Swedish rock’n’roll heroes The Hives return this summer with their first studio album in over a decade. Today, the band announces The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons out August 11th, 2023 via Fuga.

The announcement is paired with the release of the album’s muscular opening track ‘Bogus Operandi’, whose insistent and incendiary yet suave sound fizzes with the wild energy that has become the legendary band’s calling card and sets the tone for the project as a whole. The song’s thrilling, gory and downright stylish music video is directed by Aube Perrie (Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion) – watch HERE.

The announcement and new single precede a spring UK/EU arena tour with the Arctic Monkeys, as well as UK festival dates and intimate album in-store performances. The intimate shows are in Bristol and Nottingham (Rough Trade Records), and Prysm in Kingston (Banquet Records). Tickets are available from those retailers from May 4th. The band will also perform a very special underplay show at The Garagem London. Pre-sale access for this show is given to fans who pre-order the album from the band’s D2C store before May 9th. Fan pre-sale takes place on May 10th, with tickets going on general sale Friday, May 12th.

As the album’s macabre title hints, the band’s extended absence from the studio has been no hiatus but rather a horror story. The Hives now admit they have not seen nor spoken to their founder, mentor and songwriter, the perpetual limelight-shunning Randy Fitzsimmons, since the release of 2012’s Lex Hives. Following the recent discovery of a hidden away obituary and cryptic poem in the local paper of the Northern Vastmanland town where The Hives are from, the band members were led to Fitzsimmons’ tombstone. Upon digging the freshly interred ground, the band found not a body but instead several tapes, suits, and a piece of paper bearing the words “The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons” typed up as if a title. Whether a hoax or Fitzsimmons’ opening gambit, remains to be seen. The uncovered tapes included the demos that would become the twelve new songs on The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons.

Of the new album, frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist declares, “There’s no maturity or anything like that bullshit, because who the fuck wants mature rock’n’roll? That’s always where people go wrong, I feel. ‘It’s like rock’n’roll but adult,’ nobody wants that! That’s literally taking the good shit out of it. Rock’n’roll can’t grow up, it is a perpetual teenager and this album feels exactly like that, which it’s all down to our excitement – and you can’t fake that shit.”

Bassist The Johan And Only joins Chris Dangerous , Vigilante Carlstroem, Nicholaus Arson, and Howlin’ Pelle as a full member of The Hives following the departure of Dr Matt Destruction. Producer Patrik Berger captures the band’s punk energy and propensity for hits with his own roots in the Swedish punk scene and pop credentials including with Lana Del Rey, Robyn, and Charli XCX.

The album comes available as gatefold, glow in the dark vinyl, including a poster – limited edition D2C only.

​​In the twenty-five years since The Hives exploded around the world, they have sold out stadiums and shared stages with everyone from AC/DC to The Rolling Stones. They have sold millions of albums world-wide with multiple RIAA Gold-certifications. In the time since Lex Hives, the band has released 2019’s double A-side ‘I’m Alive’/’Good Samaritan’ as well as a live album via Third Man Records, and embarked on a series of global tours. The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons marks a true renaissance.

The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons tracklist:

1. Bogus Operandi
2. Trapdoor Solution
3. Countdown To Shutdown
4. Rigor Mortis Radio
5. Stick Up
6. Smoke & Mirrors
7. Crash Into The Weekend
8. Two Kinds Of Trouble
9. The Way The Story Goes
10. The Bomb
11. What Did I Ever Do To You?
12. Step Out Of The Way

THE HIVES UK SHOWS
May

Sat 27th Live At Leeds Festival,, Leeds

Mon 29th Bristol, Ashton Gate Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Tue 30th Bristol, Fleece – Rough Trade Records

Wed 31st Coventry, Building Society Arena w/ Arctic Monkeys

June
Fri 2nd Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford w/ Arctic Monkeys

Sat 3rd Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford w/ Arctic Monkeys

Mon 5th Middlesbrough, Riverside Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Tue 6th Kingston, Pryzm – Banquet Records

Wed 7th Norwich, Carrow Road Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Fri 9th Sheffield, Hillsborough Park w/ Arctic Monkeys

Sat 10th Sheffield, Hillsborough Park w/ Arctic Monkeys

Mon 12th Swansea, Swansea.com Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Tue 13th London, The Garage

Wed 14th Southampton, The Ageas Bowl w/ Arctic Monkeys

Fri 16th London, Emirates Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Sat 17th London, Emirates Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Sun 18th London, Emirates Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Tue 20th Dublin, Marlay Park w/ Arctic Monkeys

Thu 22nd Nottingham, Rescue Room – Rough Trade Records

Sun 25th Glasgow, Bellahouston Park w/ Arctic Monkeys

The Hives on the web:

Website | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Twitter | Spotify | Apple | Tidal

34 years since they recorded ‘I Don’t Want A Lover’, then watched, gobsmacked, as it reached Number Eight in the charts, Texas, one of the UK’s most loved bands, have gone on to produce ten studio albums, selling over 40 million records worldwide. So let the fireworks begin as they today announce a special 2LP & 2CD compilation The Very Best Of 1989 – 2023 – out June 16th on [PIAS] Recordings, ahead of an appearance on the Pyramid Stage at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

There’s the one with The Wu-Tang Clan. The five that were Top 10 singles from one album. The one with Alan Rickman in the video. The one that was an inspired Al Green cover. The two written with diverse titans of American music, Dallas Austin and Gregg Alexander. The one that was remixed by Giorgio Moroder. The une that helped give them their first French Number One album. The segued pair that, according to the woman at the front, makes their live audiences go “absolutely fuckin’ apeshit”. The one with the video directed by Peter Kay. The other one with Wu-Tang Clan. The one that gave them, straight out of the gate, a Top 10 single with their first ever release. The club banger with a killer Donna Summer sample. And the one that ended up the theme song to a top-rating American sitcom…

Texas – The Very Best Of 1989-2023 has all of the above, and more. 24 diamonds from a glittering career, including two brand new tracks ‘Keep On Talking’ & new single ‘After All’.

A nailed-on singalong, ‘After All’ is a song so stomping that the video, directed by Lewis Knaggs, features Sharleen deliver a stella performance, unleashing her inner Dave Grohl as she takes up drumming duties. Watch the video HERE.

Then there’s ‘Keep On Talking’, a foot-shuffling cover of the 1965 Northern Soul deep-cut Keep On Talking, written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham – and produced by Oldham in Muscle Shoals.

There’s more screen star power sprinkled across Texas’s back catalogue as represented in The Very Best Of 1989-2023. The video for ‘In Demand’ features Spiteri’s dear friend, the late, lamented actor Alan Rickman. As for the video for ‘Sleep’, the final single from 2005’s Red Book (and another Top 10), it was made by Peter Kay after the comic and Spiteri bonded at the Live 8 all-star concert in Edinburgh.

“We did it in the club that Phoenix Nights was shot in.” Sharleen explains. “And Peter scripted, directed, starred, edited, everything – he did everything on that video on his own. He was phenomenal. A friend for life.” And when Spiteri’s duet partner on that beautiful song, legendary (and legendarily selective) Blue Nile singer Paul Buchanan had opted not to appear in the video, Kay’s a pretty good stand-in, right?

Meanwhile, across all their albums, Texas were reliably killing it in mainland Europe. Jump On Board (2017) was a chart-topping triumph in France, its ascent aided by the snake-hipped funk of Let’s Work It Out, “which literally you couldn’t get off the radio in France”. But, again, what an afterlife. Now, when they perform that song live, complete with Spiteri doing the video’s “stupid dance” (her words, not ours), they go straight into ace Hi cut Mr Haze. That dancefloor classic is rocket-powered by deft deployment of a sample of Donna Summer’s Love’s Unkind..

And all those, of course, are just some of the highlights studded across this 24-track compilation.

Finally, then: as Sharleen Spiteri looks back over these tracks of her years, what’s the overall sensation? Satisfaction of a job well done? The best is yet to come?

“No’ bad for a hairdresser fae Glasgow!” she says, an old joke but still a good one (and a true one). “But I gotta be honest: I still feel like I’m really close to the beginning. And the energy and the vibe between us all – as a band I don’t think we’ve ever been happier, and I don’t think we’ve ever been tighter. And I don’t think we’ve ever been more definite about who we are.”

Who are they? They are Texas, and they make hits.

Texas – The Very Best Of 1989 – 2023 tracklisting

1. Say What You Want
2. Black Eyed Boy
3. Inner Smile
4. Mr Haze
5. Halo
6. I Don’t Want A Lover
7. Summer Son
8. Keep On Talking
9. The Conversation
10. In Our Lifetime
11. In Demand
12. Put Your Arms Around Me
13. Let’s Work It Out
14. When We Are Together
15. Hi
16. Say What You Want (All Day Everyday) feat. Wu-Tang Clan
17. Tired Of Being Alone
18. Start A Family feat. Alan Rickman
19. So Called Friend
20. Everyday Now
21. Insane
22. After All
23. Sleep feat. Paul Buchanan
24. So In Love With You

‘Gag Order’ cover art

Today, Kesha announces her new album ‘Gag Order’, set to drop May 19th (via Kemosabe/RCA Records), an album that finds the GRAMMY-nominated pop star excavating the deepest recesses of her soul to date.

The Rick Rubin-produced record, which Kesha has labeled “post-pop”, is a full-bodied collection that flows like a stream-of-conscious journey through the psychedelic dark depths of the human psyche followed by basking in the cleansing light when finally reaching the surface.

Kesha has teased the forthcoming album on Instagram over the past month as well as in a cameo in a recent 60 Minutes story on Rick Rubin. This Friday, she will drop a duo of pre-release tracks, “Eat the Acid” and “Fine Line”.

‘Gag Order’, which Kesha is executive producer on, is an album unlike anything she has created thus far in her career, yet somehow is an album that only she truly could have made. Forged in the fires of self-discovery and learning to finally accept the ugly, scary sides of ourselves, ‘Gag Order’ feels like an emotional exorcism, unearthing and facing the darkness in oneself, brought to life with experimental, otherworldly production & lyrical vulnerability unlike anything the artist has written before. On ‘Gag Order’, Kesha confronts her own reflection & finds empowerment in her own voice, with beautiful, heart aching results.

“Without the darkness there is no light. I finally let my darkness have the light.  I cannot fight the truth of this life being difficult and painful. It is for everyone,” wrote Kesha in an album manifesto that went live today via Nylon. “An artist doesn’t exist to make others happy. I believe an artist gives voice, motion, color to the emotions we all have. The good emotions, and the unmanageably fucking miserable ones.”

Kesha has sold more than 14 million total album equivalents worldwide, has approximately 6.9 billion audio streams and 1.7 billion video streams worldwide, and has had 9 Top 10 hits on The Billboard Hot 100, including four # 1 singles at Top 40 Radio – “TiK ToK,” “Your Love Is My Drug,” “Die Young,” and “Timber.”

Following a year of staggering losses, personal introspection and bittersweet remembrances, Foo Fighters return with But Here We Are, out June 2 on Roswell Records/Columbia Records.

A brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters endured over the last year, But Here We Are is a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family. Courageous, damaged and unflinchingly authentic, But Here We Are opens with newly released lead single “Rescued,” the first of 10 songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between.

Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, But Here We Are is in nearly equal measure the 11th Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of the band’s new life. Sonically channeling the naiveté of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth, But Here We Are is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life.

But Here We Are is available for pre-order now, with all pre-orders including “Rescued” as an instant grat. The album’s track list is as follows:

Rescued

Under You

Hearing Voices

But Here We Are

The Glass

Nothing At All

Show Me How

Beyond Me

The Teacher

Rest

Following her sold out exclusive birthday show next week at London Lafayette, Beverley Knight has announced the details of her biggest ever UK tour to date. The Queen of British Soul will perform twenty very special headline dates across some of the UK’s major cities throughout October and November 2023.

Beverley Knight has been one of the UK’s most consistent artists for almost three decades. Celebrating her incredible career over the years the tour also marks her milestone 50th birthday. Back together with her live band expect a fun-filled night where she will perform all of her classic hits, fan favourites along with brand new songs.

Beverley said “It’s been a minute! I am so looking forward to finally getting back on the road with my band again! There is nothing like the energy of a live audience showing love in return for you giving them everything you’ve got.”

2023 is also set to be a landmark year for Beverley, as she’s currently mid working on new material for her first studio album in seven years. She’s had several Top 10 albums, including the platinum selling Voice: The Best Of Beverley Knight and sold over a million albums in the UK, including four gold certified albums. Her most recent studio album Soulsville (released 2016) went straight into the UK Top 10, whilst her celebration of 25 years in music for BK25: Beverley Knight with The Leo Green Orchestra at The Royal Festival Hall was testament to her career of hits.

In recent years, Wolverhampton born Knight has forged a formidable parallel career in theatre. Her West End debut was the starring role in The Bodyguard followed by leading the Tony winning Memphis The Musical. At the request of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber she joined the cast of Cats, playing the iconic role of Grizabella. 2021 saw Beverley lead The Drifters Girl at the Garrick Theatre as the formidable manager of soul group The Drifters, which was Olivier nominated Best New Musical, and Beverley for Best Actress.

Following a sold-out summer playing Deloris Van Cater opposite Jennifer Saunders in the revival of Sister Act, Beverley was delighted to return to London’s iconic Old Vic for the new production of Sylvia. Currently starring to huge acclaim as Emmeline Pankhurst, Beverley has been nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical at the Olivier Awards in April. The show also received nominations for Best New Musical and Best Choreographer. 

Beverley is also currently on screen every Saturday night as a panel judge in ITV’s talent series Starstruck. Broadcasting work beyond this current hit show, include presenting 4 series of Radio 2 show ‘Beverley’s Gospel Nights’ and two series of the BBC1 show Just the Two of Us. She recently appeared in the all star cast of Amazon’s new live action movie Cinderella (2021) with Camilla Cabello in the title role.

Her outstanding live performances have gained her a legion of famous fans over the years from David Bowie to Stevie Wonder, she has collaborated on stage and on record with the likes of Prince, Jamiroquai, Bocelli, Take That, Chaka Kahn, Joss Stone & Marvin Gaye. Her performance with Goldie of ‘Inner City Life’ at last year’s Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony in Birmingham a recent stand out.

A British treasure, Beverley was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to British music and charity, has won three MOBO Awards, been nominated for Best Female at the Brit Awards 3 times, Best Actress at the Olivier Awards twice, and Best Female at the prestigious Mercury Music Prize.

Tickets for the UK tour go on sale Friday 24th March at 9:00am and will be available from www.gigsandtours.com / www.ticketmaster.co.uk

UK TOUR DATES 2023

OCTOBER

17 – Reading Hexagon

18 – Bath Forum

19 – Cardiff St David’s Hall

21 – Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

23 – Sheffield City Hall

24 – Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

16 – Glasgow SEC Armadillo

28 – Gateshead Sage

29 – Northampton Derngate

31 – Leicester De Montfort Hall

NOVEMBER

02 – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

03 – Manchester Bridgewater Hall

04 – Birmingham Symphony Hall

06 – Cambridge Corn Exchange

07 – Brighton Dome

09 – York Barbican

10 – Stoke-on-Trent Regent Theatre

11 – Bournemouth Pavilion

13 – Southend Cliffs Pavilion

14 – London Palladium

Connect with Beverley Knight

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Multi-platinum selling Scottish rockers Travis have revealed ‘Sing (Live)’, taken from the band’s forthcoming Record Store 2023 release, The Invisible Band (Live). The album will be dropped as a special one-off live album on vinyl on April 22nd and across streaming services on April 21st via Craft Recordings.

“If ‘The Invisible Band’ was a house, ‘Sing’ would be the front door,” Fran Healy said of the track. “It was originally called ‘Swing’. I was pivoting between ‘Swing’ and ‘Sing’, never before has so much rested on a W. It could all have been so different. It’s such a breezy, easy song to sing and all these years later, it still feels fresh as the day we first played it.” Listen to ‘Sing (Live)’ HERE.

Recorded live at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on May 22nd 2022 during their celebrated The Invisible Band in Concert anniversary dates, the live album sees the art school band play the seminal album front to back for the first time ever. 

“Playing The Invisible Band live was a lot of fun. There are so many memories folded into these songs for us and for everyone who came to the shows,” Fran Healy said of the album. “The tracklisting on this album worked really great live so we decided to record and film the final show in Glasgow. There is always a chance I’ll get a sore throat when I know there is a taping coming up, but thankfully it all went without a hitch. I think it was the best we played the album that night.”

Released for the only time on vinyl for RSD 2023, this special 2-LP package comes on clear vinyl in a gatefold sleeve and includes exclusive unseen photography from Ryan Johnston. Pay a visit to your local independent record shop on Record Store Day (Saturday 22nd April) for the chance to purchase – list of participating shops HERE. The album will also be released across streaming services on April 21st. Pre-save HERE.

Returning to the studio with The Man Who’s co-producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck, Paul McCartney) for The Invisible Band, Travis crafted a near-perfect 45-minute album praised by Q magazine for having some of ‘the best and most fully crafted’ songs of their career to date. 

‘Sing’ remains the band’s highest-charting single in the UK (No.3), while its follow-ups, ‘Side’ and ‘Flowers In The Window’, saw the band consolidate their indie-pop formula, helping The Invisible Band to match its predecessor’s No.1 position in the UK album chart, while taking Travis into the US Top 40 and Top 10 in Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Italy and Norway.

Tickets are on sale now for Metallica and Trafalgar Releasing’s worldwide listening party for Metallica’s forthcoming 12th studio album, 72 Seasons. For one night only on Thursday, April 13, 72 Seasons will play exclusively for cinema audiences worldwide—with every one of the new songs featuring its own music video and exclusive commentary from the band. Fans can also experience Metallica like never before in Dolby Atmos®, an audio experience that will immerse listeners inside each song to reveal details with unparalleled clarity and depth. 

Check metallica.film or contact your local movie theatre for ticketing information on this one night only event (in Dolby Atmos where available).

Metallica: 72 Seasons – Global Premiere will offer fans an unforgettable night as they see and hear 72 Seasons first and fully on the eve of its April 14 release. View a Metallica: 72 Seasons – Global Premiere trailer HERE.

Preceded by the just-released “If Darkness Had a Son,” the “towering, imposing, unbreakably fortified” (Revolver) new track “Screaming Suicide” and first single “Lux Æterna” — hailed upon its November 28, 2022 release as “thundering, breakneck” (Billboard), “gut-punching” (Rolling Stone) and “blistering” (USA Today) — 72 Seasons will be released April 14 via Metallica’s own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with Hetfield & Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track 72 Seasons is Metallica’s first full length collection of new material since 2016’s Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. The album will be released in 2LP 140g black vinyl and limited-edition variants, CD digital, and in Dolby Atmos (streaming where available). For a full listing of configurations, pre-orders and further information, go to www.metallica.com/store/72-seasons/

The 72 Seasons global premiere sees Metallica and Trafalgar joining forces once more, having previously worked together on the October 2019 worldwide cinematic release of Metallica and San Francisco Symphony:S&M², which documented Metallica and San Francisco Symphony reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their original S&M (Symphony & Metallica) concerts and releases.

https://www.metallica.com/

Simply Red are back! Four years since the triumphant Blue Eyed Soul, one of the UK’s most treasured bands return with brand new studio album Time – out May 26th on Warner Music. The record’s debut offering comes in the form of the sensational pop masterclass ‘Better With You’ – Listen HERE. The video will premiere Friday March 3rd at 14:00 GMT HERE.

“On the song itself, I’m reminiscing on phase one of the relationship with my wife, when we first met in Milan. At that time, I was single and just partying my way around the world. And I thought to myself: well, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I was just going along, having a right old time. It just stemmed from there,” Mick Hucknall said of the track.

Over 12 vivid, heartfelt, life-giving tracks that mix soul, funk, R&B and blues, Time demonstrates an unerring ear for, feel for and passion for songs that move the emotion and the imagination. Recorded in London with longstanding producer Andy Wright and the close-knit cadre of musicians with whom he’s formed a matchless touring band, Hucknall is back – and not just with the label, Warner Music, with whom he began Simply Red’s musical adventure. He’s writing from, and about, himself.

“When we were in lockdown, I went, well, jeez, who am I actually?” he remembers. “What makes me tick? And I realised: you are a songwriter. So why don’t you write some songs about who you are? That’s really the essence of this album.”

With a career spanning 12 studio albums as Simply Red (five of them Number Ones), two solo albums, back-to-back ASCAP Most Performed Song honours (1987 and 1988) for Holding Back The Years, consecutive Brit Awards (1992 and 1993) for Best British Group, a Brit for Best British Male (1993), the 1997 MOBO for Outstanding Achievement, two Ivor Novellos (1992 Songwriter of the Year; 2002 Outstanding Song Collection), and some 60 million album sales, Mick is ready to continue the ride into the next chapter.

Time is full of golden moments from a golden talent. Come for the poppy confessional and stay for the honest accounts of where Mick Hucknall finds himself, a happily married father, as an ever-inspired singer and songwriter.

“Music is one of those wonderful communicators. Each and every person can have an interpretation of a song that can mean something to them. To be able to create something that is then shared with millions of people all over the world – what a joy. How can anything be more rewarding and fulfilling than that?”

Time Track Listing

1. Better With You
2. Just Like You
3. Let Your Hair Down
4. Shades 22
5. It Wouldn’t Be Me
6. Never Be Gone
7. Too Long At The Fair
8. Slapbang
9. Hey Mister
10. Just Like You (Pt. 2)
11. Butterflies
12. Earth In A Lonely Space

Live, after a stellar 2022 which saw the band perform 73 shows to over 600,000 people across Europe, the band show no sign of slowing down and will play a host of European Summer shows this year 2023. With more to be announced, the 28 dates will see Simply Red take on summer venues across Europe, performing all of their Greatest Hits and confirming their reputation as one of the great live acts of today.

2023 SUMMER DATES

June 2023

16th – Sønderborg, Mølleparken – Denmark

18^th – Werchter, TW Classic – Belgium

21st – Pula, Roman Arena – Croatia

25^th – Nimes, Festival de Nimes – France

27th – Trani, Piazza Duomo – Italy

28th – Macerata, Sferisterio – Italy

July

1st – Lucca Summer Festival 2023 – Italy

3rd – Marostica, Piazza Deli Scacchi – Italy

4th – Torino, Stupinigi Sonic Park 2023 – Italy

7th – Weert, Bospop Festival 2023 – Netherlands

8th – Berlin, Zitadelle – Germany

9th – Halle Saale, Peißnitz Insel – Germany

11th – Kiel, Wunderino Arena – Germany

12th – Mönchengladbach, Sparkassen Arena – Germany

14th – Bonn, Kunstrasen – Germany

15th – Mainz, Zitadelle – Germany

16th – Lörrach, Stimmen Festival – Germany

19th – Rosenheim, Mangfall Park – Germany

20th – Regensburg, Schloß Emmeram – Germany

21st – Fulda, Domplatz – Germany

23rd – Stuttgart, Jazz Open – Germany

25th – Salem, Schloss – Germany

28th – Füssen, Barockgarten – Germany

30th – Klam, Castle Klam – Austria

August

4th – Murcia, Murcia On Fest – Spain

5th – Poblado De Sancti Petri, Concert Music Festival – Spain

9th – Zofingen, Magic Night – Switzerland

10th – Schaffhausen, Stars in Town – Switzerland

www.simplyred.com

“She is much more than a gifted organist, choral conductor and social media sensation…
she’s a star on a mission” – The Sunday Times

”TikTok organist told to ‘play like a man’ is leading musical gender equality movement” – The I Newspaper

“She had rightly become “the world’s most visible organist” – New York Times 

After picking up the prestigious RPS Gamechanger Award at The Royal Philharmonic Society Awards this week, Anna Lapwood releases ‘Chevalier De Sangreal’, the second track to be taken from her forthcoming 5 track EP of film transcriptions. Recorded on the organ of the Royal Albert Hall, Midnight Sessions At The Royal Albert Hall EP will be released April 21st on Sony Classical. 

Taken from The Da Vinci Code and composed by Hans Zimmer, Anna delivers a beautifully haunting version of ‘Chevalier De Sangreal’ (from The Da Vinci Code). “We all have those pieces of music that have a strong childhood memory associated with them – they feel formative in a way – and Chevaliers De Sangreal (from “The Da Vinci Code”) is one of those pieces for me,” Anna said of the track. “ I vividly remember watching the film for the first time with my family, hearing the music and feeling incredibly emotional. I wanted to understand how the music worked so I sat in bed with a torch and manuscript paper, writing out the harmony, and trying to understand how Hans Zimmer achieved such emotion through repetition and orchestration.” Listen to ‘Chevalier De Sangreal’ (from The Da Vinci Code) HERE.

The track follows – ‘Cornfield Chase (From “Interstellar”)’ composed by Hans Zimmer – the first track to be released from Midnight Sessions At The Royal Albert Hall (listen here), and you can get to know this extremely exciting and talented artist via her Introduction video here.

Of the EP Anna comments; “Over the last 11 months I’ve been lucky enough to be let into the Royal Albert Hall in the middle-of-the night for practice sessions on the hall’s magnificent organ. As I’ve explored the strange, beautiful and wonderful colours that it has to offer, I’ve written a set of new film music transcriptions with that specific instrument in mind, capturing some of the magic that I feel in that iconic building after hours.”

The 27-year-old from a small Oxfordshire village has been making waves with her exciting approach to organ playing, awakening the senses of young and old alike, opening the gateways to classical music and shining a light on an often under-appreciated instrument. 

By day she runs choirs and teaches at Cambridge University’s Pembroke College, practising the organ at every opportunity. By night, her role as Associate Artist of the Royal Albert Hall sees her granted special access to the majestic instrument while most of us are fast asleep. This has led to an entirely spontaneous collaboration with electronic musician Bonobo – one late-night practice session was interrupted by a request shouted up from the stage, which turned out to come from a couple of members of Bonobo’s band. 18 hours later, she was helping them close their show to an unsuspecting audience of 5,000.

Anna continues to relive the magic of that event through her videos to her 450,000+ TikTok followers – a tool she is using with exciting results. The power of social media gives the ability to demystify the outdated baggage the organ once carried along with it, throwing open the doors to all sorts of possibilities.

Only 8% of organists responsible for recitals in the UK in 2022 are women. Anna’s #playlikeagirl social media hashtag, which isn’t about dividing, but uniting and reminding women to own themselves, be themselves and find themselves through music, has blown up.

With an exciting year to come, including an album on the horizon and her signing to Sony Classical indicating a new and exciting chapter in her career, keep an eye out for the woman who can do it all. 

“There’s all sorts of old ideas about who goes to an organ concert, and it was seen as having gone out of fashion. That has definitely changed,” insists Anna: “This instrument is anything from boring – just ask Benedict Cumberbatch!”

EP TRACKLIST: MIDNIGHT SESSIONS AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

1. Cornfield Chase (From “Interstellar”)
2. Test Drive (From “How To Train Your Dragon”)
3. Davy Jones (From “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”)
4. Chevaliers De Sangreal (From “The Da Vinci Code”)
5. No Time For Caution (From “Interstellar”)

Appearances include the following, with more concerts to be announced soon

March
Tue 28th Organ Recital – First Palo Alto United Methodist Church, California

April
Sat 1st Organ Recital: Segerstrom Concert Hall, California

Sat 22nd Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony No. 3 with the London Mozart Players – Fairfield Halls, Croydon (Pipe Dreams)

Wed 26th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony No. 3, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

Thu 27th Chetham’s School of Music Masterclass – Manchester

Thu 27th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

Sun 30th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

June
Sun 4th Royal Albert Hall Organ Celebration (Recital) – Royal Albert Hall

July
Sat 1st Organ Recital – St Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden

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Widely respected former President of BMG UK, Alexi Cory-Smith, has created Bella Figura Music – a music company for the digital age. She is CEO alongside co-founder and Head of Investments, Neelesh Prabhu, who previously led the global investments division of BMG.

Bella Figura Music was born out of shared passions for music and technology. The team are building a purpose-built, artist-centric music company, bringing together leading technology and a relentless focus on creative excellence. The team have spent much of the past year acquiring an impressive and exciting catalogue of recording and publishing assets, with the backing of Freshstream, a private equity fund with a track-record backing entrepreneurs. Deals to date include:

Guy Chambers’ publishing catalogue which includes iconic Robbie Williams hits such as ‘Angels’, ‘Feel’ and ‘Let Me Entertain You’.

David Gray’s record label IHT which owns all his albums from the breakthrough 1998 ‘White Ladder’ to the 2019 acclaimed Gold In A Brass Age. David is closely involved with Bella Figura Music.

R3HAB’s catalogue up to 2022 including ‘All Around the World’, ‘Sad Boy’, ‘Runaway’ and ‘Call Me’.

AWAL divested portfolio of rights including shares in recordings by Placebo, David Gray, Wombats, Dashboard Confessional and more.

US songwriter/producer Darrell Brown’s publishing shares in 25 songs including hits for LeAnn Rimes and Keith Urban.

“I view David Gray and Guy Chambers as the founding blocks on which we build the business,” Alexi says. “One is records, the other is publishing – both top quality catalogues.

I am very proud of what we have achieved in Bella Figura Music’s first year of business.”

“I’ve always wanted to have my own music company and after years in corporates the timing to take an entrepreneurial path felt right,” she added.

David Gray says; “I’ve been looking for a new partner for my music for quite some time, so when I heard about Alexi and Bella Figura I thought it had the potential to be a good fit. They struck me as a company with serious ambitions, an eye for detail and a point to prove, and the fact that I had a good relationship with Alexi from her time at Chrysalis/BMG was definitely a major positive too. The world of music and technology is in a state of constant flux and it’s vital to work with people who are not only attentive to its challenges, but also alert to its opportunities. I feel very optimistic that with Bella Figura I’ve found just that.”

Guy Chambers adds; “I’m so pleased to be working with Bella Figura. I think Alexi is one of the most dynamic executives working in the music industry. Having Alexi at the helm of Bella Figura is an exciting prospect for what is a new and vital area for songwriters in the industry today.”

Artist-driven and forward-thinking, Bella Figura Music is creating a blueprint for managing music rights in the digital age. Based in a quirky Soho, London office, they are building a small, passionate team with a boutique hands-on approach, with the artists involved in every aspect of business. A primary goal is to ensure its copyright data matches every royalty payment as soon as that payment is triggered.

Why Bella Figura Music? “I wish I had a more intellectual answer for the name,” Alexi admits. “The truth is I was in an Italian deli weighing up whether to order some cake when the waiter pointed out it would not be good for the ‘Bella Figura’. At that exact moment, one of our advisors called asking for the company name. And Bella Figura just stuck. It makes a lot more sense now when you consider that our company is focused on delivering beautiful numbers and figures! I suppose I could have called it Lemon Ricotta Cake. Or not. Because as it turned out, I left the deli with just a black coffee.”

About Alexi Cory-Smith:
Prior to forming BFM, Alexi was president of BMG UK where she grew and led its music publishing and recordings business. Alexi joined BMG in January 2011, becoming SVP of BMG UK before moving up to EVP of the combined BMG Chrysalis UK in 2013.

She was promoted to President, Repertoire and Marketing of BMG UK, in 2016, heading up the Repertoire business across both publishing and records. She was instrumental in originating and managing some of the key M&A for the group including (in the UK) Chrysalis (publishing), Union Square (master catalogue marketing and licensing), ‘Rosetta’ (the Virgin/ Famous Music publishing catalogue divestment by EMI) Mute and Sanctuary (Master Catalogue divestments by UMG) and Infectious (frontline Record Label) and supporting the integration of Bug (Publishing)

She was personally responsible for key signings including The Rolling Stones and Roger Waters, two of the highest earning international acts in the BMG roster.

About Neelesh Prabhu:
Neelesh joined BMG in January 2011 and, like Alexi, served a hugely successful seven-year stint, more recently co-founding an Insurtech Start Up in Singapore.

Prior to that Neelesh ran BMG’s global investments / M&A department, looking after teams in Berlin, LA, NYC, and London, working alongside Alexi.

About Freshstream:
Freshstream Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on the UK/Benelux regions. Freshstream made its first investment in 2016 and has offices in London and Amsterdam. It seeks to partner with entrepreneurs and management teams of rapidly growing companies to provide insight, expertise and capital to build strong, future-proof businesses that create value for its shareholders.

Freshstream is a signatory of UN Principles for Responsible Investment, iCi, and has been carbon neutral since 2018.

www.bellafiguramusic.com

“She is much more than a gifted organist, choral conductor and social media sensation…
she’s a star on a mission” – The Sunday Times

”TikTok organist told to ‘play like a man’ is leading musical gender equality movement” – The I Newspaper

“She had rightly become “the world’s most visible organist” – New York Times 

Anna Lapwood is like no other musician, and after recently signing a major label deal with Sony Classical, she will release her 5 track Midnight Sessions At The Royal Albert Hall EP of film transcriptions on April 21st, recorded on the organ of the Royal Albert Hall. An album will arrive later this year, as well as a host of prestigious organ recitals and concertos this Spring.

The first single from the EP – ‘Cornfield Chase (From “Interstellar”)’ composed by Hans Zimmer – is out today (listen here), and you can get to know this extremely exciting and talented artist via her Introduction video here.

Of the EP and first single, Anna comments; “Over the last 11 months I’ve been lucky enough to be let into the Royal Albert Hall in the middle-of-the night for practice sessions on the hall’s magnificent organ. As I’ve explored the strange, beautiful and wonderful colours that it has to offer, I’ve written a set of new film music transcriptions with that specific instrument in mind, capturing some of the magic that I feel in that iconic building after hours. Cornfield Chase is a special one because it started me off on this huge journey of exploration and discovery. I was performing a concert at Temple Church in London, where the Interstellar soundtrack was originally recorded, and couldn’t resist trying a little bit out. I posted a short clip on TikTok and it blew up straight away – I didn’t really look back after that!”

The 27-year-old from a small Oxfordshire village has been making waves with her exciting approach to organ playing, awakening the senses of young and old alike, opening the gateways to classical music and shining a light on an often under-appreciated instrument.

The Sunday Times described her as “a star on a mission and a social media sensation”. The New York Times heralded her as “the world’s most visible organist” while The i declared: “TikTok organist told to ‘play like a man’ is leading musical gender equality movement.”

By day she runs choirs and teaches at Cambridge University’s Pembroke College, practising the organ at every opportunity. By night, her role as Associate Artist of the Royal Albert Hall sees her granted special access to the majestic instrument while most of us are fast asleep. This has led to an entirely spontaneous collaboration with electronic musician Bonobo – one late-night practice session was interrupted by a request shouted up from the stage, which turned out to come from a couple of members of Bonobo’s band. 18 hours later, she was helping them close their show to an unsuspecting audience of 5,000.

The list of special collaborations doesn’t stop there. So comfortable at the venue is Anna that when she realised that a practice session coincided with Benedict Cumberbatch appearing at the Hall, she approached the actor and asked if he wanted to have a go on the organ. He and his wife Sophie Hunter, the theatre and opera director, duly accepted. 

“I played for them for about 10 minutes, and then they both had a go,” says Anna. “Benedict played Bach’s Prelude In C Major (BWV 846). We had a chat and after they left, I started practising Cornfield Chase. Benedict’s bodyguards ran back on stage as they love the piece and Benedict followed and asked if I could do it again so he could film it. When I finished, I realised he was crying, and he said: ‘You’ve got to join Letters Live tomorrow’. Then I started crying!” As Benedict read former US President Richard Nixon’s letter, written to be shared if the moon landings had failed and lives had been lost, Anna played Cornfield Chase to close the show. 

Anna continues to relive the magic of that event through her videos to her 450,000+ TikTok followers – a tool she is using with exciting results. The power of social media gives the ability to demystify the outdated baggage the organ once carried along with it, throwing open the doors to all sorts of possibilities.

Only 8% of organists responsible for recitals in the UK in 2022 are women. Anna’s #playlikeagirl social media hashtag, which isn’t about dividing, but uniting and reminding women to own themselves, be themselves and find themselves through music, has blown up.

With an exciting year to come, and her signing to Sony Classical indicating a new and exciting chapter in her career, keep an eye out for the woman who can do it all.

“There’s all sorts of old ideas about who goes to an organ concert, and it was seen as having gone out of fashion. That has definitely changed,” insists Anna: “This instrument is anything from boring – just ask Benedict Cumberbatch!”

EP TRACKLIST: MIDNIGHT SESSIONS AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

1. Cornfield Chase (From “Interstellar”)
2. Test Drive (From “How To Train Your Dragon”)
3. Davy Jones (From “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”)
4. Chevaliers De Sangreal (From “The Da Vinci Code”)
5. No Time For Caution (From “Interstellar”)

Appearances include the following, with more concerts to be announced soon

February
Sat 4th BBC Radio 3: Record Review, Contributor

Sat 18th Organ Recital – St Luke’s Church, Battersea, London

March
Tue 28th Organ Recital – First Palo Alto United Methodist Church, California

April
Sat 1st Organ Recital: Segerstrom Concert Hall, California

Sat 22nd Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony No. 3 with the London Mozart Players – Fairfield Halls, Croydon (Pipe Dreams)

Wed 26th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony No. 3, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

Thu 27th Chetham’s School of Music Masterclass – Manchester

Thu 27th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

Sun 30th Poulenc Organ Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, Hallé Orchestra – Bridgewater Hall

June
Sun 4th Royal Albert Hall Organ Celebration (Recital) – Royal Albert Hall

July
Sat 1st Organ Recital – St Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden

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