Wednesday 13 February 2013

Plum


Who said dreams don't come true!  
Plum won the Best Electronic
at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards.....
here's a transcript of her acceptance speech...
"Holy Crap...Thanks!"


More good news too as she's just released a fantastic new animated video in collaboration with talented animator Jiamin Liu, and here it is.....








Back in July last year I acquired a taste for fine female voices after listening to Kathryn Marsh so I turned my nose in the direction of Plum, the alter ego of Edinburgh based Shona Maguire.  As one of Scotland's few female electronic producers, she'd just released a concept album 'The Seed' to much critical acclaim. .





Smile (The Seed)

Big news  last November was a new single 'Smile' from the album, with the 'B' side the result of a Tweet Ralph can remember seeing on Twitter some time back where she'd collaborated with top dubstepper TeKlo on the track, taking them both out their comfort zone.....







So what's the latest...well she's just been and gone and got herself nominated in the Best Electronic category of The Scottish Alternative Music Awards 2013.....


Not only has there never been a solo female winner at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMAs), but Edinburgh-based musician Plum has just become the first female ever to be nominated in the Best Electronic category.









Ralph will be featuring tracks from 'The Seed' on his Sunday Indie Mix radio show on Radio KC (every Sunday 5-6pm) until the awards ceremony on Friday 8th March and he asked her what it felt like being shortlisted for the Scottish Alternative Music Awards and Plum said:
“I am absolutely delighted to be shortlisted for this award. Female electronic music producers are very rare right now, so I hope that my shortlisting inspires other female artists to produce great electronic music and compete with the best."





“My latest album, The Seed, was entirely funded by my fans, so it is great to be able to reward them for their dedication by securing honours like this.”



The winners of the Scottish Alternative Music Awards are voted for by the public - from Monday 11 February, you can vote for Plum  to win the Best Electronic Act award at The Official SAMA website.



She will be releasing her next EP, Betsy Thunder, in June 2013, along with live dance performances resulting from a residency with Edinburgh’s Dance Base due to take place in March 2013.


Buck 65 was quoted as saying of Plum's nomination - "I'm glad more people are starting to catch on to what I've known for years....it's rare to find music that is equally intelligent, beautiful and moving and all at a high level"

Uniquely for an unsigned act, Plum already has a group of über-fans who follow her every move and have even been known to dye their hair in support of the artist, as well as baking cupcakes topped with edible Plum logos to hand out at live gigs. Her music has also already been used on the BBC’s Lip Service and a Scottish Government anti-knife-crime advertisement. She can even count 2013 Brit Award Nominee Goyte and Canadian rap-legend Buck 65 among her fans.


The title track of 'The Seed' jumps at you with a thumping almost Stranglers like (Peaches) bass and drum beat before Plum's thrillingly clear vocal kicks in. Some say PJ Harvey, I'm getting hints of Bjork especially in the hauntingly lovely 'Meadow of Weeds'.  




Whereas 'The Seed' is in your face from the first note, 'Meadow of Weeds carries you along on a river of vocal loveliness. 




Myriad is a more mainstream crowd pleaser piece of electronica with Plum's vocals maintaining their Scottishness (nae bad thing) in the same way the aforementioned 
Bjork's vocals appeal.




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