Renowned for his unmistakable voice and wry lyrical touch, Pete Fij(alkowski) makes a welcome return with fresh solo material – unveiling songs that brim with melody, wit and understated charm.
Pete first burst onto the scene in the early 90s as the frontman and guitarist of post-shoegaze / pre-Britpop band Adorable, whose 1993 album ‘Against Perfection’, released on Creation Records, is regularly referred to as a lost indie classic, with the band picking up multiple ‘Single of the Week’ awards in the NME, and topping the Indie charts. Noel Gallagher once told Creation Records’ Alan McGee that dropping Adorable from the label was one of his biggest mistakes, whilst other artists such as Ash, Slowdive and Brian Jonestown Massacre, amongst others, have all expressed their admiration for the band.
Following this, he joined up with his brother Krzys to form the One Little Indian band Polak (Swansongs 2000 / Rubbernecking 2002), which took in influences from the likes of Sparklehorse, Radiohead and dEUS, and led The Independent to call him “the most gifted lyricist since Jarvis Cocker last put pen to paper”.
There then followed a musical exile, after having what Pete now describes as “a musical breakdown” before re-emerging alongside celebrated House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers to release two critically acclaimed albums as Pete Fij / Terry Bickers on 2014’s ‘Broken Heart Surgery’, and 2017’s ‘We Are Millionaires’, winning the Roundtable ‘Single of The Week’ on Steve Lamacq’s BBC 6Music show – “Beautiful” (MOJO) “Unfailingly lovely” (UNCUT) “Stunning” (OHM) “Beautifully constructed” (Q).
“After years of singing downbeat songs of melancholy and loss, after waving goodbye to a long-term relationship, after working at a care home during the Covid pandemic, after seeing people off from the platform of life as a Funeral Celebrant, I decided to have a reset.”
Slinging back on the electric guitar, ditching the job, upping the BPMs, and falling in love again has resulted in Pete embracing his fuzzed-up dream-pop past but also throwing in elements of pop and electronica.
Now signed to Tip Top Recordings, the title of his new LP (out 25th September) is appropriately enough ‘Up’s The New Down’ – Check it out HERE. The first single from the album, the euphoric ‘Love’s Coming Back’ came out in November 2025, followed by the dark, more cinematic track ‘Cuckoo’ in February 2026.
Pete’s lush and rich baritone voice has been compared to Lee Hazlewood, Lou Reed and Richard Hawley in the past – and fans will be pleased to hear that, if anything, he’s sounding stronger, more urgent and characterful than ever.
Pete Fij is playing live at the Green Door Store in Brighton on Thursday 22nd October courtesy of Melting Vinyl promoters. Tickets are now on sale and can be snapped up HERE.
Support for this concert will come from the excellent East Sussex based Battery Operated Orchestra, who make highly charged electronica with incredibly addictive melodies, blending post-punk energy, DIY spirit and irresistible pop hooks. Check out their latest album ‘Sea Views Soft Rains’ HERE.
