Intoxicating folk / indie pop from Jenny Gillespie

EP release: Jenny Gillespie, Belita
Release date: 16 April 2012
Listen: http://www.jennygillespie.com 

Jenny Gillespie's new EP Belita is an intoxicating blend of folk, indie pop and post-rock. Produced by Jenny and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily (Jolie Holland, Bonnie Prince Billy, Lou Reed) this is her third release after the lush chamber folk of Light Year (2009) and the ambient progressive pop of Kindred (2010).

After these musical journeys and turning thirty, Gillespie became more and more drawn to acoustic-based music, returning to the sound she loved when she first picked up a guitar as a teenager. She wanted to strip things down, while maintaining a slanted, atmospheric element to her work. Determined, she spent time learning covers of Vashti Bunyan, Bert Jansch and Neil Young, while studying African and fingerpicking-style guitar at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

When Gillespie performed a YouTube cover of Sam Amidon's Saro, Ismaily, Amidon's longtime bandmate, contacted Jenny to share his appreciation of her version. From there a conversation grew and developed into collaboration. Gillespie travelled from her hometown of Chicago to New York City to record a new work with Ismaily over the course of 2 weeks. They discovered common north stars of their musical vocabulary (Vashti Bunyan, Mark Kozelek, Joni Mitchell's Hejira, and Ali Farke Toure, among others) and decided they would create something that truly featured Gillespie's unique acoustic guitar playing, set often to open tunings inspired by Gillespie's most beloved influence, Joni Mitchell.

Featuring turns by Amidon on back up vocals, Marc Ribot (Tom Waits) on electric guitar, and Jim White (PJ Harvey, Cat Power) on drums, the resulting record is a nuanced and modern approach to the folk genre. Globally influenced, but intimately rendered, with precise yet imaginative instrumentation.

More information / press enquiries

For all press enquiries or to arrange an interview, please contact us. If you feature this story in your publication, blog or site, we'd really appreciate it if you could let us know.

Don't miss great Prescription stories and content

• Get our press releases delivered to your inbox - subscribe at www.prescriptionmusicpruk.com/press-releases/
• Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/prescriptionpr
• Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/prescriptionpr
• Subscribe via RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/prescriptionpr
• Get our free must-have tips and advice on music promotion - subscribe to The Prescription e-newsletter.
• Visit www.prescriptionpr.co.uk to find out more about our music PR services.