Steph Fraser
Encyclopedia
Stephanie Fraser is a pop-folk, singer-songwriter
from Lancashire
, England.
Blackpool Illuminations
Switch On Event where she played in front of 19,000 people and shared the bill with McFly
, Natalie Imbruglia
and Natasha Bedingfield
. This was after she had won the Blackpool Evening Gazette young talent contest.
She signed to the independent label Sonic vista music
in September 2007. In March 2008 she was invited to perform at Canadian Music Week
at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto
. Her label provided her with the opportunity to record at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton
, Ontario
while she was in Canada
. The recordings, which were overseen by Canadian producer Dan Achen resulted in her first EP "Purple Sun" being released in May the same year. The single was well received with R2 (Rock'n'Reel)
magazine saying she had real potential.
The single was also featured on the BBC Radio Merseyside
show "On The Beat" hosted by Spencer Leigh
, a 'juke box jury' style programme. One of the panel members was Sam Leach
the former Beatles mentor and promotor who said that Steph was heading for the big time and that he could listen to her all night. Steph was involved in a transatlantic link up with BBC Radio Lancashire
who interviewed her in Canada and subsequently featured her in numerous programmes including sessions and intimate theatre performances at their studios in Blackburn, Lancashire
. In August 2008 she embarked on her first Canadian Tour where she played 10 shows including a support slot to Canadian folk singer Heather Dale
. She also recorded another batch of songs at Catherine North Studios during the trip.
Fraser parted company with collaborator Stephen Ladley in 2008 and began working with young musician Phil Simpson and performed for the second time at both Canadian Music Week
2009 and Liverpool Sound City 2009 as a showcasing artist.
She released her second EP/single "Pretend" in May 2009 which utilised a song from the Catherine North Studios sessions and also 2 tracks recorded at Spacehouse Studios in London which was produced by Nick Jackson
from the band IT. Rupert Greenall from the band The Fixx
also collaborated and played on the tracks.
In June 2009 Fraser and Simpson recruited Cajon
player Matt Lockwood and started touring as a trio, and played at the Beverley Festival., the Hull Freedom Festival
and the Musicport World Music Festival
in Bridlington. The 3rd EP 'Recession Proof' was released on Sonic vista music
in November 2009. Steph opened for the famous British comedian Phil Cool
at two shows in Nov/Dec 2009.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
from Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England.
Career
Fraser has toured extensively in the UK and Canada including 2007 performances at the BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool Illuminations is an annual Lights Festival, founded in 1879 and first switched on 18 September that year, held each autumn in the English seaside resort of Blackpool on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire....
Switch On Event where she played in front of 19,000 people and shared the bill with McFly
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
, Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
and Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...
. This was after she had won the Blackpool Evening Gazette young talent contest.
She signed to the independent label Sonic vista music
Sonic vista music
Sonic Vista Music is an independent English record label, founded in Hull in 2005, notable for having business connections in Japan and Canada.-History:...
in September 2007. In March 2008 she was invited to perform at Canadian Music Week
Canadian Music Week
Canadian Music Week is an industry conference and music festival held over four days in various venues throughout Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Her label provided her with the opportunity to record at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
while she was in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The recordings, which were overseen by Canadian producer Dan Achen resulted in her first EP "Purple Sun" being released in May the same year. The single was well received with R2 (Rock'n'Reel)
R2 (Rock'n'Reel)
R2 is a music magazine published bi-monthly in the United Kingdom. It was launched in 1988 as Rock'n'Reel, changing its name to R2 in early 2009.- Content :...
magazine saying she had real potential.
The single was also featured on the BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967 initially serving the south west of historic Lancashire....
show "On The Beat" hosted by Spencer Leigh
Spencer Leigh
Spencer Leigh is a British actor, who has played roles in movies such as The Garden and The Last of England, and television series such as One Summer. He is considered one of the "Brit Pack".-External links:...
, a 'juke box jury' style programme. One of the panel members was Sam Leach
Sam Leach
Sam Leach is an emerging Australian contemporary artist. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia. Leach worked for many years in the Australian Tax Office after completion of a degree in Economics. He also completed a Diploma of Art, Bachelor of Fine Art degree and a Master of Fine Art degree at...
the former Beatles mentor and promotor who said that Steph was heading for the big time and that he could listen to her all night. Steph was involved in a transatlantic link up with BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the county of Lancashire, in North West England. It began as BBC Radio Blackburn on 26 January 1971 on 96.4FM, then adding 854 kHz AM in 1972 and changing to its current name on 4 July 1981...
who interviewed her in Canada and subsequently featured her in numerous programmes including sessions and intimate theatre performances at their studios in Blackburn, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. In August 2008 she embarked on her first Canadian Tour where she played 10 shows including a support slot to Canadian folk singer Heather Dale
Heather Dale
Heather Dale is a Canadian Celtic recording artist and touring musician. She records and performs primarily her own original songs, which draw their inspiration from the mythology, folklore and history of various Celtic and non-Celtic cultures...
. She also recorded another batch of songs at Catherine North Studios during the trip.
Fraser parted company with collaborator Stephen Ladley in 2008 and began working with young musician Phil Simpson and performed for the second time at both Canadian Music Week
Canadian Music Week
Canadian Music Week is an industry conference and music festival held over four days in various venues throughout Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
2009 and Liverpool Sound City 2009 as a showcasing artist.
She released her second EP/single "Pretend" in May 2009 which utilised a song from the Catherine North Studios sessions and also 2 tracks recorded at Spacehouse Studios in London which was produced by Nick Jackson
Nick Jackson
For the professional wrestler, see The Young BucksBroadcaster Nick Jackson has presented successful stints on commercial radio stations in the UK including Original 106, Absolute Radio, BRMB 100.7 Heart FM & done occasional stints on 105.7 Smooth Radio...
from the band IT. Rupert Greenall from the band The Fixx
The Fixx
The Fixx is an English rock band formed in London in 1979. Their hits include "One Thing Leads to Another," "Red Skies," "Stand or Fall," "Saved by Zero," "Sign of Fire," "Are We Ourselves?," "Secret Separation," "Driven Out," "How Much Is Enough?," and "Deeper and Deeper," which was featured on...
also collaborated and played on the tracks.
In June 2009 Fraser and Simpson recruited Cajon
Cajón
A cajón is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, played by slapping the front face with the hands.-Origins and evolution:...
player Matt Lockwood and started touring as a trio, and played at the Beverley Festival., the Hull Freedom Festival
Freedom Festival, Hull
The Freedom Festival is an annual Music and Performance Arts Festival held in the city of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.Named in honour of the slave trade abolitionist, MP and son of Hull, William Wilberforce.-2008:...
and the Musicport World Music Festival
Musicport World Music Festival
Musicport World Music Festival is the UK's largest annual indoor world music festival . It was held in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, from 2000-2007. In 2008 it moves to The Spa, Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire with a main hall capacity of 3,500...
in Bridlington. The 3rd EP 'Recession Proof' was released on Sonic vista music
Sonic vista music
Sonic Vista Music is an independent English record label, founded in Hull in 2005, notable for having business connections in Japan and Canada.-History:...
in November 2009. Steph opened for the famous British comedian Phil Cool
Phil Cool
Phil Cool is an English comedian, impressionist and musician.-Early life:Cool discovered that he had the ability to pull faces when he was at school...
at two shows in Nov/Dec 2009.
EPs
- Purple Sun EP (2008 - SVRCD005)
- "Purple Sun"
- "Weight of Water"
- "Since I Saw You"
- "Purple Sun (Radio Edit)"
- Pretend EP (2009 - SVRCD008)
- "Pretend"
- "Swimming Into The Dark"
- "Ballad of a Smart Arse"
- "Tea"
- Recession Proof EP (2009 - SVRCD013)
- "Recession Proof"
- "Roading"
- "Bird Song"