Kristyna Myles
Encyclopedia
Kristyna Myles is a British singer-songwriter who is currently based in Manchester
. Originally from Leicestershire
, she came into prominence after winning Busk Idol, a 2005 nationwide singing competition organised by BBC Radio 5 Live
. Since winning, she has featured on albums by Chris de Burgh
and Rick Guard
, and has performed on television programmes such as Songs of Praise
, Wogan Now & Then and Play It Again
. She also supported de Burgh on nine dates of his European tour. In 2009, she was nominated for a MOBO
award as part of gospel act DTWG : Desire To Worship God and signed a five-album deal to Decca Records
in 2010.
before moving up to Lutterworth Grammar School at age 14. She studied Flute with Elizabeth Hextall {Black Rat} and later recorded the Black Rat track 'Jane' which was on the album 'Rich Pickings' Her first experience of the music industry came when she was 16 years old, when she was invited by Basement Jaxx
to audition for the lead vocals in their single "Romeo". In 2002 she was accepted into the University of Salford
, where she studied Popular Music and Recording and was in the same year as Manchester bands Delphic
and Everything Everything
.
for the launch party. After graduating, she busked
on Market Street, Manchester, before representing the city on BBC Radio 5 Live
's Busk Idol competition in 2005, which she went on to win with her guitarist Ben Williams.
By winning Busk Idol, Myles caught the attention of British singer Chris de Burgh
, who invited her to record a duet entitled "Raging Storm" with him at London's Abbey Road Studios
, for his latest album The Storyman
. Myles performed the song with de Burgh at one of his concerts at the NEC Arena in Birmingham in 2006 and on the television show Wogan Now & Then. She was subsequently offered an opening slot
on nine dates of de Burgh's 2006 European tour, which saw her perform in cities such as Frankfurt
, Munich and Amsterdam
.
Later that year, Myles featured on an Manchester-themed episode of the BBC show Songs of Praise
, where she performed her own composition "My Lord". In January 2007, Myles returned to the city centre of Manchester to help guitarist Andy Rourke
and the annual charity concert Versus Cancer
set a world record
for largest group busk then, in April, performed with de Burgh and singer Aled Jones
on the television programme Play It Again
. She released her debut EP
, One of a Kind, as a digital download
through Roots Music Group in 2007, which featured four original compositions: "One of a Kind", "My Lord", "Setback" and "Sunshine". Myles also featured on the track "Sense of Purpose" from the EP The Bells of St Mary by British band Detours, which was also used on their studio album Sense of Purpose.
to feature on the Universal Music compilation album Songbird 2008, with "My Lord", a track from One of a Kind. In July she supported Mick Hucknall
on part of his UK tour, playing at venues such as Echo Arena Liverpool and in October she performed at Oxjam
events in Lancaster, Lancashire
, alongside Joe De Luca and Mike Dignam. During the next year she recorded a duet named "Making Movies" with jazz singer Rick Guard
for his 2009 album Anyone But Me. That August, Myles was nominated for Best Gospel Act at the MOBO Awards 2009
as part of the gospel collective DTWG : Desire To Worship God, but lost out to Victizzle.
Myles has been performing at venues and festivals across the UK and Europe throughout 2010. She played at the South by Southwest
festival in Austin, Texas
in March and featured on BBC Radio Manchester
in May. She is currently recording tracks for her debut album and regularly plays at The Bedford in Balham, London
. On 26 July, Myles announced on her official website that she had signed a five-album deal with Decca Records
. She played at Summer Sundae
in Leicester
on 13 August.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Originally from Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, she came into prominence after winning Busk Idol, a 2005 nationwide singing competition organised by BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
. Since winning, she has featured on albums by Chris de Burgh
Chris de Burgh
Chris de Burgh is a British/Irish singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1986 love song "The Lady in Red".-Early life:...
and Rick Guard
Rick Guard
Rick Guard of Chorley, Lancashire, England is a contemporary jazz singer and songwriter. He performs as a solo vocalist or with other live musicians from two piece up to an 18-piece bigband. Guard made his debut with Decca Records, progressing to Roots Music Group and is one half of a successful...
, and has performed on television programmes such as Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
, Wogan Now & Then and Play It Again
Play It Again
Play It Again is a documentary series on BBC One, featuring celebrities trying to learn to play musical instruments. The series is produced Diverse Production and started on 25 March 2007 and is narrated by Tamsin Greig.-1: Jo Brand, playing the organ.:...
. She also supported de Burgh on nine dates of his European tour. In 2009, she was nominated for a MOBO
Mobo
Mobo can refer to:*Shorthand for the motherboard in computers and other electronic equipment*Shorthand for a mobile [network] operator or MNO *Shorthand for a mobile bohemian, a person who embraces mobile technology...
award as part of gospel act DTWG : Desire To Worship God and signed a five-album deal to Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in 2010.
1984–2002: Early life
Myles was born and raised in Leicestershire. She attended Thomas Estley Community College in Broughton AstleyBroughton Astley
Broughton Astley is a large village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated in the south west of Leicestershire, about east of Hinckley and about from the centre of Leicester.- History :...
before moving up to Lutterworth Grammar School at age 14. She studied Flute with Elizabeth Hextall {Black Rat} and later recorded the Black Rat track 'Jane' which was on the album 'Rich Pickings' Her first experience of the music industry came when she was 16 years old, when she was invited by Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
to audition for the lead vocals in their single "Romeo". In 2002 she was accepted into the University of Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
, where she studied Popular Music and Recording and was in the same year as Manchester bands Delphic
Delphic
Delphic are an alternative dance band from Marple Bridge, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. They are signed to Polydor and released the single "Counterpoint" in April 2009 through R&S Records, produced by Ewan Pearson...
and Everything Everything
Everything Everything
Everything Everything are a British indie band that formed in late 2007, originate from Newcastle, Kent and Guernsey, and reside in Manchester. The band rose to fame when they were revealed as part of the BBC's Sound of 2010 poll on 7 December 2009...
.
2003–2007: Busk Idol and Chris de Burgh
While studying at university, Myles formed a band and won a national songwriting competition. This led to her having her song "Thank You" released as a single in Holland and performing in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
for the launch party. After graduating, she busked
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
on Market Street, Manchester, before representing the city on BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
's Busk Idol competition in 2005, which she went on to win with her guitarist Ben Williams.
By winning Busk Idol, Myles caught the attention of British singer Chris de Burgh
Chris de Burgh
Chris de Burgh is a British/Irish singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1986 love song "The Lady in Red".-Early life:...
, who invited her to record a duet entitled "Raging Storm" with him at London's Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, for his latest album The Storyman
The Storyman
The Storyman is singer Chris de Burgh's 16th original album, released in 2006. The album is a collection of songs with accompanying stories.-Track listing:#"The Storyman Theme" – 4:00#"One World" – 3:56#"Leningrad" – 5:12#"My Father's Eyes" – 4:18...
. Myles performed the song with de Burgh at one of his concerts at the NEC Arena in Birmingham in 2006 and on the television show Wogan Now & Then. She was subsequently offered an opening slot
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
on nine dates of de Burgh's 2006 European tour, which saw her perform in cities such as Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Munich and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
Later that year, Myles featured on an Manchester-themed episode of the BBC show Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
, where she performed her own composition "My Lord". In January 2007, Myles returned to the city centre of Manchester to help guitarist Andy Rourke
Andy Rourke
Andy Rourke is a bass guitarist best known for being a former member of The Smiths.-Career:...
and the annual charity concert Versus Cancer
Versus Cancer
Versus Cancer is an annual concert, reportedly now the largest annual charity concert in the United Kingdom. It raises money predominantly for Cancer Hospital Christie Hospital in Manchester to assist research for effective alternative treatments but acts more as a blanket charity aiming to help...
set a world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
for largest group busk then, in April, performed with de Burgh and singer Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
on the television programme Play It Again
Play It Again
Play It Again is a documentary series on BBC One, featuring celebrities trying to learn to play musical instruments. The series is produced Diverse Production and started on 25 March 2007 and is narrated by Tamsin Greig.-1: Jo Brand, playing the organ.:...
. She released her debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, One of a Kind, as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
through Roots Music Group in 2007, which featured four original compositions: "One of a Kind", "My Lord", "Setback" and "Sunshine". Myles also featured on the track "Sense of Purpose" from the EP The Bells of St Mary by British band Detours, which was also used on their studio album Sense of Purpose.
2008–present: Signing with Decca Records
During 2008, Myles was the only unsigned artistUnsigned artist
The term "unsigned artist" or "independent artist" is used in the music industry as a marketing technique.-History and current scene:Many unsigned artists used to sell their music and music-related merchandise without the financial support of a record label, while often seeking a recording contract...
to feature on the Universal Music compilation album Songbird 2008, with "My Lord", a track from One of a Kind. In July she supported Mick Hucknall
Mick Hucknall
Michael "Mick" Hucknall is a British singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the British band Simply Red, and is recognisable for his smooth, distinctive voice and wide vocal range, as well as his red curly hair.-Early life:...
on part of his UK tour, playing at venues such as Echo Arena Liverpool and in October she performed at Oxjam
Oxjam
Oxjam is a charity music festival in the United Kingdom that raises money for Oxfam, whose mission is to fight poverty worldwide. Events are held in multiple cities across the United Kingdom, normally in the month of October...
events in Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, alongside Joe De Luca and Mike Dignam. During the next year she recorded a duet named "Making Movies" with jazz singer Rick Guard
Rick Guard
Rick Guard of Chorley, Lancashire, England is a contemporary jazz singer and songwriter. He performs as a solo vocalist or with other live musicians from two piece up to an 18-piece bigband. Guard made his debut with Decca Records, progressing to Roots Music Group and is one half of a successful...
for his 2009 album Anyone But Me. That August, Myles was nominated for Best Gospel Act at the MOBO Awards 2009
MOBO Awards 2009
The 2009 MOBO Awards took place on 30 September 2009 at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow, Scotland. This was the first time the awards took place outside London. A tribute performance was dedicated to Michael Jackson, who was honoured with the MOBO Lifetime Achievement...
as part of the gospel collective DTWG : Desire To Worship God, but lost out to Victizzle.
Myles has been performing at venues and festivals across the UK and Europe throughout 2010. She played at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
in March and featured on BBC Radio Manchester
BBC Radio Manchester
BBC Radio Manchester is a BBC Local Radio station broadcasting to Greater Manchester in North West England. It broadcasts 24 hours a day from studios at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays via a transmitter at Holme Moss, with a small repeater at Saddleworth covering Tameside and Saddleworth...
in May. She is currently recording tracks for her debut album and regularly plays at The Bedford in Balham, London
Balham, London
Balham is a neighbourhood of south London, England, and is part of the London Borough of Wandsworth and the London Borough of Lambeth.-History:...
. On 26 July, Myles announced on her official website that she had signed a five-album deal with Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. She played at Summer Sundae
Summer Sundae
Summer Sundae is an annual music festival held in Leicester, England which focuses on indie, alternative, and local music...
in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
on 13 August.
Extended plays
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2007 | One of a Kind
|
Other appearances
The following songs have been officially released, but do not feature on an album by Myles.| Year | Song | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Raging Storm" | The Storyman The Storyman The Storyman is singer Chris de Burgh's 16th original album, released in 2006. The album is a collection of songs with accompanying stories.-Track listing:#"The Storyman Theme" – 4:00#"One World" – 3:56#"Leningrad" – 5:12#"My Father's Eyes" – 4:18... |
Duet with Chris de Burgh Chris de Burgh Chris de Burgh is a British/Irish singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1986 love song "The Lady in Red".-Early life:... |
| 2007 | "Sense of Purpose" | The Bells of St Mary | Collaboration with Detours |
| 2008 | "Forever Grateful" | The Project | Collaboration with DTWG : Desire To Worship God |
| "Jane" | Rich Pickings | Collaboration with Black Rat | |
| 2009 | "Making Movies" | Anyone But Me | Duet with Rick Guard Rick Guard Rick Guard of Chorley, Lancashire, England is a contemporary jazz singer and songwriter. He performs as a solo vocalist or with other live musicians from two piece up to an 18-piece bigband. Guard made his debut with Decca Records, progressing to Roots Music Group and is one half of a successful... |