PRS for Music's July podcast is out now! You can listen to the podcast here.
Find out more about the artists featured in the last podcast.
Find out more about the artists featured in the last podcast.
The Joy Formidable was conceived by longtime friends Ritzy Bryan and Rhydian Dafydd when they were both students in Wales. After they relocated to London and brought in drummer Matt Thomas, they got down to writing material for their debut album.
The resulting sound melds the huge expanses of the band members' native Welsh countryside with the hectic nature of their new London home. That sound has won them the praise of the UK press and airplay on the UK's Radio 1.
The band has been working in the studio on tracks recently with highly regarded producer/mixer Rich Costey (Muse, Foo Fighters, Glasvegas). The band's debut album The Big Roar was released on Atlantic Records in January 2011, making it into the UK Top 40.
www.thejoyformidable.com
Bright Light Bright Light is a project mixing a love of the dancefloor with classic songwriting focused around the songs of Welsh singer, writer, producer Rod Thomas, 'the boy Robyn in all but name' - NME.
Debut album Make Me Believe In Hope has been recorded with the help of Boom Bip, Andy Chatterley and Jon Shave.
So far, gigs include supporting Ellie Goulding on her sold-out UK tour, three packed shows at SXSW 2011 and sets alongside friends Monarchy, Sound Of Arrows and James Yuill.
Rod's remixes for Ellie Goulding, Kelis, Nerina Pallot, Hesta Prynn, The Brute Chorus and James Yuill have also tickled Hype Machine charts, airwaves and dancefloors.
www.brightlightx2.com
Rachel Sermanni is a songwriter from a small village in the Highlands called Carrbridge. It's very nice up there.
Sometimes she plays solo and at others she is surrounded by a group of wonderful musicians consisting of Laura Wilkie, Siobhan Anderson and sometimes Louise Bichan (the fiddle pixies), a drummer named Martyn Hodge and pianist the lovely Jennifer Austin. Rachel is very, very grateful for having them in her band.
Rachel has had many adventures both solo and with the band in the last twelve months, winning over audiences and making friends everywhere she goes. She went to London to play the Communion night at Notting Hill Arts Centre having had her track My Friend Fire, recorded and produced by Ben of Mumford and Sons feature on the first Communion compilation album.
Rachel has played at the Rock Ness, Belladrum, Wickerman, Loopallu and Greenman festivals, supported Stornoway on a Highlands & Islands tour as well as support slots with KT Tunstall, Newton Faulkner, John William Grant and British Sea Power.
This year Rachel has played HMV Big Thing Shows in London and at festivals abroad such as Eurosonic in Holland, SXSW in Texas and Musexpo in LA.
www.myspace.com/rachelsermanni
Born in Zambia, raised in London, Blaze Blackheart is charismatic, exciting and candid, a man unconstrained by genre, preferring instead to extract the best from wherever his inspiration leads.
His influences are equally varied. 'Shakespeare taught me how to rap… how to put words together', he reveals, while 2Pac provided his musical inspiration and charisma comes courtesy of Bruce Lee!
Described as ‘the Gentleman of Hip Hop’, you won’t catch Blaze Blackheart rapping about busting guns or selling drugs; that’s a life he’s never lived. He talks about real life, real feelings… and simply does what he feels will capture his true emotions.
Whether that’s feelings of joy and reflection, as illustrated by ‘I Feel Alright’ or his sentiments on social issues, beautifully vented in Tea with the Queen. His stories are engaging, his hooks addictive, with songs instantly at home on radio, tv, and the playlist on your iPod.
www.blazeblackheart.com
Listen to PRS for Music's July podcast here.
