The saying “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” is tailor-made for Beth Rowley.
Ten years ago the singer-songwriter’s debut ‘Little Dreamer’ went top 10, garnered a Brit nomination and sales in excess of 100,000. A huge achievement by anyone’s standards but a tainted one for Rowley – she felt compromised both musically and stylistically, modeled in the labels image as a mainstream contender.
This bitter-sweet experience played a significant part in why it's taken a decade for this talented musician to deliver her second long player. Now, with taster track ‘Forest Fire’ – co-written with Ron Sexsmith - putting her back on the radar and picking up daytime play at 6music, Beth Rowley is ready to step back into the spotlight.
“I had some awesome experiences being on a major label” says Rowley, “the opportunities you get given are incredible. I don’t want to say it was all bad, but it wasn't the right home for me, so it was best to part ways.”
“Ten years is a long time,” she acknowledges, but the resultant album ‘Gota Fría’ is a total vindication, a rawer, heavier, gutsier and more truthful mirror of her sublime talent, unshackled by her debut’s jazz-pop leanings and polished production.
A Spanish weather term ‘Gota Fría’ struck Rowley as the perfect album title. It describes “long periods of the clouds breaking off and remaining stationary for weeks and then sudden violent clashes of warm and cold currents. I thought it was a beautiful name, and an awesome album title, because the meaning is so bold and a perfect image of my own journey.”
A heady fusion of rock, blues and Americana ‘Gota Fría’ is a startling rebirth, with a confidence that belies that ten-year absence. Working with co-writers Ron Sexsmith, Marcus Bonfanti and Ben Castle, Rowley has delivered an album that smolders, in both explosive and intimate forms. ‘Howl at the Moon’ and ‘Only One Cloud’, evoke the swarthy drama of Led Zeppelin while ‘Brother’ and ‘Run to the Light’ are ember-glowing ballads. ‘Hide from Your Love’ and ‘Forest Fire’ splice country-folk roots with the vibe and energy of the Bristol scene that gave birth to her voice while ‘Get it Back’ is equal parts rock and soul and ‘Brave Face’ nods to the ‘70s west coast sound.
Eliza Shaddad
Taking influences from Nina Simone, Martha Tilston, Ella Fitzgerald and more.. Eliza Shadad will perform at The Horn, ahead of the release of her forthcoming debut album 'Future' which drops on Oct 26th!
Hope
When young London-based singer/songwriter Hope sings her songs, you hear a wealth of life experience far beyond her years.
Accumulating over 5 million hits and 30k subscribers on her Youtube channel, Hope’s voice is heard by people all over the world and her songs pull on your heart strings.
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Ages 14+ (Under 18s to be accompanied by a guardian)