Hometown girl Lucy releases new album

Recorded as part of the Acoustic Roots season at Wigan’s The Old Courts, the album features 15 live musical tracks, including 12 original live arrangements of songs taken from her acclaimed debut album ‘Chasing Clocks’ and EP ‘What’s in Front of Me’ as well as two unreleased tracks.

The album was released this week and also includes three covers: an arrangement of ‘Make Me Down a Pallet on Your Floor’, Ben E. King’s ‘Stand by Me’ and the lesser known ‘In Tall Buildings’.

“It’s fantastic to have a new live record coming out and I’m so grateful to Ian Cleverdon of Karona Sound and Acoustic Roots for capturing the night for us,” said Lucy, who recorded the record with her long-time bass player Andy Crowdy.

“The gig was really special and it’s fabulous to have this snap shot of a moment in time in my music. The intimacy of this album is special, and I hope that listeners will feel like I’m there with them in their front room.”

Now based in Epsom, Lucy recently graduated from London music school BIMM with a First Class BA (Hons) Songwriting degree, having completed a three-year course.

Despite this southern settlement , Lucy remains true to her Burnley roots, and will be returning for her 10th Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival in August to curate the ‘Lucy Zirins Acoustic Blues Showcase’, named in her honour.

“I’m thrilled about the stage at Colne. It’s a big deal; I’ve been involved with the festival for 10 years now so it’s very humbling, and nice to know they still like me ‘up Norf!’ My dear friend Tom Attah did a fab job last year, so all I can hope to do is make him proud.

“I’m immensely proud of where I come from and it’s so special to be able to share those roots and the magic of the festival with new and upcoming artists and established grassroots musicians who maybe haven’t been up this way before, and who I feel the Colne crowd will love.

“The aim with the curation is to really push songwriting and originality in the blues as it’s an area I’m very passionate about having just finished my degree in songwriting.”

It looks like it’s going to be a busy 2018 for Lucy who is also hoping to release her next studio album.

“The studio album is due out in late Autumn 2018; no official release date yet and we still have a lot of work to do in January. Myself and my producer Jim Knight have been working really hard on it around both of our very busy schedules.

“It’s been difficult doing a day here and there when we can, but it’s sounding very contemporary, really cool and the songs are really coming to life. Between us we’ve been playing everything and really working on developing my sound so it’s been a much intimate way of working with a producer this time, which has been really interesting.

“The hope is in January to have some more musicians come in and pop the icing on the cake.

“I’m booking in dates at the moment for next year as well. There’s a date coming in Wigan again with Acoustic Roots, I’m in Scotland in February and a couple of things around the Macclesfield way.

“I’m sure somewhere in the middle of that I’ll be in or around Lancashire; definitely when the album releases there’ll be a date, if not before.”