Music News

Melody Gardot has described her new album as a "leap into the unknown".
The 30-year-old singer-songwriter has announced her fourth studio album 'Currency of Man' will be released on June 1 through Decca, and revealed it has been inspired by marginalized people in Los Angeles.
She explained: "Every album is a journey and this disc in some ways is a leap into the unknown. After spending time in LA, the songs all became about the people I'd meet: people who were experiencing life on the fringe..."
The record will see the star once again pair up with Grammy Award-winning producer Larry Klein, who she worked with on her best-selling second studio record 'My One and Only Thrill', and who has previously worked with stars such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Tracy Chapman.
Despite returning to work with the producer, Melody insisted the LP will have a vastly different sound in comparison to the music they last made together, as they have experimented with different instruments and arrangements to create something "a bit strange".
She added:"We have a slamming horn section and these cinematic and somewhat existential arrangements. It's a body of work where Larry and I discover an electric side of the songs, something I've never done before. It's all an exploration, but it feels good to have something new, and even a bit strange."

Nadine Coyle's new album will be "similar to the London Grammar sound".
The former Girls Aloud star is working on the follow up to her debut solo LP, 2010's 'Insatiable', and has teased fans can expect it to sound like the 'Wasting My Young Years' singing trio.
She said: "I would describe it as similar to the London Grammar sound. It'll be a little different to what people expect."
The 29-year-old singer - who is dating former American football player Jason Bell - revealed she has made speedy progress on her new music, having already recorded seven songs, with hopes of releasing the collection before the end of the year.
She continued: "I am recording the album as we speak and I'm so, so excited about it. I have about seven songs that I love.
"I would love it to be released sooner rather than later but it will definitely be this year."
The brunette beauty also confessed she is looking to release the album through a "major label", after her first LP performed poorly due to an exclusivity deal with supermarket chain Tesco.
Speaking to the Daily Star Sunday, she said: "I would like to go with a major label this time around but I'm just concentrating on making the album at the moment."
The album update comes just three months after Nadine - who has 13-month-old daughter Anaíya - confessed the album would tell details of her private life, and has made her feel "vulnerable".
She said: "I'm really laying it all out there, which is scary. I'm making myself vulnerable."

Charli XCX and Jaden and Willow Smith are among acts added to the New Look Wireless Festival line-up.
The 'Boom Clap' hitmaker will be joining the sibling duo at the three-day festival in London's Finsbury Park in July, performing alongside previously announced headliners Drake, Avicii, Kendrick Lamar, David Guetta and Nicki Minaj.
A "special performance" from the children of actor Will Smith has been teased by festival organisers, following 14-year-old Willow's breakout 2010 single 'Whip My Hair' and her older brother Jaden's featuring slot on Justin Bieber's hit 'Never Say Never' in the same year.
Clean Bandit collaborator Jess Glynne and 'I Need' singer Maverick Sabre will also perform at the popular event from July 3 - 5, as well as Lethal Bizzle, Travi$ Scott, MNEK and Sinead Harnett.
Other rising stars set to appear at the festival - which is celebrating its 10th anniversary - include Klingande, DJ Mustard, 3Lau, Shakka, Ows, Bad Rabbits, Tove Styrke, Jacob Plant, Ady Suleiman, Nick Brewer, Damage, Tori Kelly, Jermain Jackman and Etta Bond.
The latest update follows the announcement in February that rapper A$AP Rocky would be performing at the central London celebration, along with Belgian singer-songwriter Stromae, rising star PARTYNEXTDOOR, drum and bass producer Netsky and 21-year-old '2 On' hitmaker Tinashe.
Further stars scheduled to appear include Jessie J, Labrinth, Major Lazer, Mary J Blige, Nero, Childish Gambino and 'Rather Be' hitmakers Clean Bandit.

Emily Eavis has defended Kanye West's headline slot at Glastonbury festival.
Since announcing the 'All Day' rapper would be headlining the Saturday night of the five-day festival last week, more than 100,000 people have signed a petition to pull the controversial star's performance, although festival organiser Emily believes he is "one of the greatest artists of his generation."
She said: "We think the story this year should not be: 'Why is Kanye coming?' but: 'How amazing is it that Kanye is coming?' One of the world's biggest superstars and a music legend, always interesting, never boring.
"I've realised over the years of announcing line ups that, literally, whoever you reveal will be met with some hate online. I have such faith in humanity, but believe me, some of the vitriol being thrown around this week has made me question the dark underbelly of the web. Who are those people silently shouting in disgust, throwing out threats from behind their screens? It certainly isn't pleasant to be on the receiving end of that. I can't even imagine how it makes Kanye feel."
Despite the criticism, Emily - who has co-organised the festival alongside father Michael Eavis since 2000 - insisted they are excited about the festival, taking place at Worthy Farm, south west England, from June 24 - 28, which will also feature performances from Lionel Richie and Foo Fighters.
Writing in The Guardian newspaper, she said: "Ultimately, there is no question in my mind that we have got one of the greatest artists of his generation headlining, and we have no regrets at all about booking him.
"And we've got him coming to our farm! In rural Somerset! That's great, right? I certainly can't wait to see his performance."

Noel Gallagher is considering retirement from playing live.
The 47-year-old rocker admits touring has become harder as he's aged, but insists his passion for making music remains strong.
The Manchester-born star told the April issue of Loaded magazine: "Maybe I'll retire from playing live, it depends how long you can be a***d. Ten years from now I don't think I'll be getting on a bus - it's undignified. But I don't think I'll ever stop writing - as long as my brain and bones last out.
"I'll just have to tailor the touring. It's not fun being on a bus for six weeks in America. It's fine when you're young, but I'm almost 50."
Noel also confessed that he increasingly struggles to cope with the party lifestyle of a musician.
He shared: "The worst thing for me about getting older is the hangovers. Hangovers last for three or four days.
"I haven't got the stamina for three days at Glastonbury any more, although I did that last year and it was f***ing horrific. On the third day I get a bad back and all the rest of it, but on the whole, I think I'm doing all right."
You can read the full Noel interview in the April issue of Loaded, which is out on March 26.

Laura Marling felt her time away from the music industry was "undignified".
The singer/songwriter - who has just released her fifth studio album 'Short Movie', her first in nearly two years - has insisted she had "little choice" in delaying her album release.
She said: "I had little choice in the matter. It didn't seem to want to happen. It was undignified - that's exactly what it felt like.
"My music and my ability and my confidence in my ability were a huge part of my persona. Because that's such a grounding thing to be confidently doing what you are lucky enough to be good at. And I didn't have that - for the first time ever. It was horrible."
With it being her first release in over 15 months, the 25-year-old folk musician wanted to take control of the whole album and opted to co-produce it alongside her drummer Matt.
She added to news.com.au: "I felt like it was a little bit fragile and that I needed to protect it. When I thought about producing it myself, it wasn't that I thought 'I'm going to do all of this' it was more that I knew if I produced it myself I would work with these particular people no questions asked.
"The string players are three of my oldest friends, the engineer was a lovely friend of mine in a tiny studio that I love and my drummer Matt basically co-produced with me. They were all just gentle, ego-less people. It's hard to get all of those people in a room if there is someone else running the show."

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini thinks men "don't understand" women.
The 'Only Human' hitmaker has, up until recently, always had a team of women around her because she finds them "empowering".
She said: "Up until recently, every single person on my team was female. I was surrounded by females and I found it very empowering.
"It's only us who know how each other feels. Men don't understand it."
But despite her girl power stance, the 31-year-old singer had no problems gushing about her marriage to Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, who she wed in a secret ceremony last July.
She said: "I'm not an 18-year-old, I'm a 31-year-old woman and I know what I'm doing. He makes me happy, but he's not the reason. I was happy beforehand - and if I hadn't been happy, I wouldn't have been open to the relationship."
Talking about her privacy, she added to the Daily Star on Sunday's TV Extra magazine: "I don't usually discuss my private life... My privacy is very intentional. There was no escape - I was stuck in that glare, in that bubble. It's not healthy for anybody. I had no life. I was kept under surveillance. It was aggressive, it was dangerous and it was inhumane."

Liam Gallagher thinks his brother Noel is "a bit nice".
The former Oasis rocker sees a lot of similarities between himself and "twisted" John Lennon, whereas he thinks his older sibling and ex-bandmate is more like Beatles bassist Sir Paul McCartney.
He told NME: "I'd say both Lennon and McCartney were very different, but both great.
"I like Lennon's stuff more because it's a bit more beautiful and a bit more mad. McCartney's was like Noel, he's a bit nice. Lennon was more twisted and I like that s**t."
Liam and Noel have rarely spoken since the guitarist sparked the demise of Oasis by quitting the band following a fight before a Paris gig in 2009 but they appear to have finally patched up their relationship after the ex-Beady Eye frontman went to see his sibling play with his new band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds on tour.
The 42-year-old frontman took to his Twitter account at the weekend to post a picture of his Access All Areas backstage pass to the concert.
He captioned the photo: "Keeping it in the family...LG x"
Liam also took to his Twitter account throughout the week to wish his older sibling luck ahead of his shows in Manchester and London.
One cryptic post read: "Hometown Gig Monday night, Keeping it Dangerous LG x (sic)"
Noel, 47, recently revealed he and his younger brother - who fronted the band Beady Eye until they split last year - were on speaking terms again and spoke at soccer matches when they both go to support their favourite team Manchester City.
He said: "I see him at the football and we talk."
In another interview, he said: "He sends me cheeky texts from time to time. He texted me the other night asking when my duet with Robbie Williams was coming out. He's all right."

Timbaland wants to make music that will "break through the garbage".
The 43-year-old record producer is working with a number of young up-and-coming artists both on their own records and his own upcoming album 'Opera Noir'.
He said: "What I'm trying to find are these young people who have the same hunger and passion I once had and still have, and pass it on to the future. I feel I can be a mentor and help make new music that will break through some of the garbage.
"When music starts to fall off the path, with dumbness and flashiness, well, it's my job to set a tone, a foundation. If you want quality music, come up on the Timbaland side of the street."
The 'Carry Out' hitmaker - who has worked with stars including Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Jay Z throughout his successful career - has also hinted at the influences of some of the new artists he's working with.
He explained to Vanity Fair magazine: "I've got a label partnership now with L.A. Reid. I'm producing a 19-year-old girl named Tink, who's going to change things back to the days of Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott - girls who gave you substance the way Biggie Smalls and Tupac did.
"And a singer named V. Bozeman - and while I don't like comparing people to other people, she's going to give you that feeling that Whitney Houston gave you."