Solo Noi: From London Squats to Exeter, Two Songwriters Unleash "Curse of the Dead"
Photo: courtesy of Solo Noi / U-Rock® Network
Solo Noi is the songwriting partnership of John Fitzsimons and Robert S Smith, based in Exeter, Devon. The name is Italian for "just us." Their single "Curse of the Dead" has been approved for the U-Rock® Network. In the band's own words: "Well, this is a story."
Glam, Italy and The Papers
The two started working on pop music together in the 1980s. Before that, the band's bio says, John was guitarist in The Mighty Plod, a glam rock band from Colchester in Essex fronted by Martin Newell. Robert had a hit in Italy with his song "Too Much to Me," produced by Lucio Dalla. John went on to success with a band called The Papers, produced by Robin Black, Tony Tavener and Gus Dudgeon.
Ice on the inside of the windows
Their songs, then and now, look back on the years when both lived in London squats "and endured all the turmoil that came with the lifestyle." John was "rocking in Maison Rouge studios in Fulham, while Robert was over at The Townhouse." The bio remembers waking up with ice on the inside of the windows, marriages ending in divorce, partners leaving, and very little money. "The songs catch glimpses of what happened to them and to some of the people at the party."
Cassettes in the post
Eventually both left the capital. Robert headed to the South Coast and John went west to Devon. They took jobs but kept writing, posting each other cassettes of ideas. John played with lots of bands along the way, including with Simon Crowe of the Boomtown Rats.
Just us
In 2016 they started Solo Noi. According to the band, the first album, Uno, was about London and Italy, and the second was about life since then: "jobs, kids, growing up." Both albums have what the band calls "an acoustic reflective jazzy theme." Covid hit them hard. They answered by spending a year writing songs about "other lives." The big single from that period, "Dreaming of America," is, in the band's words, "for everyone who ever dreamt of the big time." It was followed by "Why Did You Leave Me With the Blues," "The Only One" and "It's You."
Curse of the Dead
Now comes "Curse of the Dead," which the band describes as "a rocking track that spins out of the 70s when rock was Rock." John Fitzsimons explains how they make it: "Real. We play everything ourselves — the guitars, the drums, the bass and keyboards are all created by us as are the vocals. It's a sort of 70s band sound brought up to date. No AI used." They record with guitars, synths, drum kits and bass in Logic Pro, and use a mastering company for the final step.
A thousand stories
John's earliest musical memory is his dad and uncles playing and singing at Irish weddings. He says his passion began after seeing The Doors play the Roundhouse in 1967 and The Beatles on Top of the Pops. Since then he has worked on building sites, in factories and in offices. He has played London clubs and major festivals, as well as Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Spain, Canada and the USA. He has also taught "a thousand kids" to play in bands and make films. "So many people with so many stories," he says, "and each one can become a song." His message to listeners: "Reflect on stuff and learn from it but don't let it undermine you… move on… life is waiting to be lived."
On the road next
Solo Noi have added a guitarist and drummer and are ready to play live. Gigs are already coming in at local hostelries and festivals, and John says the plan is touring and live concerts. His lesson for playing live: get a producer, a manager and a sound engineer, "don't skimp on production," and avoid gigs that gain nothing for you. His dream venue is the Roundhouse, where it all started for him. His dream collaborator is John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service, "an unusual guitarist with original ideas and techniques."
Why it matters on U-Rock® Radio
Four decades of songwriting friendship, from squat-era cassettes to a 1970s-style rocker: Solo Noi bring "Curse of the Dead" to U-Rock® Radio.
U-Rock® Network play data: not yet logged. The release was approved for the U-Rock® Network through MusicSubmit.
Listen and follow - Official site: https://www.solonoi.co.uk/ - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CY5Uuixcmqz9OsSh5KycM
Sources 1. Solo Noi, band biography (supplied to the U-Rock® Network, 2026) 2. John Fitzsimons, artist interview (supplied to the U-Rock® Network, 2026) 3. John Fitzsimons (Solo Noi), email to the U-Rock® Network, "Re: Your music was approved!" (Oct 2026) 4. Solo Noi, official website — https://www.solonoi.co.uk/ 5. Solo Noi, MusicSubmit submission to the U-Rock® Network (2 Oct 2026)
