London producer Fred Gibson, known professionally as Fred again.., has crafted numerous chart-topping pop and rap tracks in tandem with Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, and Stefflon Don. His own output fuses house and electronica with samples and conversations pulled from personal experiences and social platforms, beginning with the 2019 debut solo single “Kyle (I Found You).” Close work that same year on Ed Sheeran’s No. 6 Collaborations Project brought Producer of the Year honors at the Brit Awards. The ensuing momentum yielded his opening albums Actual Life (April 14 - December 17 2020) and Actual Life 2 (February 2 - October 15, 2021), both issued in 2021. Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022) followed in 2022, reaching the U.K. album chart’s Top Five and later earning a Grammy. In 2023 he issued the ambient pop album Secret Life with Brian Eno, while also placing singles with Obongjayar and Jozzy; Ten Days arrived in 2024 and again entered the U.K. Top Ten.
Born in London in 1994, Gibson began after joining an a cappella ensemble at Brian Eno’s London studio, where his Logic abilities impressed Eno and secured the veteran musician as mentor. By 2014 he was collaborating with Eno on a trilogy of albums that also featured Underworld’s Karl Hyde. He next co-produced Roots Manuva’s 2015 album Bleeds, then contributed to high-profile singles such as tracks on Ellie Goulding’s 2015 album Delirium, Stefflon Don and Charli XCX’s 2016 single “After the Afterparty,” and Little Mix’s 2017 single “Is Your Love Enough?” Work intensified in 2018 across multiple genres with Shawn Mendes, Ray BLK, George Ezra, Clean Bandit, Rita Ora, and Jess Glynne.
Fred again..’s debut solo single “Kyle (I Found You)” appeared in 2019, built around a social-media clip of a friend singing. That year he also co-produced all but two tracks on Ed Sheeran’s No. 6 Collaborations Project. Multiple prior nominations culminated in his first win, Producer of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards. Later in 2020 he released the GANG mixtape with Headie One, featuring Jamie xx, FKA twigs, Octavian, and Sampha. Additional 2020 tracks included “Julia (Deep Diving),” constructed from a social-media post by singer Julia Michaels and later placed on Actual Life (April 14 - December 17 2020). Consistent with earlier methods, the album assembled songs from everyday samples and recorded conversations. It also contained “Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing),” showcasing vocals by Marea Stamper, aka the Blessed Madonna. Actual Life 2 (February 2 – October 15, 2021) followed in November, preceding the 2022 stand-alone singles “Admit It (U Don't Want 2)” with I. Jordan and “Lights Out” with Romy and HAAi. Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022) closed the year, again drawing from a specific time span while incorporating rave and U.K. garage elements.
Fred again.. and Eno released the full-length Secret Life on Kieran Hebden’s Text Records in 2023. The Obongjayar collaboration “Adore U” reached number four in the U.K., while “Ten” with Jozzy entered the Top 20. Four nominations at the 2024 Grammy Awards produced two wins: Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for Actual Life 3 and Best Dance/Electronic Recording for “Rumble” with Skrillex and Flowdan. Ten Days, featuring guests including Sampha, Emmylou Harris, and SOAK, appeared in 2024 and charted at number seven in the U.K.
