Nizlopi at the UK Songwriting Festival

Chart toppers Nizlopi @ Moles Club in August

The UK Songwriting Festival is now in its fourth year. It’s a six-day event, held at Bath Spa University every August with formal or informal songwriting activities throughout the week.

For the first time the SWF will include a special performance as part of the schedule, which is also open to the public to attend. On Wednesday 15th August chart toppers Nizlopi will be gracing the Moles Club stage along with other talented singer/songwriters from the area to create a night that no real music lover should miss out on.

Nizlopi shot into public awareness at the end of 2005 when their half million selling single ‘The JCB Song’ entered the UK charts at number 1, also topping the download chart and introducing Luke and John to the mad worlds of Top Of The Pops and even Richard & Judy. Described as ‘the world’s foremost 2 man folk hip-hop orchestra’, there is an overall feeling that Nizlopi are writing their own rules and doing it their way!

Live, Nizlopi are in their element and their aim is to break down the barriers between performer and audience, giving their infamous, inspirational live shows, a feeling of intimacy, energy and overwhelming positivity. They enjoy nothing more than heading down into the crowd to play acoustically. You WILL leave their gigs with a smile on your face. The duo have earned a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in the country, playing a never-ending run of live shows in venues ranging from people’s living rooms [Gigs in Digs], to sold-out appearances at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire. In 2006 they enjoyed a hectic festival season, playing knockout shows at 02 Wireless, Cambridge Folk Festival, T On the Fringe, The Big Chill, Guilfest, The Big Session, Godiva and Greenbelt. They also played to thousands on their 10-date September UK tour, and spent November converting tens-of-thousands of Europeans to the unique Nizlopi sound whilst on tour across the continent with Jamie Cullum. To crown the year, Nizlopi took to the stage for two nights at Wembley Arena as special guests for Christina Aguilera, and followed those shows by opening for, and performing live with, The Bard of Barking legend Billy Bragg at London’s prestigious Hackney Empire.

After 2005’s critically acclaimed debut-album ‘Half These Songs Are About You’, and 2006’s limited-edition mini-album ‘ExtraOrdinary’, Spring 2008 will see the release of Nizlopi’s second full-length album.

“Rarely does a new artist achieve a debut number one hit by pure force of songwriting, but the British public took The JCB Song to their hearts. Nizlopi have proved what we’ve always believed – that a great song can cut through any amount of hype.”
(Joe Bennett, UK Songwriting Festival)

“Nizlopi are the real thing: a two man folk hip-hop band here to spread the love and bring everybody’s inner child out to play.”
(Sophie Heawood, The Guardian)

“The biggest duo in the world today”
(Jamie Cullum)

“Intense, angular and beautiful”
(Colin Murray BBC Radio 1)

Nizlopi will be joined by a number of other talented singer/songwriters. The intricacy and delicacy of Tom Peay’s songwriting shows wisdom beyond his years and he performs with a passionate, uncompromising delivery, drawing influences from singer songwriters such as Paul Simon, Sting and John Mayer. Tom is a new voice that sounds like an old voice - like oil on canvas; some things are best simple and direct.

There comes a time in a true original’s career where they become more than the sum of their influences. Sophie Madeleine's star is in such an ascendant, and we are witnessing the results of some maverick fusion. Steeped in an inherited classicism, she absorbed the greats of the last century - from Cole Porter to Gershwin, Bacharach, Beatles and beyond. But it is her love of blues and that old devil called jazz that refines and defines her intriguing bohemian swing. Shades of Amy Winehouse, Rufus Wainwright and Aimee Mann haunt her delivery, whilst she shines a light on the love song in a way that is at once candid, secretive and strange.

Wednesday 15th August, Moles Club, George Street, Bath. Doors 8.00PM, over 18s only. Tickets are £8 in advance and can be purchased from www.moles.co.uk or by phone 01225 404445. For more information please visit www.myspace.com/imepromotions and www.uksongwritingfestival.com