Sony Music Latest News

KINGS OF LEON ANNOUNCE �RADIOACTIVE� 1st SINGLE FROM�"COME AROUND SUNDOWN"

Columbia Records is excited to announce that “Radioactive” will be the first single from Kings of Leon’s new album, "Come Around Sundown". Released in Ireland on Friday 8th October with the video premiering on kingsofleon.com on Wednesday 8th September.

"Come Around Sundown" will be released in Ireland on Friday 15th October. As with all previous albums, the Irish and UK versions will come with its own unique artwork.

The album will be available on download, vinyl and two CD configurations - standard as well as a deluxe version that will include several live tracks recorded at the band’s legendary Hyde Park show on 30th June of this year. It was their biggest headlining show to date, as they played to 60,000 adoring fans in the historic London park.

The tracklisting for "Come Around Sundown" is:

The End
Radioactive
Pyro
Mary
The Face
The Immortals
Back Down South
Beach Side
No Money
Pony Up
Birthday
Mi Amigo
Pickup Truck

"Come Around Sundown" was recorded in New York at Avatar Studios and produced by Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King.

Kings of Leon have just begun the second leg of their 26-date North American tour that began July 9th in San Diego, CA. It will end in St. Louis on September 25th.

SHAKIRA SET TO RELEASE NEW SINGLE �LOCA�

Shakira’s global hit “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” has become the best-selling World Cup song in history. “Waka Waka” will be available on her forthcoming album "Sale el Sol/The Sun Comes Out", scheduled to be released in Ireland on Friday 15th October.

After selling an astounding two million singles, “Waka Waka” is the biggest World Cup song ever released, however its success goes far beyond its popularity as a song, the song and accompanying dance has become a cultural and viral phenomenon.

The official video for “Waka Waka” has seen over 170 million YouTube hits making it the 4th most watched video of all time and the 3rd most watched music video. Including unofficial "Waka Waka" videos, the total cumulative views are over 350 million.

The track was also the soundtrack to Shakira's hugely successful 1Goal campaign in which Shakira devised the now-famed “Waka Waka” dance and tasked her fans around the world to "dance for 1Goal" and upload their "Waka Dance" videos to spread the word for education. Fans in overwhelming numbers made videos and uploaded them to YouTube with flash-mobs popping up across the world - together gathering more than 400 million views and helping to promote 1Goal's campaign for universal education. Check out some of the “Waka Waka” dance highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ek8hBNgUOU.

On the heels of the momentous success of “Waka Waka”, Shakira is set to release her new single “Loca” in both English (featuring UK rap phenomenon Dizzee Rascal) and Spanish (featuring Dominican hip-hop artist El Cata). Recorded in the Dominican Republic, Shakira brings her signature fusion of musical identities to this production of “Loca” by blending the horn-heavy elements of meringue with a synthesis of techno percussions laid out to a dance back beat. “Loca” is Shakira’s interpretation of El Cata’s song “Loca Con Su Tiguere”.

For the “Loca” video, Shakira took to the streets of Barcelona, with Dizzee Rascal and a handheld camera, as the backdrop for “Loca”. In an attempt to capture the true interpretation of the song, Shakira opted to go away from the traditional big production music video to portray a spirited, fun-filled day being ‘loca’ in the streets with the people of Barcelona.

“Barcelona is one of my favourite cities and has become a second home to me,” said Shakira. “The video is just about having fun and being real in this amazing place with real people.”

THE PRIESTS RELEASE NEW ALBUM "NO�L" IN DECEMBER

Global Superstars The Priests - Father Eugene O’Hagan, his brother Martin and their old school friend David Delargy - are amongst the most recognised and successful acts in both the religious and secular worlds, having sold 3 million albums. They release their new album of carols entitled "Noël" out in Ireland on Friday 3rd December on Epic Records.

"Noël" is The Priests’ third album - produced by Mike Hedges and the follow up to 2009’s "Harmony". The album looks set to be one of the biggest this Christmas and features some of the most cherished seasonal songs of all time - everything from "Ding Dong Merrily On High" to "O Come All Ye Faithful", "Sussex Carol" to "Silent Night" - it is a solemnly beautiful record, stately and humble and full of grace.

"We have given each of these songs a different interpretation and a little priestly twist", grins Martin O’Hagan. "I hope it will get everybody into the festive spirit, and I hope there will be something here for everyone."

The Priests self-titled debut album was released in 2008 and stormed the official album charts to No. 5 and became the Fastest Selling UK debut for a classical act - as certified by The Guinness Book of World Records.

They have sung all across the world, and to audiences that included the British Royal Family and the German Prime Minister, and, more recently, been nominated for two Classical Brit Awards. The Priests will be sharing a stage with the Pope before a crowd of 80,000 in Hyde Park, London on September 18th and untold millions will be watching on television at home.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S "THE PROMISE: THE DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN STORY" FOR RELEASE NOV 16th

Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen's "The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story" on 16th November. The Deluxe Package comprises over six hours of film and more than two hours of audio across 3 CDs and 3 DVDs. The media contents are packaged within an 80-page notebook containing facsimiles from Springsteen's original notebooks from the recording sessions, which include alternate lyrics, song ideas, recording details, and personal notes in addition to a new essay by Springsteen and never-before-seen photographs. You can pre-order your copy right now HERE.

Containing a wealth of previously unreleased material "The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story" offers an unprecedented look into Springsteen's creative process during a defining moment in his career. "The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story" will additionally be released as a 3CD/3 Blu Ray disc set.

The set will be available as "The Promise", an edition which consists of only the unheard complete songs on two CDs or four LPs, along with lyrics and the new essay by Springsteen.

The previously unheard song "Save My Love" and an excerpt from the documentary are currently streaming at www.BruceSpringsteen.net.

The Deluxe Package includes "Darkness on the Edge of Town" digitally remastered for the first time.

CD 1: REMASTERED 'DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN'
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy¹s Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town

"'Darkness' was my 'samurai' record," Springsteen writes, "stripped to the frame and ready to rumble. But the music that got left behind was substantial". For the first time, fans will have access to two discs containing a total of 21 previously-unreleased songs from the "Darkness" recording sessions, songs that, as Springsteen writes, "perhaps could have/should have been released after 'Born To Run' and before the collection of songs that 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' became."

Highlights include the extraordinary rock version of "Racing in the Street", the never-before-released original recordings of "Because the Night", "Fire" and "Rendezvous", the supreme pop opus "Someday (We'll Be Together)", the hilarious "Ain't Good Enough for You", the superb soul-based vocal performance on "The Brokenhearted", the utterly haunting "Breakaway" and the fully orchestrated masterpiece and title song "The Promise". All 21 songs have been mixed by Springsteen's long-time collaborator Bob Clearmountain. According to long-time manager/producer Jon Landau, "There isn't a weak card in this deck. "The Promise" is simply a great listening experience."

CD 2: THE PROMISE (DISC 1)
1. Racing In The Street ('78)
2. Gotta Get That Feeling
3. Outside Looking In
4. Someday (We'll Be Together)
5. One Way Street
6. Because The Night
7. Wrong Side Of The Street
8. The Brokenhearted
9. Rendezvous
10. Candy's Boy

CD 3: THE PROMISE (DISC 2)
1. Save My Love
2. Ain't Good Enough For You
3. Fire
4. Spanish Eyes
5. It's A Shame
6. Come On (Let's Go Tonight)
7. Talk To Me
8. The Little Things (My Baby Does)
9. Breakaway
10. The Promise
11. City Of Night

The Deluxe Package also features "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'" a documentary directed by Grammy and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Thom Zimny. The ninety-minute film combines never-before-seen footage of Springsteen and the E Street Band shot between 1976 and 1978 (including home rehearsals and studio sessions‹with new interviews with Springsteen, E Street Band members, manager Jon Landau, former-manager Mike Appel, and others closely involved in the making of the record). Advanced word on the documentary is so strong that it was invited to debut at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival on September 14th.

DVD 1: "THE PROMISE: THE MAKING OF 'DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN'"
In addition, the set features more than four hours of live concert film from the Thrill Hill Vault, including the bootleg house cut (the footage that appeared on-screen at the concert) from a 1978 Houston show, and a 2009 performance of "Darkness on the Edge of Town" in its entirety from Asbury Park. The special performance in Asbury Park was shot in HD without an audience and successfully recreates the stark atmosphere of the original album.

DVD 2: DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (PARAMOUNT THEATER, ASBURY PARK, NJ, 2009)
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy's Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town

THRILL HILL VAULT (1976-1978)
1. Save My Love (Holmdel, NJ 76)
2. Candy's Boy (Holmdel, NJ 76)
3. Something In The Night (Red Bank, NJ 76)
4. Don¹t Look Back (NYC 78)
5. Ain't Good Enough For You (NYC 78)
6. The Promise (NYC 78)
7. Candy's Room Demo (NYC 78)
8. Badlands (Phoenix 78)
9. The Promised Land (Phoenix 78)
10. Prove It All Night (Phoenix 78)
11. Born To Run (Phoenix 78)
12. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (Phoenix 78)

DVD 3: HOUSTON '78 BOOTLEG: HOUSE CUT
1. Badlands
2. Streets Of Fire
3. It¹s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
4. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
5. Spirit In The Night
6. Independence Day
7. The Promised Land
8. Prove It All Night
9. Racing In The Street
10. Thunder Road
11. Jungleland
12. The Ties That Bind
13. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
14. The Fever
15. Fire
16. Candy's Room
17. Because The Night
18. Point Blank
19. She's The One
20. Backstreets
21. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
22. Born To Run
23. Detroit Medley
24. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
25. You Can't Sit Down
26. Quarter To Three

MARK RONSON NEW SINGLE "THE BIKE SONG"

Check out the fabulous new video for Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. new single "The Bike Song".

Featuring vocals from The View's Kyle Falconer and rapper Spank Rock, it is the second single to be taken from the the forthcoming album "Record Collection", which is scheduled for release in Ireland on Friday 24th September.

"The Bike Song" will be released as a download on Friday 17th September....

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - The Bike Song

BOB DYLAN�S "THE WITMARK DEMOS" SET FOR 15th OCTOBER RELEASE

It has been announced that Bob Dylan’s "The Bootleg Series Volume 9 - The Witmark Demos" will be released in Ireland on Friday 15th October, in conjunction with Columbia/Legacy’s release of the artist’s first eight long-playing albums in a box set titled "Bob Dylan - The Original Mono Recordings".

Both sets have been long sought-after by collectors and fans worldwide, with "The Witmark Demos" seeing their first commercial release nearly five decades after they were first recorded, and "The Original Mono Recordings" returning to the market place for the first time ever on CD, as well as on fully analogue 180-gram vinyl. Both are available for pre-order now at SonyMusicDigital.com/bobdylan.

"The Witmark Demos" features 47 Bob Dylan songs recorded by the artist - accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, harmonica and occasionally piano - for his first music publisher, Leeds Music, in January 1962, and for his second publisher, M. Witmark & Sons, between 1962 and 1964.

Listening to these recordings, one can trace Dylan’s dramatic growth as a songwriter from early traditionally-styled songs like “Man On The Street” and “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Willie” through the social commentary of “Blowin’ In The Wind", “The Times They Are A Changin’” and “Masters Of War”, and the ground-breaking lyrical genius of “Mr. Tambourine Man”. All of these songs, and all the others on "The Witmark Demos", were written - and their subsequent demos recorded - before Bob Dylan turned 24 years old.

Among the many gems found on "The Witmark Demos" are 15 Bob Dylan songs that were recorded by the artist only for these sessions, and which have never been officially released to the public until now. These include the plaintive “Ballad For A Friend”, the civil-rights era-inspired “Long Ago, Far Away” and “The Death Of Emmett Till”, and the poignant “Guess I’m Doing Fine.”

While many of these early songs on "The Witmark Demos" found their way onto Bob Dylan’s own albums, much of the world’s first exposure to them was through their recordings by others, including Peter, Paul and Mary and Stevie Wonder (“Blowin’ In The Wind”), Judy Collins (“Tomorrow Is A Long Time”) and The Byrds (“Mr Tambourine Man”). It’s a testament to the lasting cultural impact of these songs that they have been covered by more than a thousand artists in the nearly fifty years since these demos were created.

"The Witmark Demos" also features a deluxe booklet featuring in-depth liner notes by noted music historian Colin Escott, as well as rare photographs of Bob Dylan captured during the same period as these early recordings.

"The Original Mono Recordings" is comprised of Bob Dylan’s first eight long-playing albums, painstakingly reproduced from their first generation monaural mixes as the artist intended them to be heard: One channel of powerful sound, both direct and immediate. While stereo recordings had been available as early as the mid-1950s, mono was still the predominant - and often preferred - mode of recording and mixing by the top artists of the 1960s. As a result, artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan devoted their attention to the mono mixes, leaving the stereo mixing process to studio engineers.

"The Original Mono Recordings" are accompanied by a deluxe booklet, featuring vintage photographs of Bob Dylan and an expansive essay from renowned author and critic - and longtime Dylan aficionado - Greil Marcus. Each disc in the set comes in its own individual jacket which faithfully replicates the original album artwork, complete with labels and stickers that were found on the original 1960s releases.

These eight albums - spanning the artist’s self-titled debut in March 1962, to John Wesley Harding released on December 27th 1967 - are universally regarded as some of the most important works in the history of recorded music. Together with "The Witmark Demos", they provide the public with a wide-ranging view of Bob Dylan’s work during the 1960s, and chronicle his amazing evolution from fledgling songwriter to one of the world’s most inventive and singular recording artists.

The complete track listing of "The Bootleg Series Volume 9 - The Witmark Demos" is as follows:

Disc 1:
1.    Man On The Street (Fragment)
2.    Hard Times In New York Town
3.    Poor Boy Blues
4.    Ballad For A Friend
5.    Rambling, Gambling Willie
6.    Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues
7.    Standing On The Highway
8.    Man On The Street
9.    Blowin’ In The Wind
10.    Long Ago, Far Away
11.    A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
12.    Tomorrow Is A Long Time
13.    The Death of Emmett Till
14.    Let Me Die In My Footsteps
15.    Ballad Of Hollis Brown
16.    Quit Your Low Down Ways
17.    Baby, I’m In The Mood For You
18.    Bound To Lose, Bound To Win
19.    All Over You
20.    I’d Hate To Be You On That Dreadful Day
21.    Long Time Gone
22.    Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues
23.    Masters Of War
24.    Oxford Town
25.    Farewell

Disc 2
1.    Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
2.    Walkin’ Down The Line
3.    I Shall Be Free
4.    Bob Dylan’s Blues
5.    Bob Dylan’s Dream
6.    Boots Of Spanish Leather
7.    Walls of Red Wing
8.    Girl From The North Country
9.    Seven Curses
10.    Hero Blues
11.    Whatcha Gonna Do?
12.    Gypsy Lou
13.    Ain’t Gonna Grieve
14.    John Brown
15.    Only A Hobo
16.    When The Ship Comes In
17.    The Times They Are A-Changin’
18.    Paths Of Victory
19.    Guess I’m Doing Fine
20.    Baby Let Me Follow You Down
21.    Mama, You Been On My Mind
22.    Mr. Tambourine Man
23.    I’ll Keep It With Mine

The eight albums in The Complete Mono Recordings are as follows:
§    Bob Dylan – 1962
§    The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – 1963
§    The Times They Are A-Changin’ – 1964
§    Another Side Of Bob Dylan – 1964
§    Bringing It All Back Home – 1965
§    Highway 61 Revisited – 1965
§    Blonde on Blonde – 1966
§    John Wesley Harding – 1967

R KELLY TO RELEASE "EPIC" ALBUM

On Friday 10th September, the much talked about R. Kelly "Epic" album will be released in Ireland on CD and download.

This album is a one-off collection of aspriational songs and timeless R. Kelly classics plus four new unreleased songs.

The "Epic" album was spawned off of the excitement of R. Kelly's involvement and participation in the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"Epic" will include the 2010 World Cup anthem "Sign of a Victory" as well as international hit singles "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Turn Back The Hands of Time" among other songs of inspiration and encouragement, see full track listing below.

"Epic" album sequence:
1. Heal It (Prelude)
2. Sign of a Victory
3. I Believe
4. World's Greatest
5. Victory
6. Peace
7. Turn Back The Hands Of Time
8. Fireworks
9. Spirit
10. I'm Your Angel
11. Can You Feel It
12. I Believe I Can Fly

R. Kelly featuring Soweto Spiritual Singers - Sign Of A Victory

NEW SCRIPT COMPETITIONS!

As you may all be aware by now, The Script will release their eagerly-awaited second album ‘Science & Faith’ in Ireland on Friday 10th September.

To mark this exciting venture the guys are hosting a global launch event on Thursday 9th September in secret Dublin city-centre location.

We know that tickets to this are hard to come-by, so we've two more competitions to point you to, to win tickets.

The first one is with on-demand video site Muzu.TV - head over to their site HERE to enter in their draw!

The second contest is with RTE.ie over at their site HERE. Simply answer their question and be in with a chance attend the party!

Good luck!

The Script - For The First Time

JIMMY FALLON & GLEE ROCK THE 2010 EMMYS!

Jimmy Fallon has performed a "Glee"-themed opening skit at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards. Kicking off the Saturday night event that was taking place at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, the 35-year-old comedian helped "Glee" cast to win a singing competition in order to be able to attend the show.

Together with Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer and Amber Riley, Jimmy made their way through the backstage area and recruited more members. They tapped "30 Rock" star Tina Fey, Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester, "Lost" actor Jorge Garcia, "The Vampire Diaries" actress Nina Dobrev and "Community" actor Joel McHale.

Jimmy and Tina, in particular, felt what it feels like being slushed in the opening skit. Meanwhile, a comic moment was presented by Betty White and "Mad Men" hunk Jon Hamm when he was seen practicing "some sweet dance moves" with Betty in the make-up room. Kate Gosselin was snubbed from joining the team for her stiff "Dancing with the Stars" performance.

Jimmy and his newly-formed Glee group then hit the stage, dancing and singing to Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run". Before appearing live, the show host ripped off his dirty shirt, leaving only a matching outfit to Bruce's iconic blue jeans and t-shirt. Rocking the stage with his new crew, he was also joined by "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson.

Missed it? Fear not, we have the clip for your visual delight below!

LISSIE - A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY AND A WHOLE LOT ROCK & ROLL

The 27-year-old Illinois singer Lissie has drawn much acclaim for her debut album and Lady Gaga cover – and she can drink you under the table. Gillian Orr from the UK newspaper The Independent, meets her...

Lissie is not feeling well. The 27-year-old singer-songwriter is slumped on a sofa in Sony headquarters' reception, eating noodle soup. I almost feel bad for dragging her out of bed when she lets out a husky, throaty laugh, "Oh, man, I'm just so hungover."

Born and raised in Rock City, Illinois, Lissie has been slowly garnering buzz for her rock/country crossover tunes, which make you yearn for a beat-up convertible and the open road. She has spent much of the summer in the UK, having played just about every major festival and a bunch of solo shows in support of her debut album "Catching a Tiger", which was released in June.

The hangover, she tells me, is the result of a night out with Band of Horses, one of whom, Bill Reynolds, produced her first EP last year "Why You Runnin'". Lissie describes the EP as "a bit more stripped-down and Americana and minimally produced" than her album has ended up sounding.

"Catching a Tiger" was produced by Reynolds and Jacquire King, Kings of Leon's producer, and recorded in Nashville in 2009. That's not to say the capital of country completely shaped the sound of the album.

Lissie's music has elements of pop, blues, rock, folk, country and even a bit of gospel but there's something indelibly American about it. But not urban America. Not Los Angeles or New York. It's the mythical, romanticised America, the one of freight trains and sprawling plains and the Mississippi.

This isn't surprising considering Lissie's story. She was very much the Midwestern girl dreaming of bigger things. Growing up in Rock City, she was restless and reacted against an oppressive high-school experience filled with girls who picked on her and teachers who didn't understand her. "In high school," she explains, "I just got bored and didn't feel like I had any outlet to turn to other than writing music.

"I had this teacher who called me a ditz all the time and I was like, 'It's not OK for you to do that. I'm not a ditz and you're a jerk.' And I'd get into trouble for calling him a jerk." This outspoken behaviour culminated in her being kicked out of school for spitting in the face of a band teacher. "I dunno, if someone corners me or tries to oppress my free speech in any way, I will freak out on them verbally."

Her only release came in the form of an old, unused guitar that her father had given her mother years ago. Aged 12, she started to teach herself to play but it wasn't exactly an instant achievement: "I would teach myself a chord, then a year later would learn another chord." In keeping with the difficulty she had dealing with authority figures, Lissie shunned "proper" guitar lessons because they were always trying to teach her "scales and stuff".

There doesn't seem to be an explanation for Lissie's natural musical talent. None of her family is particularly musical (although her grandfather was an international barbershop quartet champion) and she claims to have no overriding musical heroes. She spent her youth listening to a bit of everything: grunge, rap, country. But she always admired strong female artists such as Fiona Apple and Liz Phair. "My music styling wasn't like theirs but I thought they were cool," she says, "and writing good lyrics, and had great voices. That was inspiring to me."

After playing at various small shows and coffee shops, she eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a musician.

The final track on the album "Oh Mississippi", could cast Lissie as the roaming adventurer, going west in the great American tradition, from her town in Illinois to Los Angeles to find her fame and fortune: "Oh, Mississippi/ Oh, all the troubles your banks have seen/ Carry their stories from north to south/ But round these parts you're westward bound."

She now lives in Ojai, California, a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, which she had to leave after splitting with her boyfriend, who was responsible for most of the heartache that made its way on to "Catching a Tiger". And although she likes to talk about her love of sitting on her porch, hiking with her dog and making pies, it's evident she has a mischievous side as well.

In fact, she seems like the sort of person you could have a really fun night out with... if you can keep up. Lissie is truly disappointed that her tolerance to alcohol has gone down since working so much, and laments that the previous evening she "only had three shots of tequila, some whiskey, probably five beers, which normally would be, like, nothing".

If, after hearing Lissie's idea of a "dry" night out, you're not sure you could keep up, don't be fooled into thinking her music is as full-on. It's mainly laid-back fare, which meets somewhere in the middle ground between Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow. But it's her voice that really marks her out. Ranging from husky to crystal clear, it is a voice that has lived, one that has history. A voice in which you can hear the cigarettes that have been smoked in dive bars, the raucous laughter from a dirty joke, the whiskey drunk until the early hours and the tears cried over a lover.

Her album is an honest account of heartbreak and someone trying to find their place in the world. There are soulful numbers such as "Bully" and "Everywhere I Go" alongside plenty of rollicking, guitar-led and slickly produced tracks, such as the former single "When I'm Alone". "I think there are those songs on there that can really pack a punch and can stick with people and there are the more tender songs," says Lissie. Throughout, you can hear someone with a real zest for life, understanding the good and the bad.

Befitting her music, Lissie's image is very natural. She's all uncombed hair, freckles and jeans, and is a rather refreshing antidote to various, current, over-stylised female singer-songwriters. Some of the artwork in the album could be mistaken for stills from Little House on the Prairie.

"It's fun to be a woman and put on make-up and get gussied up sometimes and I do occasionally, depending on what I have to do," Lissie explains, "but my music is all about me and my life, and so I see no reason to have to wear a costume if everything I'm doing is a true thing."

That's not to say she can't appreciate some of the more image-conscious chanteuses of today, though. She describes Lady Gaga as "awesome" and has done a great cover of her song "Bad Romance"; after being a big hit on the web, it has made it on to the B-side of Lissie's next single, "Cuckoo".

She has also become firm friends with Ellie Goulding. The two of them often perform together at each other's gigs. "I feel a bit like a proud older sister, watching her. She's so sweet."

And, with that, it's time for Lissie to go and have her picture taken. "Oh, man, I feel like I'm going to throw up! Maybe we can catch it on camera." And, then, that laugh again.

Lissie's single "Cuckoo" is released today. The album, 'Catching a Tiger', is out on Columbia Records. Lissie plays Academy 2, Dublin on the 7th September (Lissie.com)

For the full Independent ariticle, please see: www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment

Lissie - Cuckoo