Roxy Rawson Album Blog

Mon 2nd Jan- nooonsense!

2012-01-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

So the 2nd day of Jan and I've made a little nonsense poem for u now-

there was a young lady from hitchin

who was always so bored of bitchin'

so spent all her time doing other good things

like licking the spoons in her kitchen!

Ok, soo, well a new year starts- I wish you all a very good year!

One of main activities the last few days has included starting on a puzzle. I got two great puzzles for christmas- not too large and with good pictures of paintings...I always thought puzzles are past- time things for when you get older, but I have decided to make some changes this year. I've decided the best things are things that appear to have no rational point or end result- just for the sake of enjoying them for surely that is a good thing!:)

Right so mission for this year- is to keep on the mission of this album and just GET IT DONE!!

Things remaining to do: last vocal tracks, two more new songs to record end Jan- via amazing offer from RED BULL'S STUDIO for freeee, mixing and mastering after pledge campaign has finished, artwork and piccys and then hunt for a groovy label:)! There are a couple of slightly leftfield ones I've got my beady eye on, but still doing some research. If you have any ideas feel free to email me here: hiroxyrawson@gmail.com

Re my interests/ inspirations of late- I've been listening to Eric Francis' astrological readings- which mix psychological aspects with the symbolism of what is happening in the stars- I'm not sure if I believe that the stars write our fate at all, but I am drawn time and again to anything that has strong symbolism created by humans, because of the subconscious truth is feels it contains. I love mythology and archetypes/ fairy tales and all sorts of religious writings and stories, for the symbolism and messages they contain about human nature....there's lots to learn...

Eric Francis' pod cast for virgo got me thinking about consumerism and how that hijacks our own wishes without realizing- I don't mean just subliminal messages to buy things- but the whole work/ job pressure thing- which is particularly difficult to not buy into and tough to be a musician/ artist or any other vocation that's unconventional..I finally got round to watching the Adam Curtis series 'century of the self' on how Freud's nephew used the ideas about desires supposedly uncovered by psychoanalysis, to construct PR and dupe the masses. I watched two episodes at once and it quite freaked me out!

Eric Francis also made a little astrological reading around the middle of his podcast for 2011 on his website: planet waves

Also musicians I've been listening to have been real christmassy- Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra

Nina Simone (particularly fell for this track http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p70tMgHdSP0&feature=related"> black is the colour of my true love's hair. I've also continued to be crazy about Bjork's new album and Tune Yard's new album- here's a track from her new album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ1LI-NTa2s&g t;bizness"> bizness. Also a suuuper little gig "http://www.npr.org/event/music/142861581/tune-yards-tiny-desk-concert"tune yards tiny desk concert"> here .

That's it for now!x

Album progress....

2011-11-05T04:06:00.000-07:00

So, unfortunately I've been knocked out by some dreaded lurgy the last few weeks, so album recordings have been somewhat on hold, but I've been listening to arrangements of things (particularly liking Joanna Newsom's album 'have one on me' and the weird cyclical structures)- so have some ideas swirling round...am thinking about which songs to pick..most of the albums I like have varied styles within the same album, but have some overarching theme tying them together...

am working with a friend on some diff arrangements than I've got so far and hope over time the right songs to pick will just start to slot into place...we're probably half way through now, so not bad going..

other updates are that I'll be launching the pledge campaign very soon, my friend Lydie the pixie (wwww.onlinepixies.com) is starting a company and going to be working with me to do the promo!

Cool, catch u ltr...x

Another silly song about a eunuch in a watering can

2011-07-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

Once again a song for Rob Da Bank's Sun thing #songinsevenhours Watering can life by rawsonroxanna

Another silly song about a train, in the rain for Rob De Bank's competition

2011-06-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

Why is it that every time I go to record something, with all the best will in the world it doesn't work just straight away Aaagh! Computers driiive me crazy would prefer to roam on the hills look at the big sky than stare at a stupid few inch screen all day I'd sooner throw you out the window sodding computer except mmm wait. I need you to record music

Train on the Rain by rawsonroxanna

Some reviews...

2011-05-26T06:56:00.001-07:00

A huge hanks to all those who have supported Roxy's new single 'Fingers' so far. Below are some snippets from what people are saying...

RR HQ xx

'Brilliant' Tom Robinson BBC Radio 6

'Phenomenal' God is in the TV

'I could, with ease, see this played on the summer-festivals, to thousands of people cheering upon hearing the opening notes' Criticism Fridge

'Roxy Rawson' is surely a name destined for showbiz. It is just as well then that her delicate, engaging music easily lives up to her name. Smothered in heart-wrenching emotion and unusual arrangements, Roxy Rawson proves that there's still space for a talented British female singer.' The 405

'Exciting things are sure to prevail for this promising singer.' More Than The Music

'...an artist headed for greatness.' Music News

'...a breath of fresh air. Devoid of competition in the current British climate, it draws some influence from Regina Spektor, but only in the sense that her sound is otherwise incomparable.' Drunkenwerewolf

'Roxy Rawson is a classically-trained Londoner armed with a violin, a delightfully quirky way with melody and an effervescent voice that darts and flits with happy, eccentric abandon. Her 2009 debut Changing Things was oh-so-Regina-Spektor-ish, a promising if precious first step that sparkled and fizzed with prodigious, scattered invention. Now a more mature Rawson prepares for the September launch of her debut full-length Quenching the Kill and lead single "Fingers" offers a heady preview of what's to come. The voice is fuller and softer around the edges, the production both spacious and nicely busy, strings pluckily plucked and caressed, the beats and fingersnaps propelling the song forward with more purpose and less abandon. Rhythm is still paramount, particularly with her vocal phrasing (something she picked up while singing with an African choir), but now the effect is supportive, pushing and prodding the melody forward rather than overwhelming it.' Direct Current

'This is great' Rob da Bank

New Single out! Please share;)

2011-05-04T15:31:00.001-07:00

Download from bandcamp

Download from itunes

If you like it, you can vote for the track at the end of this article: http://thefourohfive.com/articles/6237

Here's a taster of the video which we are working on:

Latest Gigs and single launch

2011-04-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

Next Gig:

5th May @ The Bedford, an event curated by the Roundhouse called 'Roundhouse Rising'

I will be joined by the brothers grimm, lovely bunch of guys I've been playing with since Sept 2010. I'm looking to write with them and more musicians after the album is finished.

2nd May SINGLE RELEASE

Omg omg, after a looong time, the track will finally be ready for release. My manager Jen has been working furiously on PR and the mix has been done by Ben Lamdin and David Beart- both very different but greeeat producers. See http://bandcamp.com/roxyrawson for downloads

30th April- May 8th

Video shooting with the brilliant Lucie Fournaison who just shot David Goo's video. She worked on a lo-fi video I did at the girls' exhibition last year which came out great. I'm sure she'll do a great job. Ideas we have so far are: film the sun rising, then swing round image to run down a hill, through hitchin town, close ups of everything, through the park, play on the bandstand, play poo sticks on the stream, run home, see the trinkets everywhere, eat food, burn candles, many of them all at the same time one by one lighting fast, until the end of the day. A day in a song length. Is it possible though????

Album Progress

We recorded two days this month, in the fishmarket studio in West London. It was a lovely space. Stressful day, but worth it. I came out of recording with an overwhelming need to DANCE. The whole thing has been great, Ben Trigg did the arrangements, lovely job and the string quartet we hired in did a great job (although we were all grumpy at moments), but I am now totally IMPECUNIOUS. ZERO POUNDS. Looking to fund my album via poss support from the single through labels and anyone interested in hearing the album finished in exchange for perks- such as (not necessarily washing your cat) a song dedicated to that person because they ooooh so much support that a song must be made and I would dedicate it to them out of puuuure gratitude..:))))