Navvy is the name used by Phoebe Lee Jasper, an indie-pop singer-songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand.

Overview

Navvy makes music that is described as indie pop, with tags also linking the project to pop, indie rock, indie and lo-fi. The name is also associated with a separate four-piece group from Sheffield, which forms in 2006 from the remains of several underground Sheffield bands.

Band line-up and early releases

In the Sheffield group, Keith plays bass and sings, Claire sings and plays percussion and keyboards, Marie plays drums, and Daf plays guitar. The band’s first session with Alan Smyth, who previously produces Pulp, leads to a debut EP called 4 Songs By Navvy.

Sound and themes

Navvy’s music moves between angular, ferocious passages and more melodic pop elements. The songs are usually concerned with longevity and dysfunction, and the sound is described as fractured and percussive. Keith and Claire use a call-and-response vocal style, Marie contributes with a percussion tree, and Daf’s guitar parts weave around the rhythms, giving the music a jagged or “wonky” quality.