Paddy Fred is a musician based on the south coast of Wellington, New Zealand, where he grew up. He’s played guitar since he was a teen, and went on to study music performance, and toured with a number of bands throughout his twenties. When these bands dissolved in 2011, he began beat making and music production of his own, losing himself in the freedom of making music on his terms.
Inspired after hanging with Flying Lotus & the Brainfeeder crew and clubbing at Low End Theory in Los Angeles, Paddy created his first release, Laminate, which dropped in 2013; the same year Paddy entered fatherhood.
After emerging from the “survival zone” of the first five years of parenting, Paddy emerged a little lost, separated from the momentum of his musical career. There then followed a period of self-reflection. As he ran up and over the same coastal path repeatedly, he slowly but surely rekindled his passion for music making, and the work began again…
Paddy came to the attention of the Extra Soul Perception crew courtesy of fellow New Zealander, Mara TK. When the guys heard the demos, they signed him on sight.
The lead track Spells consists of big sludgy drums, a growling synth bass, ethereal guitars and spacey vocals, mixing the washed-out slow-mo beat construction of Toro Y Moi with the heady psychedelic soul of Tame Impala and Mildlife. On the flipside Found You is a more tranquil affair, with languorous drums befitting DJ’s Khruangbin rhythm section, whilst closer Kids offers a robust yet airy finish with an uptempo instrumental akin to the sound palette of late 00s Four Tet.
Spells is the first taste of Paddy’s new material. Inspired by lost love, babies feet, social fatigue and universes held within rock-pools, this is Paddy Fred at his most true to self, and just a small sample of what’s to come.