It's a very exciting time for our next LCM featured artist Elles Bailey, who releases her excellent debut album 'Wildfire' today. Bristol based Elles seamlessly weaves rootsy blues, country and soulful rock with a contemporary edge and her trademark  ‘smoky vocals’ taking the lead.  Her husky toned, lived-in voice sounds like she has a 60-a-day habit, but was actually caused by a serious illness when she was three. Our LCM #TrackOfTheDay is the wonderful 'What If I'. LCM album review coming very shortly...

.Her two EP's, both produced by Brian Banks, (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie) 'Who I Am To Me' (Feb 2015) and 'The Elberton Sessions' (Oct 2016) were released to critical acclaim. No stranger to the scene, over the last three years, this captivating, hard-working songstress and her talented band have built up a loyal all-age fan base through relentless touring, through both the UK and Europe. She’s opened for acts like Wille & The Bandits and shared festival line-ups with Lisa Simone, The Mystery Jets & Wilko Johnson.

In fact, 2017 looks set to be a very busy year for Elles with over 30 dates scheduled in the run up to her debut album release in September. Her festival diary is also filling up very quickly. Elles will feature at The Great British Rock and Blues Festival in Skegness and will be opening for soul singer Jo Harman on her February tour before heading back into Europe in Spring 2017.
 
Like many artists today, Elles is breaking down the barriers of traditional genres, taking inspiration from many and fusing them together to bring you her own unique sound, which is earning her a legion of devoted fans, young and old, from across the UK and further afield.

Elles had The opportunity to record ‘Wildfire’ at Blackbird Studio in Nashville Tennessee  where she drew together an amazing pool of musical and production talent and expertise.

“It was always my plan to release my debut album in 2017,” says Elles, “It had been a long time coming, but I could never have imagined getting the opportunity to make it in Nashville, at a studio like Blackbird Studios, where so many iconic albums have been made! I'm very excited about sharing this record with the world!”
 
Produced by Brad Nowell ‘Wildfire’ assembled a host of Nashville’s finest, including Grammy Award winner and two-time CMA ‘Musician of the Year’ Brent Mason on guitar, three-time ‘Musician Hall Of Famer’ Bobby Wood on piano, joined by Chris Leuzinger (Garth Brooks) on guitar, Mike Brignardello (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Amy Grant) on bass, Wes Little (Stevie Wonder, Melissa Etheridge) on drums, and even legendary Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter Roger Cook came on board to help add some extra sparkle. Blended together back in the UK with the likes of Jonny Henderson (Robyn Ford, Matt Schofield) on Hammond organ and Joe Wilkins on blistering guitar, the result is a unique trans-Atlantic coming together of styles.
 
As well as being supported by Radio 2, her single ‘Wildfire’ finally came off the Planet Rock playlist after a whopping 10 weeks and she’s back on their play list again, with her most recent single ‘Same Flame’. She has remained on the Country Rocks Spotify playlist for over a month now and cracked the magic 150k marker. Wildfire recently landed radio 1 playlist in Holland and has been voted the number 1 album in the IBBA blues radio charts. What’s more, Bailey’s most recent single ‘Same Flame’ and its accompanying video went on in June to make Song of the Day at Songwriting Magazine.

Reviewers have been wowed by Elles and her debut album, Wildfire due to be released on 1st September 2017. Maverick Magazine gave ‘Wildfire’ top marks (5/5) and went on to predict a glowing career for this talented artiste: “If Bailey can follow this album up with something equally as good as ‘Wildfire’, there’s no reason why she can’t hit the heights Swift did in country- and perhaps move even further up the country mountain than Swift did.”

"It’s a fact that very few make it to the big stage,” Blues In Britain reminds us, but “Elles Bailey has the necessary talent, the drive, and no) the product."

Not only will Elles be doing her own headline tour of the UK through out October and November she has also been asked to open for guitar legend Eric Gales on his UK & Ireland tour.

Watch this space as Elles and her band take UK Blues music by storm......................