Kevin Fowley - A Feu Doux

There is a scene in the Richard Curtis film About Time where Domhnall Gleeson’s character, Tim, revisits an intimate childhood memory shared with his beloved father. The time-travelling duo run along the beach, skimming stones as the summer sun sits low in the sky and waves lap gently upon the shore. It is a moment of apparent serenity, chillingly underscored by the awareness that these are their final moments together. This sequence never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

Curtis is often seen by his detractors as little more than a purveyor of pound-shop sentimentality, projecting onto the big screen something akin to the ubiquitous “Live, Laugh, Love” paraphernalia that adorns the walls of Gen-X households up and down the country. Despite this, his ability to evoke genuine emotion and convey profound, universal truths about human connection sets him apart from many other filmmakers.

Photo by Kevin Fowley

Much like Curtis and his efforts with About Time, singer-songwriter Kevin Fowley draws upon the personal reflections of his youth on his new project, À Feu Doux. The EP, comprised of reimagined French lullabies, is a soothing tonic for tumultuous times and one that resonates with a universal longing as the artist looks back wistfully at the moments that made him and those that have come to define him.

Ahead of the release, Kevin told me that growing up, his time was split between France and Ireland, “It would have been September to the start of May in Dublin and then May to the end of August in France.” Raised by a French mother and an Irish father, his life was imbued with the cultural hallmarks of both nations from an early age. Previously discussing this, he explained “French school was definitely distinct from the Catholic all-boys, itchy uniform, grey, nineties Dublin experience.” He continued, “France was long days, knees out, canteens, cursive writing, no Jesus.” These blissful summers formed an essential part of his childhood and were marked by a vivid sense of idyllic charm and warmth. Reflecting on these times, he described them to me as “completely picturesque,” with long, sun-drenched days spent in the countryside, memories that appear to embody an almost dreamlike image of pastoral serenity.

Kevin’s introduction to music was also defined by the cultural diversity present in his household, “The kind of music I heard as a child was my ma singing these French lullabies and my dad playing Donegal-style fiddle,” he recalled. These recollections would eventually come to form the basis of this new project.

Putting Fowley’s rich and tender vocals front and centre, the record, spanning just four tracks, is a compilation of some of those lullabies plucked from his childhood and some he was introduced to when his grandparents put together a book of songs for his sister's children. After initially toying with the idea in a live setting and enchanting audiences, the project was eventually recorded by Fowley at home, giving it a lo-fi aesthetic that adds to its intimate feel, “It was done in a room, not in a studio, and I love that. I always have. Even when I was a teenager, I'd love to be able to hear the floor creak or whatever, just because it gives you a sense of place.”

In addition to Kevin’s contributions, he was quick to acknowledge the collaborative nature of the finished project, highlighting the work of Caimin Gilmore on double bass, who he describes as being “everywhere on it,” and Ross Chaney, whose subtle additions further enriched the final sound.

When asked about the intended impact of the record, Kevin humbly confessed, “I don’t know if I want people to take anything from it... if people enjoy them, and enjoy listening to them, then great.”

Much like the tender scenes between Tim and his father in About Time, Kevin Fowley’s À Feu Doux captures the essence of the fleeting, intimate moments that shape our lives. His new project draws on personal histories to evoke universal truths, reminding us of the profound beauty intrinsic in everyday experience while urging us to reflect on our own cherished memories.

À Feu Doux by Kevin Fowley is out now via Basin Rock.