After five decades of shaping the soundscape of British music, Steve ‘Avo’ Lindsey is stepping into the solo spotlight with his debut album, PING, available via Fretsore Records on LP, CD, and digital download.
The Wirral-born bassist is best known of cult Liverpool band Deaf School and former frontman of new wave chart act The Planets, but has also had an impressive career in music publishing, initially with Warner/Chappell, and later joined Island Music as creative director. Now back to making music, the new album showcases rich musicality, moving between psychedelic alt-rock and influences of blues, soul and Latin influences.
“I’ve always carried a plec in my back pocket,” Lindsey admits with a wry grin. “This sounds, in my head, like a Nick Lowe album.” But while Lowe’s influence is evident, PING is far from a simple homage. It’s a rich, multi-layered tapestry of Lindsey’s musical passions bringing a range of genres and moods that sit together on a patchwork of varied yet cohesive musical ideas, ultimately as comparable to Tod Rungran as it is to Neil Finn and David Gilmour.
From the finger-clicking soul of ‘Beautiful 45’, to the bottoms-up vaudeville charm of ‘Cheers My Dears,’ the baroque-pop sweep of ‘Royal Iris’, and the sultry Latin undertones of ‘To Know You Better’, the album highlights Lindsey’s versatility and varied taste as a musician. Family and friends lend the project extra warmth: his daughter Uainín Lindsey contributes backing vocals, the late Tony ‘Wims’ Wimshurst (ex-Planets/Nasty Pop) delivers a soaring lead guitar performance, and drummer Josh McCartney, whose artwork also adorns the album, rounds out the musical cast.
Produced and engineered entirely by Lindsey himself, PING finds him at the centre of the sonic universe, handling vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, and programming, with McCartney on drums, Wimshurst on solo guitar, and Uainín on backing vocals.
Lindsey’s story begins in 1974 at Liverpool College of Art, where Deaf School was formed. The band, known for its theatrical Sparks-meets-Kurt Weill pop and eclectic lineup, won critical acclaim – even if chart success was limited. Over the years, Steve Lindsey evolved from the understated Mr Average to the Liverpudlian shorthand, Avo (a nickname that has stuck ever since).
The album’s path from concept to release was organic. After the digital release of ‘Cheers My Dears’ met with enthusiastic feedback, Lindsey connected with Ian Sephton of Fretsore Records. A Japanese tour invitation from Matt McManamon confirmed that the full album was ready to surface.
“The album format is beautiful,” Lindsey reflects. “I loved the idea of giving these songs an overarching title. PINGworks on many levels—it’s a text notification, a data package, and the sonar sound of submarines. It’s like glimpsing what’s submerged in your creative unconscious.”
Looking back on five decades in music, Lindsey emphasizes what has always been most important: “Joy – just so much joy. That’s the word I associate with making music.” With PING, he shares that joy with the world in spades, inviting listeners into a kaleidoscopic journey of styles and genres.
PING is available now through Fretsore Records on vinyl, CD, and digital download. Listen below:
