the single, "When you're dyslexic it's incredibly hard to do what your brain's telling you to. With 'Young', a lot of the mixing and producing was a complete accident, chance. I didn't mix it to sound lo-fi, it's just the way it sounded. In my head I wanted it to sound different. Because of my dyslexia, what I wanted to put down wasn't what I was getting back, but I liked the end result anyway."

She tested the water with live gigs including The Cavern Club's 60th birthday celebrations, BBC Introducing Merseyside Presents, Getintothis' Deep Cuts, and the Sound City Emerging Talent showcase. She admitted that when playing live she was still on a learning curve because it had all come so quick. When 'Young' was played on Radio 1, she hadn't even played in a band or anything, it was just her. With her mother a piano teacher and her brother a classical singer, 'Pixey' now plays piano, keyboard, a bit of trumpet and the 'tiniest bit of flute'. 

Having released singles 'Hometown', inspired by a trip she made to London after she had first started to write music, and 'Birthday', she then released the 5 track EP 'Colours' in 2019. This was her first project after  her serious illness and every song on the EP was a form of escape during that time, which now completely influences the way in which she records her music. The vibrant 'Supersonic Love' from the EP was released in August 2019 with velvety sounds and silky vocals which are mesmerising and craft the perfect glimmering combo of indie-pop. Having been able to create her very own branch in the indie pop world with her dreamy 'Colours' EP, she has become recognised as one of the most exciting new acts coming out of Merseyside.

Signing for Chess Records in Summer 2020, a label that established artists like 'Wolf Alice', 'MØ', 'Local Natives', 'Mumford & Sons' and more, she began writing another EP during lockdown.
Her single and video 'Just Move' was her first release since 'Colours' with the track again written, recorded and produced in her bedroom in Liverpool, with additional production added by frequent 'Gorillaz' and 'Jamie T' collaborator, James Dring in London with the video directed by Daniel Broadley. Her EP 'Free To Live In Colour' was released to acclaim in March 2021 providing a perfect snapshot into her world as she draws inspiration across a spectrum of genres, including dream pop and hardcore breakbeat. Her sound now draws sonic inspiration from 'The Prodigy', 'The Verve' and 'De La Soul' – their classic 3 Feet High and Rising's sampling technique was an influence. 'Pixey' has said that "Liverpool has influenced me so much as an artist. Obviously the presence of 'The Beatles' throughout my childhood, but also bands like the 'La's' and 'Echo and The Bunnymen'. I love that noughties sound mixed with 60s style samples which I think is drawn from a lot of local bands. There's always something exciting going on here, so many exciting female artists coming up which definitely feels about time."

In May 2021 on her Facebook page she said, "1 MILLION STREAMS ON THE EP I genuinely don’t have words. Thank you every single person for every single stream. youse are genuinely my entire world   ".

see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2021/06/pool-of-sound-matt-mcmanamon.html