Sivu

Last updated

Sivu
Birth nameJames Page
Born1986 (age 37–38)
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England
Origin St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active2013–present
Labels
Website sivusivu.co.uk

James Page, [1] known professionally as Sivu (pronounced see-voo), is an English singer and songwriter. He has released two studio albums, Something on High (2014) and Sweet Sweet Silent (2017). His third studio album, Wild Horse Running , was released on 9 June 2023. The album was preceded by the singles "Wild Horse Running", "Apollo", "Choral Light" and "Overtime Lover". Sivu's longtime producer and collaborator is Charlie Andrew. [2]

Contents

Early life

James Page was born in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and raised in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England. He attended St Ivo School. [3]

Name origin

In a 2013 interview with the BBC, Sivu said, "I didn't like the idea of being bound by a name, I like the idea of taking it somewhere else that wasn't necessarily all about me. "Sivu" is Finnish for "Page" so that's where it came from." [4]

Career

2013-2015: Something on High

Sivu's first solo single was February 2013’s "Better Man Than He", described by Complex as "immediately catchy but [with] enough lyrical substance to reward multiple listens." [5] For the official music video, directed by Adam Powell, Sivu was filmed lip-synching inside an MRI scanner. [6] Sivu collaborated with Marika Hackman at the end of 2013 on the single "I Hold". [7] On 21 March 2014, Sivu released the single "Can't Stop Now". The digital single included a remix by Bombay Bicycle Club's Jack "Mr Jukes" Steadman. [8] Sivu performed at the Reading Festival in August 2014. [9] [10]

Sivu's debut studio album, Something on High, was released on 10 October 2014 to generally positive reviews from critics; [11] [12] Chris White, reviewing for MusicOMH , rated the album 3.5/5 stars, [13] and both The Guardian [14] and NME gave 3/5 stars. [15] Sivu then made a cameo appearance on Alt-J's second studio album, This Is All Yours , and supported the Bombay Bicycle Club on tour in December 2014. [16] [17] In February 2015, he released "The Nile", featuring singer Rae Morris. [18] An official music video was released in May 2015. [19] [20]

2016-2018: Sweet Sweet Silent

Sivu's second studio album, Sweet Sweet Silent, was released in 2017. [21] Emma Mackay, writing for The Guardian , rated the album 3/5 stars and called it an "eerie, subtle thing", opining "[t]hough Sivu’s own developments are not drastic, they’re certainly beguiling." [22] Sivu lives with Ménière's disease, [23] which heavily impacted and inspired the recording of Sweet Sweet Silent; as explained in his album commentary, [24] the track “summed up the feeling across the whole album,” and his “feelings of despair and uncertainty over his future." [25] The album included the singles "Childhood House", [26] "Lonesome", "Kin & Chrome" [27] and "Sweet Sweet Silent". In November 2017, Sivu performed at the Theatre Circo in Portugal, and at the Blue Bird Festival in Austria. [28]

2023: Wild Horse Running

On 1 February 2023, Sivu returned with the single "Wild Horse Running". "[The song] grew from this yearning to escape, whether mentally or physically I’m still unsure – but to me the image of a wild horse running is the epitome of freedom and conjures so many feelings of strength, resilience and really a triumph in physical evolution. From there the song just grew in my mind, with an almost cinematic view in my head." On 8 March 2023, he released the single "Apollo", and announced that his third studio album, titled Wild Horse Running, would be released in June 2023. [29] [30] On the same day, Sivu announced he would be performing in a one-off headline show at the Courtyard Theatre, London on 14 June 2023 in celebration of his album release; [31] [32] he announced the show's support act, Meadowlark on 13 April 2023. [33] Sivu released a new single, "Choral Light", on 19 April 2023. [34] [35] Upon the release, he shared, "I wrote "Choral Light" just before the birth of my little boy, so I was generally quite overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions [...] This song grew from this ruminating thought I had about what I traits I would pass on to my child and how some would be good and some not and how these things would potentially stay with him for the rest of his life." [36] The album's fourth preceding single, "Overtime Lover", was released on 24 May 2023. [37] [38] Clash called the song "lush [...] ambitious" and "pop at its most sincere". [39] Wild Horse Running was released on 9 June 2023. Sivu released the single "Constant Flux" on the same day. [40] The Spill Magazine rated the album 4/5 stars, opining that "Sivu bring[s] up an excellent, modern take on what [the] singer songwriter genre should sound like." [41]

On 9 August 2024, Sivu released the EP Perfect Life. The EP was preceded by singles "Lost Ones" (featuring AK Patterson) and "Little Hurricane". [42] Sivu tweeted about the release of the EP, "This EP was built upon small ideas and the approach of working on something quietly and as simply as possible." [43]

Personal life

Sivu has a son and, as of 2023, lives in London. [44]

In 2013, Sivu was diagnosed with Ménière's disease, a condition of the inner ear. He later wrote an article for the HuffPost : "Right now, who knows what the future holds for me? There is a possibility that I could end up being completely deaf, unable to sing or play my guitar anymore but I try not to think about it and take each day as it comes." [45]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details
TitleDetails
Something on High
  • Released: 10 October 2014
  • Label: Atlantic Records
  • Format: Digital download, CD, vinyl
Sweet Sweet Silent [46]
  • Released: 7 July 2017
  • Label: Square Leg Records Ltd
  • Format: Digital download, CD, vinyl
Wild Horse Running
  • Released: 9 June 2023
  • Label: Square Leg Records Ltd
  • Format: Digital download, CD

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details
TitleDetails
This Unfruitful Love [47]
  • Released: 16 February 2018
  • Label: Square Leg Records
  • Format: Digital download
Perfect Life
  • Released: 9 August 2024
  • Label: Square Leg Records
  • Format: Digital download

Singles

List of singles as lead artist, showing year released and originating album
TitleYearAlbum
"Better Man Than He"2013Something on High
"I Hold" [48]
(featuring Marika Hackman)		Non-album single
"Can't Stop Now"2014Something on High
"Miracle (Human Error)"
"I Lost Myself"Non-album singles
"The Nile"
(featuring Rae Morris)		2015
"Childhood House"2017Sweet Sweet Silent
"Lonesome"
"Kin & Chrome"
"Sweet Sweet Silent"
"Four Leaf Clover Love"2018This Unfruitful Love /
Sweet Sweet Silent: Deluxe Edition
"Trickle"
"Wild Horse Running"2023Wild Horse Running
"Apollo"
"Choral Light"
"Overtime Lover"
"Constant Flux"
"Lost Ones"
(with AK Patterson)		2024Perfect Life
"Little Hurricane"

Guest appearances

TitleYearAlbum
"Come Together"
(Laurel featuring Sivu) [49] 		2014Holy Water
"Skin"
(Marika Hackman featuring Sivu) [50] 		2015We Slept at Last

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References

  1. ↑ Lester, Paul (30 May 2013). "New band of the week: Sivu (No 1,522)". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  2. ↑ Milton, Jamie (19 February 2013). "Sivu talks about his first year as a songwriter; moving to London and discovering his own voice". DIY. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  3. ↑ Nash, Lauren (20 July 2014). "From St Ives to Reading and Leeds festivals - Former St Ivo pupil James Page talks about alter ego music star Sivu". The Hunts Post. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Blake, Jimmy (27 September 2013). "Introducing... Sivu". BBC. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  5. ↑ Gardner, Constant (27 January 2013). "Sivu - "Better Man Than He"". Complex. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  6. ↑ Lambert, Brent (3 February 2013). "Watch SIVU's Music Video For "Better Man Than He" Animated With MRI Scans Of Him Singing". Feel Guide. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  7. ↑ Hobson, Benedict (26 November 2013). "Dezeen Music Project: I Hold by Sivu featuring Marika Hackman". Dezeen Music Project. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "Sivu - Can't Stop Now". Spotify. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  9. ↑ "READING FESTIVAL 2014". Music Festival Wizard. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  10. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (2 July 2014). "Reading & Leeds Festival add 25 new bands and artists". Gigwise. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "Sivu - Something on High". Apple Music. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  12. ↑ Fox, Killian (12 October 2014). "Sivu: Something on High review – delicate and restrained but not entirely convincing". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  13. ↑ White, Chris (19 October 2014). "Sivu – Something On High". MusicOMH. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Fox, Killian (12 October 2014). "Review - Sivu: Something on High review – delicate and restrained but not entirely convincing". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Carson, Dan (3 October 2014). "Album Reviews: Sivu - Something on High". NME. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  16. ↑ Cooper, Leonie (28 October 2014). "Bombay Bicycle Club parody '2001: A Space Odyssey' in 'Home By Now' video – watch". NME. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  17. ↑ Harper, Simon (5 November 2014). "Breaking Into Heaven: Sivu Interviewed". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  18. ↑ Milton, Jamie (10 February 2015). "SIVU UNVEILS BRAND NEW TRACK, 'THE NILE', FEATURING RAE MORRIS". DIY. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  19. ↑ Boon, Henry (1 May 2015). "SIVU SHARES VIDEO FOR 'THE NILE' FEATURING RAE MORRIS". DIY. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  20. ↑ "Premiere: Sivu ft. Rae Morris - "The Nile"". Complex. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  21. ↑ Brown, Emma (27 June 2017). "Exclusive Video Premiere:'Sweet Sweet Silent,' Sivu". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  22. ↑ Mackay, Emma (9 July 2017). "Sivu: Sweet Sweet Silent review – beguiling developments". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  23. ↑ Dawson, Jess (12 July 2017). "Musician Sivu says a rare condition called Ménière's is threatening his career". BBC. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  24. ↑ "Sivu - Sweet Sweet Silent (Album Commentary)". Spotify. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  25. ↑ Chan, Carmen (12 July 2017). "Today's Song: "Sweet Sweet Silent" Illuminates Sivu's Battle With Ménière's Disease". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  26. ↑ Day, Laurence (30 March 2017). "Sivu is back with striking new single "Childhood House" - we speak to the singer/songwriter about his time away and what to expect from his return". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  27. ↑ Murray, Robin (28 November 2017). "Sivu's 'Kin And Chrome' Is A Drifting, Beautiful Return". Clash. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  28. ↑ "Sivu Setlist". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  29. ↑ "British Songwriter Sivu Shares New Single 'Apollo' and Announces His Upcoming LP Wild Horse Running". The Daily Music Report. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  30. ↑ "Hi everyone, I can finally announce my third album 'Wild Horse Running' will be released on Friday 9th June 2023!". Twitter. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  31. ↑ "To celebrate the release of my third album, I'm going to be playing a very special London headline show at @CourtyardHoxton on the 14th of June (this is not a solo show)!!". Twitter. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "Sivu The Courtyard Theatre". Dice FM. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  33. ↑ "Chuffed to have @meadowlarkHQ and Badhead Hyland joining me on the 14th June at @CourtyardHoxton Tickets on sale now". Twitter. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  34. ↑ "Allow me to introduce you to new song called 'Choral Light'". Twitter. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  35. ↑ "Sivu - Choral Light (Single)". Apple Music. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  36. ↑ Kelly, Tyler Damara (19 April 2023). "Sivu – British songwriter James Page – shares a new single from his forthcoming third studio album Wild Horse Running". The Line of Best Fit.
  37. ↑ "Sivu - Overtime Lover". Apple Music. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  38. ↑ "Please to share a new song called 'Overtime Lover' which was produced by my lovely friend @PaulTSaunders". Twitter. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  39. ↑ Murray, Robin (25 May 2023). "Sivu's 'Overtime Lover' Is Pop At Its Most Sincere". Clash . Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  40. ↑ "Sivu - Constant Flux - single". Apple Music. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  41. ↑ "Spill Album Review - Sivu - Wild Horse Running". The Spill Magazine. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  42. ↑ "Sivu - Perfect Life EP". Spotify. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  43. ↑ "Perfect Life is out! This EP was built upon small ideas and the approach of working on something quietly and as simply as possible. I hope you like it". X. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  44. ↑ Murray, Robin (February 2023). "Sivu Breaks His Silence With 'Wild Horse Running'". Clash. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  45. ↑ "Being A Songwriter With Hearing Loss". HuffPost. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  46. ↑ "Sivu - Sweet Sweet Silent (Deluxe Edition)". Apple Music. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  47. ↑ "Sivu - This Unfruitful Love". Spotify. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  48. ↑ Martin, Brontë (28 November 2013). "Sivu – I Hold (Ft. Marika Hackman)". Indie Shuffle. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  49. ↑ "Laurel - Holy Water (EP)". Apple Music. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  50. ↑ Milton, Jamie (9 February 2015). "MARIKA HACKMAN COLLABORATES WITH SIVU ON NEW TRACK, 'SKIN'". DIY . Retrieved 20 April 2023.
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