Paloma Faith
02/02/2013 | Civic Hall
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Paloma's incredible second album 'Fall To Grace' reached number 2 in the UK albums chart when it was released in May. The album was beaten to the number 1 spot by Gary Barlow's Diamond Jubilee record, by only 5000 copies!
Stepping out as a solo artist back in 2009, it was immediately and abundantly clear that Paloma Faith was the complete (and petite) package. A captivating chanteuse, a rabble-rousing entertainer and theatrical fashion chameleon, Faith's debut album, 'Do You Want the Truth, or Something Beautiful?' remains a glossy collection of retro-referencing soul and sassy pop. From the brass-blasted stomp of 'Stone Cold Sober', to the epic sweep of her biggest chart hit 'New York', the record went on to sell over half a million copies, earning Faith a nomination for Best British Female at the Brit Awards and the honour of closing the 2011 ceremony singing with Cee-Lo Green. At the behest of Chaka Khan, Faith performed 'I'm Every Woman' in front of 50,000 people and earned plaudits from Annie Lennox, who selected Faith join her onstage in support of International Women's Day.
So much more than just a standard pop artist, one of this 26-year-old's greatest assets is her wicked and wry sense of humour, she's outspoken and unafraid: she has an opinion. As an artist she pulls from a wide range of sources, her experiences diverse. With a degree in contemporary dance and a Masters in Time Based Arts from Central St Martin's, Faith is tri-lingual (English, Italian, and conversational Spanish), and a talented actress to boot (she played the romantic foil to Tom Waits' Devil in the Terry Gilliam's 'The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus'). You're as likely to find Faith on the red carpet or on the fashion front row as judging London's Next Top Tranny at the local working men's club.
Now as Faith flips the page and writes the next chapter of her story, this Hackney-born girl is keen to express a new level of intimacy with her music. That's not to say she lost any of her sartorial and performance panache, but Faith's focus is on her songwriting. On her new, second album 'Fall To Grace', she's made the decision to strip herself emotionally bare.