2. Lights
How did you come across her?
I am part of a music forum called UKMIX, and at the time was a big fan of Owl City. Someone mentioned Lights in one of the topics, so I went in search of her music. I found ‘Saviour‘, and fell in love.
So, who is she?
Lights is an electro-pop pixie from Canada. She was signed at the age of 15 where she sang in the band Shovel Face. She soon ventured as a solo artist and has gained great success from doing so.
What makes her so great?
Lights is like a cuter, more accessible Bjork with a hint of Imogen Heap thrown in. She’s versatile, unique and extremely introspective, but very easy to relate to. Her songs often come from a personal and intense state of emotion – ‘Face Up‘ deals with overcoming suicide whilst ‘Lions!‘ encourages people to face their greatest fears – and her songwriting skills are deeply her own. She worried her label by taking a more raw approach for her second album, incorporating heavy dubstep and gritty garage influences to counter her sweet vocals, but released it despite their concerns, and from it was nominated by Juno Awards for Best Pop Album Of The Year. Not bad at all.
What is she up to now?
Her latest collection ‘Little Machines‘ is due for release in September. The singles ‘Up We Go‘ and ‘Portal‘ are available for download now.
What album would you recommend?
If you prefer lighter (excuse the pun) listening, go for ‘The Listening‘. If you want something gritter, ‘Siberia‘ would be more your cup of tea.
3. Plumb
How did you come across her?
Back in the days of MySpace. I went on a friend’s profile and her song ‘Cut‘ was playing. I was completely blown away and wanted more.
So, who is she?
Tiffany Arbuckle Lee, or Plumb as she’s become known, is a singer, songwriter and author from Atlanta. She originally debuted with a band under the same name in 1997, but went out on her own as a solo artist after the first album.
What makes her so great?
Plumb is probably the most honest songwriter you’ll ever hear. Her songwriting covers deeply personal stories – ‘Cut‘, a piano-driven ballad, addresses cutting and self-harm, while her most well-known song, ‘Damaged‘, talks about a girl being molested as a child and trying to live with the knowledge as an adult. Plumb planned to quit the industry in 2000, but changed her mind after a letter from a female fan reached her, which said “Whatever you do, I just want you to never forget that you have changed someone’s life.” In addition to this, Plumb’s latest album ‘Need You Now‘ was delayed due to her marriage breaking down; in her words, half of the album had become ‘redundant’. That’s not something you’d see Cheryl Cole or Beyonce doing.
What is she up to now?
Her 7th album ‘Need You Now‘ is being re-released with four new tracks (I have to admit she’s lost points with me for this, I hate it when artists do that) and she is releasing her first book under the same title.
What album would you recommend?
Her second solo outing, ‘Chaotic Resolve‘. A perfect combination of beauty, devastation, hope and reckless dancing.
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