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Beginning in London’s Rough Trade, Foy will play a series of shows throughout June, ending with a set at Glastonbury Festival on 26th June. We had a chat with Foy about 'Complete Fool' as well as who influenced her career and who she says is to blame.
Your second album ‘Complete Fool’ has just been released. Was the song-making process or approach any different this time around, compared with your 2021 debut ‘Where Shall We Begin’?
Yes, it was quite different in some ways. ‘Where Shall We Begin’ was very reflective and careful – it was me trying to make sense of the past, but trying too hard to impress at the same time. With ‘Complete Fool’, I’ve allowed myself to be more instinctive and present. I didn’t overthink the writing as much, and I embraced more vulnerability and experimentation.
Are there any particular themes, messages or feelings you think listeners of the album will notice/resonate with most?
There’s a strong current of emotional honesty running through it. I think a lot of the songs explore what it means to be fully seen – and the fear and beauty that come with that. There’s love, longing, self-sabotage, but also a gentle sense of hope. I was really interested in that fine line between being brave and being foolish with your heart. The album’s title ['Complete Fool'] reflects that duality.
Who are your biggest musical inspirations for the sound you’ve curated?
I’ve always been inspired by lyricists who write with emotional weight – Laura Marling, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake. For this album, I was also drawn to more spacious, textured arrangements, inspired by artists like Aldous Harding and Feist. I wanted the production to feel expansive and a little bit wild in places.
Have these inspirations stayed similar throughout your musical journey, or have they changed over time?
Some have stayed with me since I first started writing. But others have come in more recently and shaken things up. I think as I’ve grown as a person, my ears have opened up to new kinds of expression and experimentation.
What/who would you say is to blame for your career in music? What or who got you to begin your music career, why did you choose to pursue this career?
I think it started as a need to express what I couldn’t say out loud. Writing gave me a way to process emotions that felt too big or confusing. But in terms of actual people—probably my dad, who filled the house with music when I was growing up, and my mum for encouraging me to follow my dreams.
You have a song on the album, 'What I’d Give', with Eli Carvajal. How did this come about and what can listeners expect from this collaboration?
Eli [Carvajal] and I had crossed paths a few times in the London music scene, and I’d always been drawn to the tenderness in his voice. I’d written 'What I’d Give' in the middle of a really emotionally tangled time, and something about it felt like it needed another voice to balance the perspective. When Eli sang on it, everything clicked—it became this gentle, aching conversation between two people who can’t quite reach each other. It’s a quiet heartbreak song, but one I’m really proud of.
Since festival season is around the corner, if you could create your own festival, who would your headliners be?
I’d love to have Joni Mitchell headline—just to witness that magic in person. Big Thief would be another, for their emotional rawness and musical freedom. And maybe someone like Kate Bush, to bring that theatrical, otherworldly energy.
Morgan Hermiston
Image: Matilda Hill-Jenkins
