Hattie Pearson, Xfm – ‘I can’t express how much I love this band; can’t get enough of them!’

Tom Deacon, BBC Radio 1 – “Brilliant”

Dave Gorman, Absolute Radio – “Great track, more than deserves to rub shoulders with

Pulp & Elbow”

Graham Norton, BBC Radio 2 – “Isn’t that a lovely thing?! Very nice indeed”

Drenched in sunny nostalgia, Robbie Boyd shares the musical spirit of Paul Simon, Noah & the Whale and Vampire Weekend.  His feel good folk-pop songs have already earned him national recognition with a live performance on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ to 1.3 million people, his singles have been played on Xfm, Absolute Radio and 6 Music and he was invited to perform on Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show. His band made the top 20 of MTV’s Brand New Unsigned for 2013, and have toured Argentina, Italy, France, Germany and the UK. They have played on the same bill as The Kooks, Johnny Flynn, and Daughter, and graced the stages of the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Hyde Park, Bestival and Wilderness Festival.

Discovered busking on the streets of London, Robbie grew up listening to and being inspired by artists like James Taylor, Bob Dylan and The Beatles. Music runs deep in Robbie’s veins and he’s been singing and playing guitar from a very early age. Robbie has built a large international fan base of 9,000 Facebook fans and 500,000 YouTube channel views. His live shows have been positively reviewed in The Times, Evening Standard and The Telegraph. His former single ‘When I Believe’ was chosen as Record of the Day’s ‘Record of the Day’ and his first air played song ‘Oh Alaska’ made the finals of the International Songwriting Competition in Nashville.

Robbie’s charming songwriting and distinctive vocals combine with colourful arrangements and nostalgic harmonies. He works with an eclectic mix of talented musicians, to produce an exciting and uplifting contemporary urban folk sound. Just in time for the summer, ‘Painted Sky’ is an upbeat four track EP featuring ‘Before It Falls Apart’, ‘Oh Alaska’, ‘Red Queen’ and new single ‘I Want You To Stay’.

Robbie Boyd will be headlining Bush Hall, London on 3rd July.

For more information & interview requests please contact Impressive PR: 0207 284 3444

Sacha Taylor-Cox Sacha@impressivepr.com / Rupert Burley rupert@impressivepr.com

Johnny Borrell has today announced details of his debut solo album ‘Borrell 1’ which will be released on July 22nd through Stiff Records/Virgin EMI. The album is Johnny’s first studio album for five years. 

‘Borrell 1’ was originally recorded on a four track recorder by Johnny and a group of musicians including Razorlight bass player Freddie Stitz, Brazilian saxophonist Joao Mello and Darren Berry. After debuting the songs live Johnny decided to re-record them in London with legendary producer Trevor Horn. 

On the album Johnny said, 

“The music just came very naturally. It's an album that was born in the spirit of a party, and the arrangements for the songs come from that atmosphere.”

The album is a stripped back collection of songs that have a true party spirit. The lead single ‘Pan-European Supermodel Song (Oh! Gina)’ is an infectious love story whilst tracks such as ‘Dahlia Allegro’ captures the energy and essence behind the album.  

The debut single ‘Pan-European Supermodel Song (Oh! Gina)’ will be made available on June 4th via iTunes and other digital retailers, it will have it’s debut radio play on Monday 3rd June. Limited signed copies of the album are available to pre-order here: http://po.st/SignedBorrell1

Johnny and his band who go under the name ‘Zazou’, last week announced a series of small club shows to preview the new album. Johnny Borrell & Zazou start the tour in Southampton at The Cellar on June 11th and will play intimate shows in Aldershot, Bristol, York, Birmingham and Leicester before performing at the iconic 100 Club in London on June 18th.

Full track listing: 

1. Power To The Woman 
2. Joshua Amrit 
3. Pan-European Supermodel Song (Oh! Gina) 
4. Ladder To Your Bed 
5. Dahlia Rondo 
6. Cyrano Masochiste 
7. We Cannot Overthrow 
8. Each And Every Road 
9. Wild Today 
10. Dahlia Allegro 
11. Erotic Letter 

Tour Dates:

Tues 11th June         Southampton, The Cellar

Wed 12th June          Aldershot, West End Centre

Thurs 13th June        Bristol, Louisiana

Fri 14th June            York, Fibbers

Sun 16th June           Birmingham, Hare & Hounds

Mon 17th June          Leicester, Lock 42

Tues 18th June         London, 100 Club

Tickets are available at http://johnnyborrell.com

For more information contact:

Andy Bell - andy.bell@dawbell.com / 0203 327 7111

or

Lisa Birch - lisa.birch@dawbell.com / 0203 327 7165
-----------------

Lisa Birch

DawBell

1st Floor

1-11 Carteret Street

London

SW1H 9DJ 

main telephone | 020 3327 7111

Writing on his official Twitter page last night, the hitmaker told his 2 million followers that he was about to be given a special award for his "accomplishments and advocacy on behalf of the LGBT community": "Receiving Los Angeles' City of Hope Award from Mayor @villaraigosa this evening. What an honor!"

Lambert also shared a photograph of himself with mayor Villaraigosa on his Instagram page and the City of Los Angeles Heritage Month Celebrations' Facebook page uploaded a couple of snapshots taken at the ceremony (pictured above left and below), which took place at the Los Angeles City Hall.

The Dream and Spirit of Los Angeles Awards were given to Mia Yamamoto, who is a longtime attorney and LGBT activist, and Rodney Scott, President of Christopher Street West/LA PRIDE.

Earlier in May, Lambert was given the Davidson/Valentini prize at the 2013 GLAAD Awards for making a significant difference in promoting equality for the LGBT community and he has also been nominated for an O Music Award, thanks to the enthusiasm of his fan base.

Listen to Lambert's City of Hope acceptance speech below:

The chart-topping boyband - comprising Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne - topped the UK charts back in February with a new version of the classic 1979 track 'One Way Or Another'.

The song - which was recorded to benefit this year's Comic Relief - also sampled some The Undertones' 'Teenage Kicks'.

Harry loved the group's version, explaining in an interview with Q magazine: "Well, I was so flattered they wanted to use it - they're a hot group and they're getting lots of attention. That's good for Blondie in terms of remaining visible and perhaps gaining a younger audience. I saw a live performance of them doing it and it worked for me."

Harry has previously gushed about the band's efforts.

Earlier this year she said: " "I was pleased by One Direction's version - I thought they did a good job. Making a mash-up of our song by putting it together with The Undertones' track was entirely appropriate."

She added: "One Direction's take had a similar spirit to our early cover versions. They seem good kids."

Speaking to Gig City about the reception of 'The Spirit Indestructible', the hitmaker explained that she doesn't "always make the best quote unquote career choices" and because of her laid back approach to being a recording artist she feels her sales figures have suffered:

"That's the price you pay for being passionate about music and refusing to believe it's your job all these years. It's just still seeing it as a hobby. My poor manager. He's suffered many grey hairs because of it. I'm just really hard-headed and I just do what I want to do. Some people come along, some people don't."

'The Spirit Indestructible' shifted less than 2,650 copies in its first week of being on sale and she was recently forced to scale back her tour due to low ticket sales, and she added:

"I've made my hobby into a career, but sometimes I still look at it as a hobby so I don't always make the best quote unquote career choices. But I enjoy it every step of the way, which I think is the most important thing."

Watch her new music video for 'Waiting For The Night' below:

The video was released earlier today (January 8) and it's shot entirely in black and white, and features a troupe of backing dancers with half of their faces painted in matching Mexican sugar skull designs.

Furtado is heavily included in the cut and can be seen dancing and singing along to the track in a dark underground club.

'Waiting For The Night' marks the hitmaker's fourth single to be taken from her latest full-length album, 'The Spirit Indestructible'.

On January 6, Furtado took to her official Twitter page and wrote about the Idle No More campaign, which according to the mission statement on its website "calls on all people to join in a revolution which honors and fulfills Indigenous sovereignty which protects the land and water", and posted:

"Very moving to see all the #IdleNoMore posters and first nations flags at Niagara Falls on New Year's Eve. 2013 will be a year to remember."

Speaking to the Huffington Post, the star explained that while 'The Spirit Indestructible' only shifted 6,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week of sales she doesn't see it as a problem because she's not after instant success:

"I have very few albums that debut high. I've had kind of everything happen to me commercially and at different levels. I've had different scenes and I've dabbled in a lot of markets so I see the music world as very global."

"I'm always looking for new avenues and opportunities, so one chart or anything doesn't necessarily [mean everything]."

She added that she isn't disheartened by the album's reception and can't wait to perform songs from it live to her fans: "We'll see what happens and just keep on chugging along with these songs because musically I can't wait to perform them live. That's my main goal."

Watch her music video for 'Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)' here:

]]> London Newsdesk http://www.pressparty.com/pg/newsdesk/nellyfurtado/view/58276/ Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:14:47 +0100 http://www.pressparty.com/pg/newsdesk/nellyfurtado/view/58276/ 'Try' songstress Nelly Furtado has admitted that after watching the 'Twilight' series she became obsessed with the ideas that vampires might exist. 

Speaking to London's Metro newspaper, the beauty explained that while she's never had a supernatural experience she hopes to one day encounter something other-worldly, adding that the recent occurrence of vampires and werewolves in movies made her think they may be real:

"No but I hope to have one. I saw all the Twilight movies and became obsessed with the idea vampires were real. I really liked the Jacob story but lost interest when his relationship with Bella was over."

She also opened up about her career aspirations outside of music and revealed that she wants to direct a movie: "I was seriously thinking about going to film school. I tried to make a documentary about a band on my label but I never finished it."

"I’ve directed some of my videos, which has been fun. Documentaries interest me – they’re shorter than feature films which would be a bit presumptuous for me to attempt at this stage."

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Furtado explained that 'The Spirit Indestructible' can be likened to her debut release 'Whoa, Nelly!' because of its "eclectic" appeal:

"I feel like there's more fusion nowadays. This new album is a little bit like my first album and that true eclecticism shines through."

"Now I feel like I fit in a little bit better. When I started out my music was quite eclectic and quite worldly and it had a lot of Brazilian influences and East Indian influences and at the time music wasn't so open-minded as it is now."

Referring specifically to her new record's tracklisting, she added: "It's a friendly punch in the face because a lot of the messages are super positive. There's songs about love and hope and inspiration. There's a song called 'Miracles' about just getting swept away in positivity."

'The Spirit Indestructible' is set to be released in the UK on September 17 and a day later in America. Listen to an album sampler below:

Speaking to Capital FM, Furtado explained that the 'This Is Love' sensation has a creative drive that influences his contemporaries in a way that is unmatched:

"Will.i.am is so creative. He's kept music going. He's a large reason why music sounds the way it does today - a very innovative producer. A great guy. Great dancer."

"I've heard about his work on The Voice and how he's won over the entire nation and beyond, which I think his lovely. He's a superstar."

Will.i.Am recently sat down for an interview with Graham Norton and revealed that he donated a life-changing sum of £500,000 the Prince's Trust charity to help underprivileged young people in London.

In an interview with British magazine S, the songstress explained that while she never did anything terrible she did steal candy and liked to think she was a bit of a rebel:

"My song Parking Lot really reminds me of being 14 years old and hanging out around the 7 Eleven (general store) with my friends until 4am, stealing sweets. I thought I was a bad-a** back then."

She also recently admitted that her youth was spent using a coat-hanger to pick up the edgier radio stations, which in turn gave birth to her love of hip hop and inspired her new album's lead single:

"I remember attaching a wire clothing hanger to the antenna of my radio in my bedroom, so I could get the frequency and get that station and listen to the top 10 every night. It was very liberating, finding that confidence through the music."

The Portuguese-Canadian, who is set to release her fifth studio album, ‘The Spirit Indestructible,’ later this year, told the Mail On Sunday that her struggle to cope with the pressures of fame suddenly hit her during one of her shows:

“Six years ago I had a nervous breakdown on stage. I was on the Loose tour and my daughter was with me – I was being a mum and a singer on the road. I was exhausted.

"Then one night I went on stage and I suddenly realised how stressed-out I was. I actually cried my way through the first two songs. 

“I took a break from music and went home. And I realised that being at home and having the whole family experience was what I was seeking.”

The 33-year-old, who recently confessed that she would love to work with Jessie J, also admitted that she wasn't too concerned about taking such a lengthy absence from the music scene:  

“I had to learn to say no. People were trying to get me to record another album. I wasn’t worried about burning any bridges, though. My career has had its ups and downs – it’s not like it has all been super smooth.”

The 'Like A Bird' songstress explained that videographers were sent in to capture her creating songs for 'The Spirit Indestructible', but she felt uncomfortable trying to work with an audience:

"It's become a content-hungry universe. The most important person on your team nowadays is your videographer because they're constantly filming you. But I'm quite private, so I get a little bit nervous about that stuff. At first, I wasn't able to write a song with the cameraman in the room."

"I've always admired people who can write like that. I've been there at hip-hop sessions where Kanye West will walk in and write in front of all 20 guys in his team. I'd be like, 'Oh my God!'"

Furtado admitted that it's great to let her fans have a real insight into the life of a musician so she fought past the block and eventually became able to pen tracks in front of a crew:

"The videographer would stay in the room and I eventually forgot he was there. It takes practice. It's another creative relationship."

She explained that growing up in Victoria, Canada made it difficult to gain access to different genres of music, but her undeniable love of hip-hop drove her to seek it out:

"Hip-hop was super-exotic to us in Canada. Because we were near the south, we could get some of the radio stations from Seattle."

"I remember attaching a wire clothing hanger to the antenna of my radio in my bedroom, so I could get the frequency and get that station and listen to the top 10 every night. It was very liberating, finding that confidence through the music."

Referring to her new cut, Furtado added that she wanted to represent that attitude so incorporated hip hop elements into the track (the lyrics quote Salt-N-Pepa, A Tribe Called Quest and Blackstreet) to ensure it came through strongly:

"That's what Big Hoops is about... I'm channelling my 14-year-old self. She's thinking about putting on her big hoop earrings and baggy pants and going to the mall downtown."

Check out the song below: