Katy Dimbleby Launches New Album and Announces UK Tour

February 23 sees the release of Kate Dimbleby's 6th album, entitled SONGBIRDS. It is a unique recording of eleven original self-penned songs featuring nothing other than Kate's sublime voice and some exquisite harmonies but without any musical accompaniment. Enthused by a myriad of sounds from London to the forests of Canada, the streets of New York and Bristol and using techniques inspired by singing with the vocal virtuoso Bobby McFerrin, Dimbleby layers her vocals to tell her story and explore the limitless potential of the human voice.

Kate's "soul" songs have an improvised feel that soar above the hubbub, by breaking away from conventional instrumentation and song structure, elevating the listener into a world where anything might happen.

"I wanted to go in with just my voice and without instruments," says Kate "so avoiding any of the usual associations that may spring up. It allows for an element of surprise and fun - room for people to interact by stepping into the space where the instruments would normally be - and hopefully even joining in."

With the album, which is produced by Lauren Deakin Davies and is supported by a UK tour, Kate has been able to distill her personal journey into an unconventional recording unbound by traditional genre classifications. Incorporating blues, jazz and reggae undertones, picked up during Kate's career, these songs are unlike anything currently being released in the contemporary music scene.

Kate's wit and charisma, gained through 25 years of live performance, comes through strongly in these grounded tracks, which seep into the subconscious and tell the tale of someone searching for their own story whilst inviting the listener to share their journey.
Kate comes from a family of broadcasters with a mother who sang opera at breakfast. "I wanted to embrace that heritage but at the same time find my own voice," says Kate " but most importantly, encourage others to step out of their received stories and find theirs"

For the SONGBIRDS live tour, which begins in February 2017, Kate has teamed up with director Katy Carmichael from the renowned Bristol Theatre Damfino to create an intimate and vibrant one-woman show. As often as they could, Kate and Katy have chosen to perform in an eclectic range of venues such as churches, art galleries and a Spiegeltent. Kate tells her story of finding her voice and singing a capella with only a vocal looper to help her interact directly with her audience. The result is a unique and engaging audience experience, different at each performance.

The album Songbirds is released on Folkstock Records and is available simultaneously via retail, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon as well as other digital providers and will be supported by performances across the UK.

RPP: £10 Cat no: FSR44

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2017 UK TOUR DATES:
February 17 & 18 Bath Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal
February 23 Now Gallery (Greenwich Peninsula, London)
March 19 The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter
April 30 Bristol Tobacco Factory
May 14 Newton Abbott, Kinkerswell
May 20 Deal, Astor Theatre
May 21 Brighton, Spiegeltent.
June 21st St Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey in aid of Dimbleby Cancer Care (TBC)

ABOUT KATE DIMBLEBY Originally classically trained, Kate has released five solo albums and toured the world with her one-woman shows about other female singers, selling out the Festival Hall and Ronnie Scotts and working with some of the best musicians in the country. But it has taken 20 years since her first album, for the critically acclaimed performer to find and subsequently share what she is really about.

After a move to Bristol with her family 5 years ago, Kate studied with Bobby McFerrin in New York and taught herself how to use a looper to recreate the instrumental lines on her previously released original material. This proved so rewarding that she wrote songs specifically to be performed entirely by voice alone, a capella and just let herself go. SONGBIRDS is the result.

Kate is the daughter of broadcaster David Dimbleby and writer Josceline Dimbleby, who herself trained as a classical singer.

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