Artist: Nugent & Belle
Free Stream: Doves
Live: The Garage, London - December 17th
Something pretty amazing happens when these two ladies from Ireland and Scotland, respectively, come together. First noticed by industry legend Rob Dickins (ex-Chairman of Warner Music) who signed them to his label Instant Karma in the noughties as part of The Alice Band, Amy Belle and Audrey Nugent are quite simply a duo of great distinction.
After the group disbanded the girls went their separate ways for a few years, during which time Audrey wrote with several major artists including Chris Martin and Tim Wheeler of Ash. Meanwhile, Amy performed on stage with Rod Stewart at the Royal Albert Hall and went on to sign a record deal with Epic in New York. But having formed a strong bond whilst negotiating the treacherous waters of survival in a country/pop band, the two never completely lost touch and when Amy relocated back to London from Glasgow, they found themselves living down the road from one another in North London. Inevitably, it was meant to be and Nugent & Belle started jamming and writing again.
Audrey and Amy soon decided to collaborate on a new album. Self-funded and working mostly with friends and a sterling cast, helping for the love of the project, they produced an eclectic and often beautifully moving album entitled 'Seeing Stars'. Recorded at KT Tunstall's residential studio in Hungerford, Nugent & Belle’s debut offers eleven tracks that showcase some of the most stunning examples of female harmonies, melodious country- tinged folk and pop set to cinematic imaginings of life and love as lyrical prose.
Artists ranging from Alison Krauss through to Joni Mitchell and KT Tunstall all spring to mind, though it’s fair to say these girls have their own delectable sound. With a soft release digitally earlier this year, iTunes and Rolling Stone magazine were quick to pick up on its potential but with a physical release planned in early 2014 and a headline show at The Garage in London on December 17th Nugent & Belle deserve your attention right here and now.
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