January 16, 2013

Eddi Reader plays last of her sell out shows tonight in Whelans

Eddi Reader

Announces Irish tour in February

 ‘Vagabond’ a new single available fromwww.eddireader.com

Eddi Reader sets her sights on the Emerald Isle this February to bring us her pop-folk soothing sounds. Eddi’s Irish tour will start in Antrim and she will work her way south to Cork, taking in Dublin, Wexford & Kilkenny.

Eddi grew up in Glasgow and Irvine, Scotland and it was in those towns that she learned to use music as a vehicle for communicating with others through busking and performing at the local folk clubs. 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 successful punk outfit Gang of Four. It was 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 her 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), Candyfloss & Medicine (1996), Angels & Electricity (1998), Simple Soul (2001).

Eddi is due to release a new single “Vagabond” on 8 February which is taken from her new yet to be titled album, due out later this year. The single will be available as a free download from her website.  It was written by Eddi and her newly wedded husband John Douglas, musician and original member of the Trashcan Sinatras, with words by the English poet John Masefield (1878-1967).

Both Eddi and John had been drawn to Masefield’s work over the years and his poem “Vagabond” struck a chord with its simple, conversational evocation of one of life’s wanderers pondering, sometimes answering, the large and small questions of life. For a long time, both Eddi and John had described their lives journeys as ‘Vagabonding’ so it was no surprise that on discovering this poem it had transformed itself into a song within the hour.

The track was recorded in Scotland and Eddi will follow up in the studio to finish the album. After Eddi’s Autumn tour she expressed “I’ve enjoyed performing our new song Vagabond. It’s getting better all the time”, which can only lead to say it will be great by the time she reaches Ireland!

Last year Eddi embarked on a successful Australian tour, UK tour and had lots of festival appearances. She also presented Ye Banks and Braes – A Burns Night Celebration on BBC Ulster which took place on the 25th of January in Ulster Hall. Eddi performed the Burns song “You’re Welcome Willie Stewart” accompanied by the Ulster Orchestra, with conductor Carl Davis.

Free download of ‘Vagabond’ available from www.eddireader.com  from 8 February, 2013


 

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