British vocalist, composer and pianist Bill Fay delivered a brace of Deram releases in the opening years of the 1970s that quickly attained genuine cult standing. Comparisons to the work of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen attached themselves to his 1970 self-titled debut, yet Fay’s lyrics ranged across broader, more metaphysical horizons and were framed by ornate pop-orchestral settings. The 1971 album Time of the Last Persecution shifted toward a rock-driven sound featuring contributions from guitarist Ray Russell and drummer Alan Rushton. Its stark apocalyptic imagery attracted the bulk of contemporary notice. Press speculation concerning Fay’s supposed mental deterioration surfaced at the time and later proved unfounded. Both records soon slipped from view, leaving their creator absent from music for more than two decades. Fresh editions of his catalogue in the late twentieth century paved the way for his 2012 return on Dead Oceans with Life Is People; he appeared at occasional concerts while guarding his privacy. Who Is the Sender? followed in 2015. Wilco, Jim O’Rourke, Ben Chasny and David Tibet of Current 93 number among his admirers.
Fay entered the world in North London in 1943 and has remained there ever since. Songwriting began for him during the early sixties while he attended university; in 1966 he captured a demo on John Boden’s mobile equipment. Former Them drummer Terry Noone, impressed by the results, secured him a deal with Decca’s Deram subsidiary late that year. The single “Some Good Advice”/“Screams in the Ears” appeared in 1967, succeeded three years later by the richly arranged self-titled debut. Although reviews proved encouraging, radio exposure stayed minimal and the label’s promotional staff struggled to position the music. Despite modest sales, Deram green-lit a sequel. Co-produced by Fay and Ray Russell, Time of the Last Persecution enlisted elite session support from drummer Alan Rushton, bassist Daryl Runswick, trombonist Nick Evans and flautist Tony Roberts. Its gaunt cover portrait and bleak spiritual visions of global collapse prompted journalists to brand Fay a drug-addled or mentally unstable figure, with some declaring him homeless and incoherent on the streets. All such claims were false. The sensational tales, despite the writers’ affection for the music, kept the album from reaching listeners or airwaves.
Poor commercial returns ended Fay’s contract; Deram soon deleted both titles, which nonetheless became cult favourites and received 1998 reissues greeted by near-unanimous praise. Renewed attention followed from artists including Jeff Tweedy and David Tibet, who issued the previously unreleased Bill Fay Group album Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow in 2004. Esoteric supplied remastered versions of the first two LPs in 2007. Tibet also compiled early demos and later home recordings as Still Some Light in 2010.
Producer Joshua Henry, who had encountered Fay’s early work through his father’s collection, located the reclusive songwriter and convinced him to record once more. Henry enlisted Matt Deighton to form a studio ensemble and brought back Russell and Rushton for several tracks. Life Is People emerged on Dead Oceans in August 2012.
Widespread critical acclaim left Fay unmoved; he withdrew again yet stayed in view. The War on Drugs performed “I Hear You Calling” during their 2014 shows, while A.C. Newman’s reading of “Be Not So Fearful” featured in an episode of The Walking Dead. At home Fay never ceased composing and demoing material. In 2014 he and Henry reunited with many of the same musicians, including Russell and Rushton, completing an album in thirteen days at Konk Studios in North London. Dead Oceans released the advance single “War Machine” in February 2015 and the full Who Is the Sender? that April.
Through Dead Oceans in November 2019, Fay announced Countless Branches for the following year, previewed by the Emily Scaife-directed video single “Filled with Wonder Once Again.” Once more produced by Henry, the record adopted a stripped-down approach that placed Fay’s voice and piano at the forefront, occasionally alone. Deighton assembled a compact band and Russell contributed acoustic guitar on a pair of tracks. After two further video singles—“Love Will Remain” and “Salt of the Earth”—Countless Branches arrived in January 2020.
