CHOSEN AS A 2018 NPR MUSIC SLINGSHOT ARTIST
DEBUT EP SOMETHING AMERICAN CONTINUES TO RECEIVE CRITICAL ACCLAIM
“Lottery,” the new single from emerging British artist Jade Bird, is out today via Glassnote Records. Listen/share the track here: http://smarturl.it/JBLottery.
Additionally, Jade has been named an NPR Music Slingshot Artist. In the fall of 2017, NPR Music and VuHaus’ public radio network kicked off Slingshot, a collective effort among taste-making music stations to elevate exceptional emerging artists. Each NPR music member station selected one Slingshot artist for January—Jade is part of the inaugural class of artists for this special program.
“Lottery” follows Jade’s breakout, debut EP Something American, which was released in July to widespread critical acclaim. Of the music Pitchfork explains, “Bird’s debut EP, Something American, taps into the spirit of Americana that artists like Margo Price mine from, but what separates her from her peers across the pond is her voice. She possesses a crystalline soprano so pure that it calls to mind bubbling spring water and untouched snowfall,” while The Independent furthers, “Her debut extended play Something American is a bold, punk take on the country folk genre…Bird soulfully sings about intimate memories, heartbreak and even divorce through piercing howls and glorious angst. With just her soaring vocals standing alone with an acoustic guitar, Bird could fool us all into thinking she’s been at this for over 20 years.”
Capping off 2017, Jade spoke with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 and was featured on NPR’s World Cafe. She also made her network television debut performing the EP’s single “Cathedral” on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Born in Hexham, U.K., Jade’s early life was spent mainly in flight as an “army brat,” with time spent in South Wales, Germany and Chesterfield. One of life’s few constants proved to be the influence of strong working women. At first via her mother and grandmother, who largely raised her, but later the female role models within the musical subcultures Jade become obsessed with: from troubled but empowering country heroines like Loretta Lynn to iconic alternative songwriters like Patti Smith, and following a thread through folk and Americana to incorporating such confessional, undiluted songwriting into pop music (Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill was a similarly early touchstone).