Best songs of 2013

Nadine Shah

To listen again click here for show's from 21 and 28 December.

What a task! Sifting through all the new music that’s come into The Other Woman's inbox in 2013 and somehow getting it down to two hour long shows. Insane! It’s been another fantastic year and there are some real gems including New York resident psych-rock-folkee Wilsen, London DIY punk funk merchant Ebony Bones, Bella Union‘s Landshapes and the jaw dropping piano playing Geordie Nadine Shah.

To hear the rest you’ll have to tune in but there's also some Americana, folk, DIY London punk and a gorgeous instrumental, amongst much more. Happy Christmas to you and don’t eat too many mince pies! Stuff that actually, eat as many as you like – it’s Chrrrriiiistmas!

This week on The Other Woman

A brand new track from Lanterns On The Lake starts us off this week. Their second album Until The Colours Run is out now and has been knocking our socks off. The newly renamed (and signed to Sub Pop) Lyla Foy makes an appearance ahead of her London show on the 10th, which is definitely in The Other Woman’s diary! There’s a trip to Batley just outside of Leeds to hear from up and coming blues-folk artist Jasmine Kennedy, an experimental soundscape from Atom Eye (which received a great reaction from you) plus an introduction to hip hop artist Lizzo and much, much more.

All available to listen again to right here.

This week on The Other Woman

Within the first ten minutes of this week’s show we hop from France to Brazil via London and that sets the tone nicely. Edith Crash kicks things off with the gorgeously sexy Inonde, followed by a new track from Bon-Bon‘s EP She Don’t Want To Know added to amazingtunes.com especially for us. Bella Union signees PINS and Leeds’ Slowcoaches make sure things get a bit dirty half way through and then Wales songstress and guitarist Cate Le Bon and Californian gloom rock merchant Emily Jane White set us off in a completely different vein. We especially like this pic of ClB inspecting the under sole of her show!

You can listen again here.

This week on The Other Woman: Heidi Browne

Special session guest this week is Heidi Browne, songwriter, guitarist, accordion lover, multi-instrumentalist and Oxford drop-out. Heidi has the kind of pop sensibility that would make grown ad men weep, big things await!

This week on The Other Woman: Torres

Torres

The Other Woman is a weekly radio show on Amazing Radio - you can listen again to the show here.

San Fermin are a new discovery here on The Other Woman and to start the show with such an uplifting enchanting pop tune is a treat. Carrying on the pop goodness we feature Rose Elinor Dougall and the latest ear worm from Brooklyn trio Au Revoir Simone.

We dip into some Canadian traditional fiddle with April Verch and feature special guest Torres - the Georgia, via Nashville singer, songwriter and rockin’ guitarist was over here on tour and we caught up with her next to some vending machines and a sliding door. Expect some lovely session tracks from her too which we recorded at CMJ in New York.

This week on The Other Woman: Julia Kent

Julia Kent

This week on The Other Woman on Amazing Radio we started with a London duo Post Louis whose vocalist Stephanie Davin will have you swooning at the very first verse. We dipped into Dum Dum Girls new album for a new single too, plus we played Samantha Crain too ahead of a one off London show in December. Gothic songstress Emily Jane White made a turn with her new single Keeley which is typically haunting, plus Potty Mouth made an appearance with Drip Dry – classy!

Emily Barker tour interview - Dear River

While Emily Barker and The Red Clay Halo are on their biggest tour to date, here is the Australian-turned-UK-resident chatting about her biggest album to date, working with one of Scotland's finest producers and life on the road. I recorded one of my first ever sessions with Emily Barker when The Other Woman had a home on London's finest Resonance FM. That was back 2006 and in the intervening years she's become an award-winning composer, musician and stunning songwriter.

Wilsen in session and interview

Tamsin Wilsen in action

I've raved about Wilsen before - in fact it was on The Other Woman on Amazing Radio at the beginning of the year that we had a chat, her first radio interview as it was. Since then she's released a stunner of an album, Sirens, and has been building a following and a band in New York (she's British). It's the voice and the effortless whistling which grabs you initially - I was so glad to find this picture of Tamsin mid-whistle, it's awe-inspiring! The album floats easily between intricate folk melodies to sudden bursts of folk rock which such ease, it was a joy to catch the band live at CMJ Music Marathon in New York last week. Amazing Radio recorded a session with the band which you can hear below, plus my interview with her for The Other Woman.

Caitlin Rose live session: with new single Waitin'

Nashville's Caitlin Rose

Nashville's Caitlin Rose popped into Amazing Towers in Newcastle to record some session tracks for us at Amazing Radio. Stripped down like this her already crystal clear and immediately recognisable voice is fore fronted beautifully. She performed her latest single Waitin' and two more from her stunner of an album The Stand In. I've reposted the interview we did back in April too.

Femme - Laura Bettinson in conversation

Femme

Young producer, songwriter, singer and musician Laura Bettinson was swept into the limelight recently by joining Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich's new project Ultraista. Fronting the three piece electro band with her silvery vocal she's been on telly in the States and received a ton of press attention.

Misty Miller session for Amazing Radio

Misty Miller

19 year old Londoner Misty Miller used to wear floral dresses and play the ukulele. After a Dylan-goes-electric moment she plugged in, got busy with some black eye liner and worked on her vocals to match an electric guitar... the result is fantastic. Here she is in session for my show on Amazing Radio:

Misty Miller - Taxi Cab

The Other Woman + The Vortex present Julia Kent + Madam

Julia Kent

The Other Woman has teamed up with The Vortex, London's best jazz and quieter music venue in Dalston, for this show on Tuesday 26 November, bringing together two very different but equally intriguing performers:

The Horn The Hunt live session and interview

Leeds duo The Horn The Hunt are a firm favourite here on The Other Woman - Joseph and Clare are a force to be reckoned with. Clare's frankly awesome vocals and knob twiddling and Joseph on guitar and other bits and pieces they can't go wrong. Exciting times ahead for these two... See them perform in session for Amazing Radio in our shonky little studio, they do an 'amazing' job! (sorry..)

Lola Colt session and interview

London band Lola Colt are working on their first releases, with none other than Bad Seed Jim Sclavunos. Singer Gun is originally from Copenhagen but now calls London home. One's to watch as their single launch for I Get High If You Get High at London's Electrowerkz sold out recently. Shades of Patti Smith is an obvious comparison and as it's late I'm feeling lazy that's where we'll leave it! Their session is knock out and hear them in conversation with me for Amazing Radio below too:

The Other Woman sessions: Nadine Shah

Nadine Shah - To Be A Young Man



Nadine Shah's stunning debut album is finally *out* Love your Dum and Mad has received rave reviews quite rightly, it's a beautiful listen. Nadine performed this for The Other Woman exclusively with her band Alex McKenzie on bass, Nick Webb on guitar and producer Ben Hillier on drums, it was originally hosted on The Quietus.

The Other Woman sessions: The Tuts

The Tuts - Dump Your Boyfriend



'If you've got a shit boyfriend, dump your boyfriend!' - So say Harriet, Bev and Nadia, The Tuts, who are a sassy, funny bunch of lasses from west London who know how to rock out. This was an exclusive session for The Other Woman recorded at Red Bull Studios in London, premiered by The Girls Are.

The Other Woman sessions at Red Bull Studios

The Other Woman recently spent a whole day filming sessions at Red Bull's Studio's in London. We invited The Tuts, Nadine Shah and Hunter As A Horse as they represent the current scope of exciting new music being made my female artists and female fronted bands. Scrappy girl pop from The Tuts, dramatic, intense songwriting from Nadine Shah and electro-meets-folk outfit Hunter As A Horse.

The session videos will follow soon, but for now enjoy the taster - especially the bloopers at the end!

Interview: Lady Lamb the Beekeeper

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, aka Aly Spaltro, is an astonishing young guitarist and singer songwriter from Portland, Maine. Her album Ripely Pine was on the car stereo for weeks when it landed - raw, noisey, inventive and showcasing some great lyrics. Meeting her before a show in London supporting Neko Case went like this:

Hunter As A Horse interview and session

Hunter As A Horse

On meeting Mia and Paul who are the songwriting hub of Hunter As A Horse for the first time I knew I was in for a treat. Both originally from South Africa we had plenty to bond about, and with Argentinian drumming force Laura Fares in the mix they are poised for greatness. Mia's creepy dark folk songs blend beautifully with Paul's production techniques - creating driving, atmospheric mixes. Have a listen to the original tracks on Soundcloud and then hear them acoustic below:

Empress Of interview

Lorely Rodriguez, Empress Of

Lorely Rodriguez is a Spanish-American one woman music making machine. Producing, writing, playing, singing as Empress Of. I caught up with her about touring the UK for the first time, football, roast dinners and world domination. Also check out the version of Hat Trick she does below, it's acoustic and beautiful.

Candice Gordon interview

Candice Gordon

Knock out singer songwriter Candice Gordon has just released her debut EP, Before The Sunset Ends - produced by none other than Shane MacGowan. Haling from Botswana and going via; Dublin, London, Montpelier and now residing in Berlin, she's certainly an international artiste. We catch up about the EP which you can hear below:

Annie Dressner interview and session

Annie Dressner

New Yorker turned Londoner Annie Dresser dropped by the studio to play tracks from her stunning East Twenties EP, including our favourite Heartbreaker.We chatted about sad songs and her love affair with London - here the interview and watch the session tracks below

Big Deal interview and In Your Car live

Big Deal

Alice Costelloe & Kacey Underwood are acoustic-turned-rockin' duo Big Deal. After having spent months apart due to Kacey's visa issues, the former guitar teacher and pupil were finally reunited in the UK just days before this session. Look out for the album June Gloom is out this summer.

Dear Reader interview

Dear Reader

Cherilyn MacNeil is the super talented singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist behind Dear Reader. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa she now resides in Berlin and has found a home on City Slang. When I met Cherilyn a few years ago in London I asked whether she felt any pressure to make music about the difficult and turbulent history of her homeland, she admitted it wasn't something she was in a rush to do. Well now she has and Rivonia is a sweeping, beautiful record that touches on all aspects of her country's history from the first white settlers to the atrocities experienced by miners. We caught up again for Amazing Radio:

Lulu James interview

Lulu James

Yup, Lulu James is a force to be reckoned with. The Tanzanian-born South Shields raised singer and all round super cool lass is set to make 2013 her own. With her own self-styled 21st Century Soul as her tag it's a style and sound to be reckoned with. We caught up just as things were hotting up for her:

Valentiine interview

Valentiine

Valentiine are Melbourne rockers Vanessa V, Erica E and Shelly K who are set to take the UK by storm on their forthcoming tour round these parts in June. Blending a love of all things dirty and grunge, listen to them in conversation here complete with actual Australian crickets making a racket in the background:

The Other Woman Podcast: Nadine Shah

Nadine Shah

We gather at my tiny Hackney flat for this pod, minus two very important members of the team. Piney Gir had an Actionettes rehearsal she couldn't possibly miss and Stef Schadenfreude couldn't be with us because the showbiz she does as a living got in the way. She does however deliver one final rant as from now on she's ditching showbiz! Big news! Jude Rogers and Ruth Barnes are joined by broadcaster Kath Melandri (host of The Mostess) and Geordie via Pakistan/ Norway gloom-pop piano chanteuse Nadine Shah to talk Thatcher, our Lost Dame Heather Jones and more...

Rhosyn live session and interview

Rhosyn

Rhosyn is Rose Dagul, no she's not Welsh as her monicker would suggest, but she made her beautiful debut EP Elbow of Capture whilst hunkered down in the Welsh countryside. The results are sublime. Hear her in conversation and live session tracks below:

Caitlin Rose interview

Caitlin Rose

It's Nashville's Caitlin Rose! I met up with her when she came through town on her latest tour supporting her fantastic new album The Stand In. Have a listen to our interview and the video for Only A Clown is well worth a watch. 

London Grammar interview

London Grammar - Hannah, Dot and Dan

London Grammar are a *ahem* London three piece whose uploads to Soundcloud at the tail end of 2012 led to a lot of buzz online and on air. With not much to go on, except that Hannah Reid is the silky delicate-voiced vocalist you can hear, there was speculation aplenty as to how/what/when/where and why with this band! A sold out show at London's Electrowerkz later and they're up and away into 2013.

Laurence Made Me Cry - live session and interview

Laurence Made Me Cry (Jo Whitby)

Jo Whitby is Laurence Made Me Cry, a one woman music making machine. The name of the band came to her whilst paging through a tabloid one slow day working in a record shop. Apparently Laurence Llewlyn-Bowen, he of the lacey sleeves and bouffant hair, had made some lady cry whilst he gave her home a makeover.

Wilsen interview

Wilsen

Wilsen is an extraordinary 'dream-psych-folk' outfit based in New York, centred around Londoner Tamsin Wilson. The first release Dusk from last year sheer blew us away, the follow up single Anahita is equally as beautiful. Have a listen and check out the interview:

Dear Pariah live session and interview

Dear Pariah

Charlotte Hinchcliff is the angel-voiced singer songwriter behind Dear Pariah. She came into the studio at Amazing Radio to play us a few tracks including So Close The Divide, our firm favourite. We chat about Jeff Buckley, feeling like a 'pariah' and how 2013 is panning out.

Liz Lawrence interview and new track

Ruth Barnes with Liz Lawrence

Supremely talented singer-songwriter Liz Lawrence dropped by the studio at Amazing Radio to play us a brand new track, Health & Safety, but also to talk about the trials and tribulations of being a young whipper-snapper signed to a major label (EMI) only to realise that it's not all that you dreamt it would be, but quite the opposite. Going indie is the way forward!

Australian singer George Maple interview

George Maple

Young Australian singer and producer George Maple has left the beaches and sunshine of Sydney to set up camp in grimy ol' London. She says it's affected her writing and her sound (that would be the S.A.D. but enough from me!) and she's inspired by the city.

Madam live session

Sukie Smith aka Madam

Singer-songwriter Sukie Smith, is Madam - here she is performing a stunning brand new track No Rules Left To Break from her forthcoming third album for The Other Woman on Amazing Radio.