Band of Sisters - Issues
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 11TH 2013
FORMAT: 1CD AND DOWNLOAD
LABEL: BAND OF SISTERS
DISTRIBUTION: RIGHT TRACK / UNIVERSAL MUSIC
BAND OF SISTERS DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES ON NEW ALBUM
‘Issues’, the debut album from Band Of Sisters, comprises sixteen new, painstakingly-crafted songs, by fifteen brilliant singers, with the songs by women, about women, for women - but very much intending to appeal to men also.
Band Of Sisters is a group of female solo artistes of all ages; some who have sold millions of records and those who will go on to sell millions of records; all singers with fans and supporters. Many already are well known for their voices and songs in films and on TV. Many have had hit records.
The project was co-written and produced by the hugely respected British songwriter, composer, producer and musician David Mindel, whose work includes more than 150 song cuts, 4,000 commercials, fifty television themes and numerous film scores.
Mindel said, “Most of my favourite singers are female, so I called some of the wonderful singers I knew when I lived and worked in London, plus some I had admired and a few talented newcomers, and invited them to contribute to this album - and they all agreed. I suggested they pick a subject close to their hearts, and they did. And so ‘Issues’ was born.”
The subject matter covers friendship (Mim Grey), growing older (Miriam Stockley), addiction (Stevie Lange), fragility (Alissa Moreno), loss (Leigh Matty), gratitude (PP Arnold), looks (Tessa Niles), religion (Alissa Moreno), loneliness (Mandy Bell), strength (Jacqi Michaels), bullying (Bridie Rose), children (Monica Ward), looking for ‘Mr Right’ (Lynda Hayes), depression (Alison Joy Williams), domestic abuse (Kim Alvord) and women’s rights (Angela Kaset).
The recording process for the album would have been impossible just a few years ago. Once the songs had been written in Provence, Nashville, London, Manchester, Kettering, Bury, Surrey, Los Angles, Nashville, Orlando, Stuttgart and Andalucía, the co-writing was completed via Facebook, magicJack and Skpe. Following Mindel’s track and guide vocal, the artists recorded their vocals at their home studios or a local commercial studio. They then sent their parts back to Mindel via file transfers, where he’d add the files to his tracks and mix the songs in his studio in St Michel d’Euzet, in the South of France.
“‘Issues’ took ten months to record with fifteen wonderful singers performing sixteen songs with thirty-six brilliant musicians, all of whom I was friends with on Facebook,” Mindel explains. “Even if I’d never worked with them previously, I just picked the best. And thanks to the magic of file sharing, all through the recording, I never left home.”
Amongst the legendary ‘sisters’ such as Tessa Niles and PP Arnold, the album also provides a big break for newcomer Bridie Rose, the album’s only non-professional. David Mindel held an extensive search to find a young girl who sounded vulnerable enough to sing the song about bullying, 'When They Don't Make Me Cry'; Bridie is only fourteen and the youngest of three children, born in Westminster, London, in 1999, and thrilled to have been chosen as one of the Sisters, and to be part of this album.
The official launch for ‘Issues’ will take place at The BBC Club, Great Portland Street, London, on Wednesday, October 9th, where, backed by an all-star band, songs from the album will be performed by several of the sisters’, including PP Arnold, Mim Grey, Leigh Matty, Kim Alvord & Mandy Bell.
Band of Sisters will then play two dates at The Pheasantry, Kings Road, London, on Friday, 11th October & Saturday, 12th October.
DAVID MINDEL’S TRACK-BY-TRACK GUIDE TO ‘ISSUES’ BY BAND OF SISTERS
FRIENDSHIP: ‘My Best Friend’ - Mim Grey
Simply a song based on a woman’s best friend, in this case, Mim’s. “Always have been, always will be” ...that special bond between old friends.
GROWING OLDER: ‘A Little Time’ - Miriam Stockley
No one loves getting older, “ I don’t want to listen to the mirror telling me I’m no longer 35”; but there are advantages: time to do the things you didn’t do before; see friends, not worry about work, “Take a little time to watch the world go round.”
ADDICTION: ‘Addiction’ – Stevie Lange
Whose family is not touched by some kind of addiction? Stevie’s song, ‘Addiction’ covers most of them, drink drugs, sex, shopping. It’s a common illness that tears people apart.
FRAGILITY: ‘Fragile’ - Alissa Moreno
People get beaten down by relationships. Fragile is sung from the perspective of a woman who cannot risk one more bad relationship. Will the new lover treat her better? Alissa and I wrote this in an afternoon in Nashville.
LOSS: ‘Everywhere I Go’ – Leigh Matty
Every adult has lost someone: parent, grandparent, sibling, partner, friend. ‘Everywhere I Go’ covers all these scenarios, everyone can identify.I woke up with this song in my head; it was finished in two hours and the track took two more. Then John Howard replaced the bass, Jamie Moses put on lead guitar and the strings were added later.
GRATITUDE: ‘Beautiful Song’ – PP Arnold
P.P. was telling me how much she’d been ripped off in her career and how she was turning things around. This seemed a natural subject…gratitude for life after a long, tough road.
LOOKS: ‘Skin Deep’ – Tessa Niles
Tessa had no hesitation choosing her subject. People are so often judged on their looks, good or bad. That’s not what counts. I dragged Tess out of a blissful retirement to write and sing this with me. It’s not how you look, it’s how you are.
RELIGION: ‘Selling Religion’ – Alissa Moreno
This song is not anti-religion, but it’s anti bigots, the harbingers of doom, relying on fear, fire and brimstone. Done in a light-hearted way, ‘Religion’ says what many of us think…. “Mind your own businesses”
LONELINES: ‘Someone Like Me’ – Mandy Bell
Many of us have been lonely at some time. Mandy wasted no time in picking this subject and I, having lived alone for long periods, could quickly get into the sentiment. People on their own will identify; especially weekends when you hear from no one..
STRENGTH: ‘Don’t Mess With Me’ – Jacqi Michaels
One of a woman’s amazing qualities is her strength. When you upset her, you’re going to know about it…’Don’t mess with ME!’ I wanted a fun song, but with a message. Be it boyfriend, boss or bestie, “I’m here for you, but treat me right…or else!”
BULLYING: ‘When They Don’t Make Me Cry’ - Bridie Rose
Having seen many friends very badly bullied, Bridie sings with conviction. Too many kids are bullied and their parents will also identify with this. Can we help kids who are being bullied? I hope so.
CHILDREN: ‘Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way’ – Monica Ward
Monica Ward, being a relatively new mother chose to sing about her son and the joys of motherhood. There are downs as well as ups, of course, but ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way’.
LOOKING FOR MR RIGHT: ‘Too Late Now’ – Lynda Hayes
Luckily, Lynda eventually found a wonderful man, her husband, Steve, who played on her track. However, there were a lot of wrong ones while looking for Mr Right. A familiar tale and many women let the good ones go while seeking the elusive Mr Right.
DEPRESSION: ‘What They Used To Call The Blues’ – Alison Joy Williams
Depression is an awful malady. After a serious operation Alison suffered for a while and so inspired the lyrics for this song. Before depression was identified as an illness, people were diagnosed as ‘having the blues’. People have already told us this is exactly how they feel.
DOMESTIC ABUSE: ‘Cuts and Bruises’ – Kim Alvord
More common than you can imagine, so many people suffer abuse at the hands of their husbands/partners/fathers. Kim knows people who have gone through this so was totally into doing ‘Cuts and Bruises’ in the hope that it will help some sufferers. It has already; we had a message from a lady who was going to court that morning. She said the song gave her the courage to face her ex and to see the case against him through.
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: ‘Hymn To Her’ – Angela Kaset
Angela and I discussed the TV news a lot, the repression of women, even in America where pro-lifers were proposing to take away even more women’s rights. This song, perhaps more than any, sums up the sentiment of ‘Issues’
For further information please contact Dave Clarke at:
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