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Eddi Reader
Eddi Reader's rare blend of meltingly true vocals and towering romanticism combine
with an astute and pragmatic nature to make her a unique and powerful figure in
contemporary British music. She has effortlessly developed into one of popular
music's most thrilling and affecting performers. Whilst the perfection of her
technique is widely acknowledged, what sets Reader apart is the depth and quality
of the emotional performance; her ability not only to move the listener but to
connect her experience to that of her audience. Her passion and instinct move
people in a way reminiscent of those who have influenced her work.
While it is well documented that Eddi grew up in a violent and oppressive suburb of Glasgow, it was there that she learned to use music as a vehicle for transcending her immediate environment. In the early 1980s, Eddi travelled around Europe with circus and performance artists before moving to London where she quickly became a sought after session vocalist. She famously harmonised with Annie Lennox touring with the Eurythmics after her time with succesful punk outfit Gang of Four. It was the short-lived but warmly remembered Fairground Attraction that really brought her into the limelight and to the attention of a much wider audience. The single Perfect and parent album First of a Million Kisses both topped the British charts. However, it was perhaps the four subsequent albums which signalled her increasing ability to assimilate different musical styles and make them all very much her own. Her unerring instinct for fine material, whether self penned, collaborative or a carefully chosen cover version resulted in Mirmama (1992), Eddi Reader (1994) and Candyfloss & Medicine (1996). Having built on this considerable body of work, Eddi then delivered Angels & Electricity (1998) - an album which she expertly co-produced with her long term musical partner Boo Hewerdine. Eddi's most recent release Simple Soul (2001/Rough Trade) was described by The Independent as, 'the fully-fledged emergence of a songwriting talent'. Since the release of Simple Soul in 2001 Eddi Reader has toured in England, Scotland, Japan, Australia, Spain, USA and Ireland, collecting rave reviews from every performance. She is currently working on an album of material by 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns to be recorded with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for release in Spring 2003. Two songs from the album were performed at the Burns festival in Ayr in 2002. Michael Tumelty of the Glasgow Herald wrote of her performance in Ayr, 'By any measure this was a great vocal performance and writing this 36 hours later, I'm still haunted by the sound and emotional depth of Reader's interpretation.' |
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