His debut EP is called Alba in honour of the first girl he didn’t kiss. Shawn James interviews British singer Tamu Massif about gigging in Malta, home recordings and missed opportunities.

I first crossed paths with Dave Dixon, better known now as Tamu Massif, while at a gig at in Dalston in the UK.

My first impressions of the singer were of a very strong voice, which reminded me of

Alt-J. Tamu is the quintessential British-looking guy and, with drummer and bassist in tow, he brought some really good summery tunes inside the cold, dark walls of a basement belonging to a venue called Birthdays.

I lost no time making his acquaintance, encouraging him to come to gig in Malta – which he did as part of the SoFar Sounds events in the hall of the Anglican church in Sliema.

You've been a busy man this year, you've played some festivals in Bristol, had gigs in London and released your debut EP Alba. What kicked off this energy to embark on your solo projects?

It comes from within. Just keeping busy, staying out of trouble. I was in a three-piece band before, but now I’m running solo again. As a band we were split between three different cities when we started out which, in hindsight, was probably not the best way to start a band.

It never really became the collaborative project we hoped for because we didn't have any time to actually spend together, although it was an amicable split and we still hang out. I should add that I'm not the easiest person to work with – I'm a control freak and prone to aggressive outbursts.

When did you decide it was time to record an EP?

I spent the past couple of years honing my sound and experimenting with different genres, basically coming out with loads of songs. Most of these are still unfinished. At some point toward the end of last year, I reached a point where I felt I had enough material to be developed into a decent effort.

What was the inspiration that drove you to record Alba?

The inspiration was specific to each song, there wasn't one thing that happened. I'm always writing, mostly drawing from personal experiences. But I also mix in references to things which pull those ideas in different directions.

Alba is made up of four, beautifully-crafted tracks. Which one is closest to heart and why?

I actually can't choose one, which is a good thing I guess. The lyrics in each are all pretty introspective and personal, except for A Fate Much Worse, which was written from the perspective of a family friend about him leaving his wife. Though, even there, a lot of the lyrics still feel oddly relatable – albeit to far less dramatic things in my life.

I'm always writing, mostly drawing from personal experiences

You worked with renowned producer Ali Chant on this EP. Given his rich track record, how was the experience working with him?

It was great. Probably my favourite of the artists he has worked with is Youth Lagoon, and he was actually recording the new album with Ali when I went into the studio. Youth Lagoon had a couple of days off to do some sightseeing around the UK, which meant Ali had a free day to help with mixing and mastering the tracks on Alba.

What was the recording process like?

Essentially, I recorded the tracks in my basement at home, but it was a pretty lo-fi set up. I really took my time over it, building sections up and breaking them down again. That one day with Ali transformed the recordings into something that sounds signficantly more polished.

Apart from releasing Alba, you also got to perform at Dot To Dot Festival. What was it like to get back on stage in front such a good number of people?

The venue was one of the most beautiful I've played in. I had a huge, stained glass window behind me and was joined on stage by two talented friends.

And what about your experience performing in Malta as part of the Sofar Sounds gig?

Malta was beautiful and I particularly enjoyed finding out about its rich history. It has such a unique identity, particularly by way of it being such a small island country in the middle of the Mediterranean. It's like a meeting point for lots of different cultures. The gig itself was a lot of fun; everyone was really welcoming and receptive to the music. The other acts were great too. I did a song with Plato's Dream Machine; they are great guys.

If you were able to open for any big name act, which would it be?

John Frusciante – in part because I'd love to see him play a solo set live, which he never does.

Does the southern European lifestyle influence your work musically?

I worked in a hostel in Naples, Italy, last year and have been back a couple of times. I love it and want to return to record an EP, or maybe an album, there. It's an inspiring place to lose yourself in – everything is so vibrant and overwhelming, there's a real energy in the streets and it’s really inspiring. There are definitely similarities between Naples in Malta, probably tied up in the southern European lifestyle. Although I have to say that Malta was far more tranquil. I'm headed to Sicily in September and I can't wait.

Do you plan to gig more in Europe? Or are you planning to build more in the UK?

I played in Paris a couple of weeks ago, which was great. I love to travel and music is obviously a great excuse to do so. Though hopefully I'll play more around the UK in the coming year.

What led to the choice of Alba?

There were a couple of reasons. It means dawn in Italian which I felt was quite fitting for my first release. It was also the name of an Italian girl I met when I was 15. I was on a school trip in Greece and her school was staying in the same hotel. She was the sister of Miss Italy and the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, but we couldn't really communicate as she spoke no English and I spoke no Italian. Through one of her schoolfriends we managed to have a very limited conversation and arranged to sneak out of our rooms at midnight.

I remember standing in front of her feeling like this couldn't be real. I felt as though if I kissed her, her friends would come out from around the corner and there would be a camera crew laughing in my face, with someone yelling "you've been punked". So I didn't. It is, without doubt, the single greatest regret of my life.

However, we stayed in touch via MSN and Google Translate enabled us to communicate a little more. Then I ended up studying Italian at University so, in my first year, when I hadn't heard from her in a while I googled her name. She had died in a car crash in Sicily.

Alba is available for streaming on https://soundcloud.com/tamumassif .