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The acclaimed pop poetess known as Shelly Poole, who hails from a family just as musical as the Von Trapps in The Sound of Music, was raised on a banquet of cool sounds from Dusty Springfield to Prince, Simon
& Garfunkel to Dr Dre. She made gold and platinum albums in the late 1990s as part of the Alisha's Attic project, working with her sister, Karen Poole, and the top producers Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics), Bill Bottrell and Mark Plati. She scored
a string of hit singles, an Ivor Novello award nomination, and was one of the iconic female voices featured on the Lilith Fair tour of America. And Shelly isn’t just a pretty set of tonsils: she has recently enjoyed songwriting collaborations
with a hit parade of pop icons, including Atomic Kitten, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Elizabeth Fraser and Rachel Stevens.
For her very own new songs, Shelly has returned to the fundamentals of popular music, stripping back the artificial trappings of modern pop to concentrate on what she calls “fluid
melodies”, mostly played using “real instruments”. The petite performer is passionate about the truth and beauty of classic songwriting and crafted arrangements, and she has teased heartfelt performances from a cohort of talented
professional musicians. “Everything is played live. Basically, we all sit around and play… and have a laugh, really,” chuckles Shelly – whose gentle humour gives her the additional accolade, repeated by so many of the
musicians she’s worked with, of “one of the nicest people in the business”.
In addition to guitars, keyboards and percussion, her songs feature several instrumental surprises. “There are a couple of sampled French horns,” she admits. “And on the song Totally
Underwater we’ve used a moon lute, which is pretty unusual. Actually, I think the voice is the weirdest instrument – you can do absolutely anything you like with it.” Coming from Shelly Poole, one of the finest singers currently
performing in Britain, this is not an idle boast.
Keep your ears out for Shelly Poole. You’ve been warned!
© 2005 Hover Pixie Productions
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