So, why wasn’t (insert artist here) ever successful? The ‘leftfield’ edition…

I interrupt my Top 30 albums countdown for a little post (little being a loose term) to bemoan the criminally overlooked albums of three very talented ladies of British pop. It seems like for every Katy Perry or Lady Gaga success story there is a flipside – record label conflicts, albums being shelved, lasklustre promotion and radio play, flop albums – all ultimately leading to artist being left by the wayside, getting fed up, and pursuing a career in ‘fashion’ or some similar nonsense. Shame then that so many of these artists actually do end up creating rather brilliant songs before it all goes tits up for them. So, the three artists I’ve chosen for this little ‘editorial’ piece are, as mentioned above, British female singer-songwriters, all with a bit of a ‘leftfield’ persuasion to their overall sound (a definition to come), and all of whom have experienced varying degrees of generally shitty situations when it comes to releasing their work.

“I do make difficult, slightly alternative, leftfield pop music…it’s sort of a difficult genre to be in”

Siobhan Donaghy, 2007, The London Paper Interview

left field

noun

1 Baseball the part of the outfield to the left of the batter when facing the pitcher: a high fly to left field.

2 N. Amer. informal a surprising or unconventional position or style: seldom do so many witty touches come out of left field.

• a position of ignorance, error, or confusion: he’s way over in left field on these issues.

adjective

(of artistic work) radical or experimental: left-field guitar-based music.

Siobhan Donaghy, Ghosts (2007) – When ‘leftfield’ pop becomes a certified flop

Above is a definition of the word ‘leftfield’, a favoured adjective used by Siobhan Donaghy to describe her solo records. Her 2007 album Ghosts, which has pretty much been hailed a masterpiece since it’s release, certainly does meet the criteria for being ‘experimental’ (radical might be taking it a bit too far) in the pop genre, although it is an album that wears its influences on its sleeve (the clever ‘Running Up that Hill‘ melodic reference in ‘Medevac‘, the might-as-well-have-sampled-the-original nod to Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrop‘ on ‘Halcyon Days‘, and the Ray of Light-esque ‘Coming Up For Air‘). I’ve been championing Siobhan for a while now on this blog, and the unfortunate and unjustified demise of her second album is one that gets many a pop fan riled up. Had this album come out three years later in the throes of Florence + the Machine, Bat For Lashes, and Goldfrapp domination – i.e. when ‘leftfield’ pop suddenly became a hot ticket again – would it have met a different commercial fate? Some context seems necessary here – Donaghy was a founding member of UK pop group Sugababes, left after the release of their first album which wasn’t as successful as its followup, and then went on to release Revolution In Me an album even more ‘leftfield’ than Ghosts in 2003, and which met an even quicker commercial death thanks to London Records folding. With Ghosts, Donaghy was essentially starting her solo career afresh and while she continued to fight tooth and nail against the inevitable Sugababes baggage, she put on a brave face and did her best to promote an album that just seemed destined for failure.

So, what happened?

The first nail in the coffin: the album was mispressed (apparently a pretty rare occurrence) with an easy listening compilation and sent to record stores before the label found out about the mistake. This resulted in a mass recall of the album stock and then pissed off record stores refusing to shell out more money to get the album stocked again. Not having an album stocked on release is going to hurt sales. As a result Siobhan was sent scrabbling around for any promo she could get (usually shit) where, if she didn’t get to sing, she was inevitably barraged by questions about why she left the aforementioned group. It didn’t help that her label EMI/Parlophone pretty much did nothing to help out during this process. Needless to say, despite the album receiving unanimous critical adulation, it debuted at a disappointing #92 on the UK charts and then disappeared.

And then what?

Siobhan got dropped – despite having another album on her contract – and got a desk job until a fateful day in 2009 when a certain group shed its remaining original member. Four years on, Mutya Keisha Siobhan (aka the original Sugababes) are set to release their album in early 2014 – proof that things come full circle. Let’s hope Siobhan has more success this time around.

Why should I listen to this album then?

Well, I can’t make you, but seriously if you like any of the artists I mentioned above, you’re probably going to like most of this album. An eclectic, yet cohesive blend of electronica and pop influences make for an ambitious album that lives up to its reputation as a forgotten gem. Swooping vocals (occasionally sung backwards), captivating melodies, and incredible lyrics are all on offer, and don’t be scared of by the ‘leftfield’ bit – it’s not exactly Björk at her most difficult, yet it makes Lady Gaga look like a hack all while being incredibly graceful and sophisticated.

Amy Studt, My Paper Made Men (2008) – teen pop star’s transformation into ambitious artist goes relatively unnoticed

In 2003, Amy Studt was a golden girl of UK pop, with four Top 20 singles to her name and an album that was certified Gold. Her debut, False Smiles, was a clever mix of accessible and some not-so-commercial pop and the young Studt seemed poised to become a more viable Fiona Apple. Four years later a second album, My Paper Made Men, was released on a different record label and with a decidedly more experimental sound. The pop hooks of her hit ‘Misfit‘ were only really obvious on the album’s third single ‘Nice Boys‘ (a song Studt confirmed was written purely because the record company wanted an ‘obvious single‘) but even that track was tongue in cheek enough to fit into the wider context of the album. And what an album! If anyone had ridden off Studt as a teen pop one-trick pony in terms of her talent Paper Made Men proved them wrong. Not exactly an album made for radio play, it’s lead single ‘Furniture‘ is a sparse, stark ballad exploring the psychological impact of a stale relationship. Second single ‘Chasing the Light‘, while decidedly more upbeat in sound is also one of Studt’s most tortured vocals creating an interesting juxtaposition. Elsewhere, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Alanis Morissette, and Cat Power are channeled to great effect such as on the epic ‘She Walks Beautiful‘, the haunting ‘Here Lies Love‘, or the sly tongue in cheek come on of ‘One Last Cigarette‘.

So, what happened?

Well, honestly I’m not sure. It seems like a combination of poor promotion, lack of radio play, and general indifference to the project as a whole lead to the demise of this album. What could have been marketed as a mature, focused, and experimental return of a successful pop singer was instead stunted by two separate releases (digital in 2008, followed by the physical release in 2009) and a focus on the ‘new’ Amy Studt who really was “exactly the same, just older” as Amy herself so eloquently pointed out. The album was then pulled from digital retailers and the physical CD was being sold for 400 pounds on Amazon.

And then what?

Despite taking  time out, Amy has been working on a third album which is due out this year, so hopefully she can match (or even better) the quality of My Paper Made Men.

Why should I listen to this album then?

Again, it’s sort of a case of if you like the obvious influences you’ll probably like most of what’s on offer here. But that shouldn’t be taken as the album being a retread of what’s come before. Paper Made Men is a ‘warm’ record for lack of a better term, and its introspective lyrics combined with the lush production are at once inviting and emotionally stark. Studt never delves into the same territory twice and her exceptional piano playing links the disparate sounds of the record into a cohesive whole.

Alexis Strum, Cocoon (2005) – sometimes the challenge is in actually getting an album released at all

Sure, it’s difficult enough to be a ‘leftfield’ female singer-songwriter in the pop world, but at least Siobhan Donaghy and Amy Studt had opportunity to release their albums. Alexis Strum, a songwriter for acts like Kylie Minogue and Rachel Stevens, was not so lucky, having not one but two albums indefinitely shelved by seemingly delusional record companies. Her first album effort titled Addicted was due for release in 2002 but when the lead single failed to gain traction it became a free for all for other artists to rerecord Strum’s songs. Following a period of self-imposed isolation and exploration in remote Antigua, she wrote and self-produced her second album, Cocoon, an introspective yet relatable album of songs of love, loss, and growth. Eschewing the more conventional pop sounds of her debut effort, Strum opted for arrangements more akin to Kate Bush or Björk in their subtle intimacy and melancholic feel. As is typically the case with such projects, record company involvement lead to the recording of a ‘single’, the divine ‘Bad Haircut‘ and when that didn’t get radio play ‘It Could Be You‘ became contender for a hit and did no better. Sure, the choice of singles probably wasn’t going to lead to massive success (2005 being dominated by the likes of Kelly Clarkson in the pop charts and Kelly Clarkson this ain’t) but to give up on artist so readily, particularly one with such obvious talent, is slightly disconcerting and very confusing.

So, what happened?

Cocoon was set to be released through Mercury Records, however they proved to be yet another label intent on shooting themselves in the foot. The album was repeatedly released to digital outlets and subsequently withdrawn due to the release being mistaken on both occasions. With the lack of interest shown by radio the label were convinced the project would be unsuccessful and eventually shelved it completely. Even today the release situation of the whole thing is undecided. It was technically never released, yet can be bought from  certain digital outlets in the UK. Otherwise, you have to do what I did and purchase a promo copy from eBay. Amongst the chaos of the ‘release’, Strum became ill requiring surgery and ultimately choosing to abandon the project (probably not a bad move by that point) and depart from the label after re-evaluating her life goals.

And then what?

Well, as of now Strum is focused on acting, so nothing on the musical front. Given her shit experience with the music business, it’s really no wonder. With the advent of Kickstarter though there’s no reason a talented singer-songwriter can’t do a modest release of an independent crowd-funded album.

Why should I listen to this album then?

Because it’s bloody good, and given it’s ‘unreleased’ status has a mystique of ‘What if…?’ about it. Had the album been given a decent opportunity to build steam and potentially become a sleeper hit, Strum could well be still making records (health issues aside). Nevertheless, Cocoon is worth tracking down for the strength of its tracks, subtle explorations of human emotion thanks to Strum’s lyrical skill. The album sounds rather cocooned (I had to) in its warm, subtle instrumentation and string arrangements and songs such as ‘World Without Your Love‘, ‘Cocoon’ and ‘Long Way Home‘ are glorious examples of this. Also, random, but she looks like Siobhan Donaghy so that’s like double the amazingness surely.

Siobhan Donaghy

Originally one-third of UK pop group Sugababes, Siobhan Donaghy is an English singer-songwriter who makes left-of-centre pop, and unfortunately hasn’t managed to achieve the success that her former band went on to. Donaghy has released two solo albums, 2003’s ‘Revolution in Me’ and 2007’s ‘Ghosts’ the former containing her only ‘hit’ single to date, ‘Overrated’.

‘Revolution’ failed to garner much commercial attention, while follow up ‘Ghosts’ was marred from the charts by record company disagreements, lack of promotion and mispressing of CDs with an easy listening compilation which led to many record stores refusing to even stock the new pressings of the album. Nevertheless, ‘Ghosts’ is a near masterpiece of alt-pop, recalling Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins and Massive Attack in its intricate soundscapes.

I tend to go for the underdog artist and Siobhan hasn’t exactly had a lot of luck when it comes to her releases – which is a shame because she’s a formidable talent that deserves the attention that artists like Florence + the Machine, Bat For Lashes, Ellie Goulding and Marina and the Diamonds are getting these days. Siobhan is working on new material, but there’s no release date for anything as of yet.

To hype or not to hype…

The last couple of years have seen the worldwide music scene introduced to a bevy of new female artists. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t an issue. I love a lot of interesting female artists and don’t have any opposition to more making their way onto my iPod. There’s no doubt that compared to, say, 5 years ago, there are a lot more promising women putting records out. Thing is, it’s starting to become a little difficult to differentiate all of the ‘quirky’ women that are dominating the charts – lets not forget the saying “too much of a good thing can be bad”. One thing that seems to be common to these artists though is the amount of pre-release hype that surrounds them, which isn’t always for the best.

Take Ellie Goulding as an example. I only listened to Ellie’s debut ‘Lights’ (2010) a couple of days ago, but had known of her name for a couple of months.

Can you see the lights? They're so preeety...

Ellie was hyped as being the ‘next big thing’ to hit 2010, even before she put out an album! Now… well the critics have been lukewarm on her debut effort (at best), and while I’m certainly not disliking ‘Lights’ it’s certainly not as earth-shattering as BBC’s polls would have had people believe last year. So was it really worth all the hype then?

Florence Welch (she of the Machine) got similar hype before the release of ‘Lungs’ (2009), but in her case, she’s more than lived up to the expectations. However, Bat For Lashes, yet another female singer-songwriter ingenue who captured the attention of critics, didn’t get such a overwhelming response, despite being on the same artistic wavelength of Florence. Siobhan Donaghy, more than capable of holding up the “new Kate Bush” mantle that all female artists must receive without exception, completely flopped…twice. So obviously, commercial success hasn’t been guaranteed for all of these women. A shame, since Ms. Donaghy’s ‘Ghosts’ (2007) is much more interesting than Ms. Goulding’s ‘Lights’. Right time, right place perhaps?

Apparently there's honey in that teacup. Honey for the bees...(Siobhan Donaghy 'Ghosts')

So, to sum up so far, a) alternative-pop by chicks is cool again for the first time in about 15 years, b) the numerous ‘quirky’ women that have been hitting the music scene in recent years  have done so with mostly varying degrees of commercial success, but usually unanimous critical success, c) not all of the artists truly live up to their hype, and d) every new female artist MUST be compared to Kate Bush, despite often only having a passing resemblance and never having heard anything other than ‘Wuthering Heights’.  There’s no doubt that all music goes through these ‘phases’; remember the indie band explosion a couple of years ago that gave us the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand? Thing is, when so many similar artists start to hit the scene at the same time it becomes hard to know which are actually worth the grandiose hype, especially when someone arguably more talented may get overlooked in the process.

Did someone say my name? (Kate Bush)

I think our age of instant musical gratification and Lady Gaga it’s easy for people to go nuts as soon as they hear someone making music that a) uses synths b) has interesting lyrics (Gaga doesn’t fit here very often at the moment) and c) involves the person wearing odd clothing for videos, but seriously what kind of critics harp on about an artist without having heard their album first?! I suppose my point at the end of all this is that, like all other trends, this current one will end too. I’ll be interested to see which of the artists actually last and those that haven’t been successful might eventually get the attention of the public.