Recently signed to This Feeling Records, Fitzroy Holt’s current single ‘Medicine’ has seen the rising newcomer earn comparisons to the likes of Michael Kiwanuka and Scott Walker. His rootsy cocktail of confessional soul and bluesy garage-rock has taken him to festivals including the Isle of Wight, Truck and The Great Escape this summer, while also landing airplay from BBC Music Introducing. Now Fitzroy adds to his growing acclaim by sharing the video for ‘Medicine’. The video places Fitzroy in his home-from-home setting of Norton’s Bar in Digbeth, where he claims you can get the best Guinness in Brum. Shot in a shadowy, introspective monochrome, it shows him alone in the venue - simultaneously performer, punter and barman. Its loneliness is an apt metaphor for the song, which sees Fitzroy bravely revisiting his experiences suffering with substance abuse. Yet as the song steps into a brighter future, his desolation is cut with fiery live footage of Fitzroy and his band performing at the Isle of Wight Festival. The video was directed and edited by two of Fitzroy’s most trusted collaborators: George Morris, the percussionist from his live band and his regular studio engineer, and Patsy Wesson, the muse who inspired the song’s redemptive spirit. Fitzroy says, “Trying to match and create visuals which married the emotions and themes of the song without being overt and cheesy was no easy feat. I think we shot at least five times more footage than we actually used in the video. We then decided to splice footage from our Isle of Wight performance into it. If you were there you’ll know it was full of passion and energy that added the raw edge the video needed. The video turned out like the song, I guess, a dark ode to love, but a real labour of love also." The ‘Medicine’ video comes as Fitzroy prepares to play a London headline show at St. Pancras Old Church on October 28th. Remaining tickets are available HERE. Fitzroy Holt performed in various rock bands around the Wolverhampton area, but the idea of working as a solo artist first gained traction during the initial lockdown. Living in a semi-derelict factory in the city, the relative isolation of the time resulted in a far more introspective approach in his writing. He debuted with the self-financed release ‘Kelly’ in 2021, which was inspired by the struggles he saw women face while working with the local homeless charity Haven. This Feeling came onboard as his personal champions, leading to a deal with their label earlier this year. His music also took on a richer production with the warmth of his live performance with the backing of his band and by working with producer Gavin Monaghan (Paolo Nutini, Robert Plant, Editors). He’s inspired by artists whose lyrical edge finds the grace between personal experience and pure poetry, including Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Damon Albarn and Yves Tumor. Yet an ethos of recognising and understanding other people’s struggles is also a core aspect of his songwriting style. Expect from Fitzroy Holt soon… Follow Fitzroy Holt: Spotify | Apple Music | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter
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Welsh soul artist Nia Wyn announces ‘Magical Thinking’ EP; listen to new single 'Checkmate' now22/5/2022 Up and coming Welsh soul artist Nia Wyn has released her new single ‘Checkmate’. It is the third track to be revealed from her upcoming third EP ‘Magical Thinking’, set for release on 23rd June via Unity group. The release arrives during Glastonbury Festival, where Nia is performing as one of the shortlisted artists for the Emerging Talent competition. ‘Magical Thinking’ was written during the pandemic and finds Nia tackling issues of identity, belonging and issues around mental health, as she elaborates "This EP is a body of work that was largely written during the pandemic, and touches on the strong universal emotions everyone feels at some point - betrayal, lust, guilt, anxiety and a desire to feel like you belong somewhere. It follows up with similar themes of my last EP around identity and mental health.” The EP is the first body of work to be released by Nia since 2021’s ‘Take A Seat’ EP and is a 6 six track collection that proves 2022 is Nia’s year. Growing up in North Wales, Nia was exposed to a wide range of music from northern soul, the jazz-blues of Billie Holiday to hip hop icons Nas and Lauryn Hill. To date, Nia has attracted support from the likes of Spotify, Deezer, DIY, Wonderland, Clash, EARMILK, BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing and Radio Wales. In October 2020, Nia's track ‘Who Asked You’ was included in the FIFA 21 Soundtrack. In July 2021, Nia was awarded with a PPL Momentum Music Fund grant by PRS Foundation and joined Paul Weller on his sold out 2021 UK tour as well as headlining her own London show at Bermondsey Social Club in the winter of 2021. The track list for the ‘Magical Thinking’ EP is:
NIA WYN PLAYS:
Keep up to date here: INSTAGRAM // YOUTUBE // TWITTER // SPOTIFY Adele’s comeback is off to a record-breaking start as her new single Easy On Me soars straight to Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart. The singer’s third UK Number 1 single takes its crown with a massive 217,300 chart sales in its first week. Adele also breaks an Official UK Chart record with the single as Easy On Me racked up 24 million streams in the UK this week – topping Ariana Grande’s record of 16.9 million set back in January 2019 with 7 Rings. Easy On Me also earns the biggest week of digital download sales of 2021 so far, with 23,500. Easy On Me also dominated UK radio over the last seven days, becoming the first record this year to break 100 million listeners in one week. Easy On Me is Adele’s first new music in six years and is the lead track from her upcoming album 30. Its release sparks a resurgence in streams of her back catalogue, sending two more of her hits back into the Top 40 this week; When We Were Young lands at Number 25, and Someone Like You bows at Number 34. Adele’s past albums continue to climb the Official Albums Chart as we move closer to the launch of 30 next month. 25 jumps three places to reach Number 3, while 21 jumps eight places to Number 6 and 19 vaults 39 places to Number 15. LISTEN HERE
Mariah Carey is the best‐selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold to date and 18 Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles (17 self‐penned), more than any solo artist in history. Mariah is a singer/songwriter/producer recognized with multiple Grammy Awards, 21 American Music Awards, Billboard's "Artist of the Decade" Award, the World Music Award for "World's Best‐Selling Female Artist of the Millennium," and BMI's "Icon Award" for her outstanding achievements in songwriting, to name a few – with her distinct five‐octave vocal range, prolific songwriting, and producing talent, Mariah is truly the template of the modern pop performance. Mariah's ongoing impact has transcended the music industry to leave an indelible imprint upon the world at large. She made her entry into the world of independent film with her landmark performance in "WiseGirls" starring alongside Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino and Melora Walters. In 2009, Mariah was recognized with the Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Spring International Film Festival for her critically acclaimed role in Lee Daniels' "Precious." Mariah went on to appear in Daniels' stellar ensemble piece "The Butler" (2013). A Congressional Award recipient, Mariah has generously donated her time and energy to a range of philanthropic causes near to her heart including Save the Music, the Make‐A‐Wish Foundation, World Hunger Relief, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, among many others. A tremendous supporter of children' charities, both domestic and international, Mariah founded Camp Mariah in partnership with the Fresh Air Fund, a retreat for inner city children to explore career development. LA Women Release ‘I was admiring her through a series of precision cut mirrors’ on Island Records LISTEN HERE New Zealand trio LA Women have been quietly building a name for themselves as they released a series of slick, soulful and impressively crafted, RnB infused pop. Following the release of ‘Conscience’ last week; a sultry, blissed out slow jam, LA Women’s today release their highly anticipated debut EP ‘I was admiring her through a series of precision cut mirrors’ and as singer Jake describes “the song is a romanticised reflection of my experience with partying, alcohol, drugs, and all things that take a toll on my ‘conscience’”. The trio, who hail from the Wairarapa, an area in the deep south of New Zealand, is made up of cousins Jake Schdroski and Zac Emerson and school friend Jesse Brown. They formed in 2016 and released the much hyped ‘Hurricane Love’ the following year, hitting some of the most reputable playlists on Spotify and winning early support from the likes of Complex & MTV, to name a few. The tracklist for ‘I was admiring her through a series of precision cut mirrors’ is:
Keep up to date with L.A Women HERE. Hozier has released his new EP today, titled ‘Nina Cried Power’. Consisting of four brand new tracks written and performed by Hozier, the EP’s lead single and title track features legendary soul/gospel singer Mavis Staples, with iconic musician Booker T Jones on organ. Single ‘Nina Cried Power’ channels the raw spirit and energy of protest and social activism. In the song, Hozier name-checks several iconic artists, activists and proponents of the civil rights movement whose messages, activism and artistry contributed to change through protest. Those mentioned in the track’s lyrics include (among others) Joni Mitchell, John Lennon, James Brown, the song’s namesake Nina Simone, and Mavis Staples - whose peerless vocals feature on the track too. Of the single, Hozier says:- “The song was written sometime last year, my aim was to credit the actuality of hope, solidarity and love found in the human spirit at a time when their opposites were being given a mainstream platform 24/7. The song started as a tongue-in-cheek inquiry into modern popular language regarding political awareness and grew from there. In many ways the song is a thank you note to the legacy of artists from the 20th Century whose work still inspires us, and whose well we draw from in times of uncertainty. Mavis Staples is one such artist. Getting to work with her on this song was a joy, and nothing short of a dream come true.” Mavis Staples says:- “Oh, Nina is gonna wake the world up. Such a huge sound it could shake the Earth, filled with soul, passion, and fire, and it channels the struggles of some of my contemporaries. I’m telling you when you hear it, it’s going to drive you to rise up.” The ‘Nina Cried Power’ EP continues with second track ‘NFWMB’, a softer song in contrast to the opener, which builds from just a tender acoustic guitar to a full and brooding sound, reminiscent of the song’s assertive lyric. ‘Moment’s Silence’ follows, an up-tempo, blues-inspired number whose lyrics serve as an ode to the peaceful clarity which love can yield, even when surrounded by the chaos and confusion of the wider world. The final track on the EP is ‘Shrike’, an example of Hozier’s astonishing vocal range and poetic lyricism as he urges: “Remember me love when I’m reborn…As the shrike to your sharp and glorious thorn.” Listen to ‘Nina Cried Power’ here: https://Hozier.lnk.to/NCPPR Mavis Staples is a multi-Grammy Award-winning artist and performer, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 as part of The Staples Singers, the enormously influential gospel, soul and R&B group she was a founding member of. Fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Booker T. Jones also appears on Hozier’s ‘Nina Cried Power EP’ - his inimitable Hammond B3 Organ playing appears on tracks 1, 2 and 3. Booker T. Jones says: “Hozier is a rare artist who remains a wellspring of creativity. Like a baby who never becomes a child, he lingers selflessly at the source, rendering one fresh song after the other.” Hozier will play a special show at prestigious London venue Koko next Tuesday 11th September. All proceeds from the intimate show - which sold out within minutes - will go to War Child, a charity close to Hozier’s heart. He will announce further UK, Ireland & European dates on 17th September. Born Andrew Hozier-Byrne, Hozier is an award-winning musician, singer and songwriter from Ireland. His number one, debut studio album ‘Hozier’ was released in October 2014 and includes the multi-Platinum, Grammy-nominated anthem 'Take Me To Church', which later won ‘Best Song’ for Hozier at the 2015 Ivor Novello Awards. The record also featured the optimistic, up-tempo 'Someone New', the soulful 'Work Song', and early stand out 'From Eden'. In 2016, Hozier released the album’s closing track ‘Cherry Wine’ as a charity single to create awareness of the domestic abuse problems worldwide, with proceeds benefiting a series of international domestic abuse charities. The official video features 3-time Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan. Hozier followed up the success of his debut LP with the track 'Better Love', taken from the soundtrack of the Warner Bros’ adventure film The Legend Of Tarzan. Hozier’s ‘Nina Cried Power’ EP is out now via Island Records. Listen to the EP and connect with Hozier here: https://hozier.lnk.to/FollowPR NYC songwriter, producer and musician Amber Mark has shared her new single 'Love Me Right' (Listen HERE). The lead from her upcoming Conexão EP, the track is available to buy and stream everywhere today via PMR/Virgin EMI. Raised across Europe and Asia, and based in New York City, Amber Mark weaves her deep knowledge of international styles into a stunning musical tapestry. Growing up on a diet of soul, R&B, bossa nova and electronica, Amber's rich songwriting and production talents were distilled into her 2016 release - the '3.33am EP'. The release was a dedication to her late mother and an exploration of how grief can birth incredible creativity. Now on Conexão, Amber is turning her sights to the future. "It's about my process of finding love again," she explains of the project. "It's like you're reading a book about my life and this is the next chapter." On stunning lead single 'Love Me Right', Amber lays out the terms of a relationship over pared-down, purposeful R&B rhythms. Like all her music, the song is an honest reflection of real-life emotion. The Conexão EP confirms Amber Mark as one of 2018's most inventive artists, both as a songwriter and a producer. This summer, Amber performs at Moogfest as part of an all-women line-up. "Music production has been such a male dominated industry," she says. "It's definitely important for me to champion women producers". In amongst worldwide tour dates and further releases, Amber's first 2018 release is a mission statement for the year ahead. Annie Lennox - an evening of music and conversation’ on 4th March at Sadler’s Wells Theatre11/11/2017 Annie Lennox will share thoughts, memories and reflections during a one night only event of conversation, musical performance and visual imagery on 4th March at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. All proceeds from the evening ‘Annie Lennox - An Evening of Music and Conversation' will be donated to The Circle, the charitable organisation she founded to help create transformative change in the lives of girls and women facing the challenges of disempowerment across the globe. The evening is supported by Gucci, whose Chime for Change Campaign has been championing Girls' and women's empowerment since its inception in 2013. Tickets for ‘Annie Lennox - An Evening of Music and Conversation' at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on Sunday 4th March 2018 will go on sale on at 10am on 10th November 2017. They will be available to purchase online at ticketmaster.co.uk/annielennox or by phoning the Sadler’s Wells Theatre box office on +44 (0) 207 863 8000. As demand for tickets will be high, The Circle have partnered with Charitystars to launch a sweepstake competition offering the opportunity for one lucky fan and their guest the chance to be flown to London from anywhere in the world, spend some time with Annie during the rehearsal for the show on the Sunday afternoon and then attend the event as a VIP. In addition, as part of the competition there will be a fantastic range of unique rewards, including a red brocade Gucci suit worn by Annie, signed albums and handwritten lyrics for those wishing to enter multiple times. To find out more and to enter go to www.charitystars.com/Annie. As a truly special event, ‘Annie Lennox - An Evening of Music and Conversation’ offers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not only to see Annie Lennox perform, but also to hear her share fascinating stories from her life and career. Tickets for ‘Annie Lennox – An Evening of Music and Conversation’ will be available to purchase from 10am on 10th November 2017 online at ticketmaster.co.uk/annielennox or by phoning the Sadler’s Wells Theatre box office on +44 (0) 207 863 8000. www.annielennox.com |
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