BBC Radio 2 A-playlist continues.. Seven Weeks Now!

July 24, 2009

Unbe-fucking-lievable! My single “What Does It Take” has stayed on the BBC Radio 2 A-playlist for another week, bringing the grand total on the playlist to SEVEN WEEKS!  According to Music Week’s UK radio airplay chart Top 50 (gathered by Nielsen Music Control UK), I am one of the highest new entries in at a cool NUMBER 48.  It just goes to show: radio still can break an independent artist with no major label or a million dollar marketing plan.

 

I’m hoping to strike while the iron is hot, so I’ve been busy getting ready for the next steps.  This week I was in Ray Davies’ (the Kinks) recording studio in London, getting down a new tune called “Soundtrack.”  I used a great rhythm section I’ve been playing with – Bernie Gardner on drums and Andy McConkie on bass.  Fantastic players and such fun guys.

 

Last Friday Andy and Bern and I bonded over bourbon at a golf course in Chiswick: we were playing an Esquire Magazine-sponsored charity event called Leuka Mini Masters. (The very sexy) Dougray Scott from Desperate Housewives was hosting, and Starsailor played a set after us.

 

After the golf event, I woke up early on Saturday to hop a ride to the Latitude Festival in Suffolk.  It’s been a long time since I’ve properly done the “festival experience” – drinking, drugs, sunburn, camping, no showers.  I didn’t camp out this time, but instead talked my way into a hotel room at the Ivy from a friend at Radio 2.  Having said that though, I spent most of my time at the campsite with my dear friend and radio plugger Chris Hession.  We were partners in crime, celebrating our recent success.  Unfortunately he needed my help putting up his tent, which is never a good thing (I’m from Brooklyn; we don’t do tents).

 

The highlight of Latitude was undoubtedly seeing the force of nature that is Grace Jones.  I stood in the night rain wearing wellies, unable to take my eyes off her.  Not many women could stand up on stage in little else than a thong and an outrageous hat and hold my attention in the rain.  She brought the “house” down with no more than a hula-hoop and a spotlight, gyrating her hips in time and singing live (no lip-synching!) with utter confidence.  I shall leave you with that picture for your imagination.  You’re welcome.

 

The problem with festivals however is all the drinking, drugs, sunburn, camping, and no showers.  I knew I had to get ready for the recording studio, so I got a ride back early to the city and settled into working on songwriting.  You’re up to speed on the recording session at Konk with Bernie and Andy.  So now here’s what’s going on in the near future:

 

 

 

 

I’m playing in London twice this coming week.

 

Tuesday July 28th I’m opening for Buffy St. Marie at Queen Elizabeth

Hall. The venue website is www.southbankcentre.co.uk but the promoter tells me that the show is as good as sold out.

Thursday July 30th I’m playing with the band at Monkey Chews in Camden.  This will be a fun one, folks.  We are running a Myspace competition for guest passes. The link to the competition is – http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=20388839&blogId=500506912

 

Okay, good people.  That’s the word from Nell this week in London. 

 

Happy weekend-ing.  Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. 

 

xx N

Growing Pains

July 24, 2009

Growing Pains

 

There’s only one disappointment I have to report.  I have to cancel some upcoming shows: the Stables in Mullingar, Ireland this weekend, as well as Kenny’s in Lahinch, Co. Clare next week. But it’s because of good news. 

 

Let’s talk about the good news first!  My single “What Does It Take” was added six weeks ago to the BBC Radio 2 B-playlist.  That means I went into regular rotation on all the different shows, alongside Bruce Springsteen, Bat for Lashes, a-ha, Paolo Nutini and James Taylor.  It was truly a feat for an Indie girl like myself. Then, two weeks ago the miraculous happened.  I got bumped up to the A-playlist, which meant that each week 20 million people were hearing my song in their cars, offices, and transistor radios (well, no one has those anymore).  Twenty million a week – that’s a third of the population of England!

 

Five minutes ago we just found out that I’ve been kept on the A-list chart a third week, totaling six weeks on Radio 2 now.

 

I even went to my first red carpet event a couple of weeks ago in London.  After a great show the night before in the tiny Irish town of Slane, I drove back to Dublin, got half an hour of sleep, missed my flight to London and had to scramble to get on the next plane.  I finally arrived in Heathrow with twenty minutes to get ready for this formal affair.  Twenty minutes people!  Remember, I was playing in a country pub getting sweaty and drunk and having fun until the wee hours of the morning the night before.  No shower, no sleep.  What’s a girl to do?

 

Let’s just say I did the best I could.  I curled my hair, put on false eyelashes, and smoothed out the wrinkles in my party dress.  A car took me to the Hilton, where I met my new management team, Nick Stewart and Associates (Nick has co-partnered with my long-time manager in New York, Alex Fredericks).  Beth from Nick’s office ushered me to the red carpet where the paparazzi awaited.  She said, “Okay, you are going to walk down the carpet, stop in front of the photogs, pose for the them, and then walk inside.”  I did exactly as she instructed, and… Silence.  No bulbs flashed.  Tumbleweed could have rolled by.  Not a single photographer clicked his shutter.  I laughed out loud and kept my best grin on.  The videographer said to me, “Well it was a nice try.”  There was nothing I could do but laugh it off and go inside.  I made a beeline for the trays of champagne.

 

Beth came up to me at the party – “Oh honey I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, I was supposed to prep the papps out there and tell them who you are, that you’re a new artist from New York with a single on the A-playlist… You have to go and do it again!”

 

And you know what friends?  I went back out there. The videographer asked incredulously, “You’re back for a second attempt?” But when I walked out this time, stopped and posed and smiled, all the bulbs started flashing and the photographers were calling to look this way and that.  Unreal. 

 

Just goes to show: never take the limelight too seriously, right?

 

So here I am in London – pushing as hard as I can with Team Nell to capitalize on the fantastic opportunities that are coming up from this radio exposure.  I’m still keeping a level head, though, and remembering who my friends are.

 

Which brings me back to the bad news: because of the newfound industry attention, and the showcases Nick Stewart has set up for me this week and next, I have to miss playing what would have been some really fun shows in Ireland.

 

If you bought tickets to the Stables in Mullingar for July 18 – I won’t be there.  I love playing the Stables and I’m so sorry for missing it.  I hope you will understand.  I’m also missing Kenny’s in Lahinch, Co. Clare, which I was also looking forward to.

 

Just know that it’s for a good cause.  It’s so I never have to stand on a red carpet and hear tumbleweed rolling by again.

 

Working hard for you out here in London…

 

Love Always,

Nell