aaamusic | On 12, May 2011

KAZ SIMMONS
ALBUM : DANDELIONS

Format: CD, Digital & Ltd Edition Vinyl

Release date: 23/5/2011

Label: FAST AWAKE RECORDS

Genre: Female Folk / Dream Pop

Key tracks: Whatever, The Dandelion Song

Links: www.kazsimmons.com
www.myspace.com/wwwkazsimmonscom

“Powerfully emotional” Metro

“A shining future for her is assured”
Musician Magazine

“Her voice has a haunting, almost ethereal quality” Spicejazz.co.uk

UK songstress Kaz Simmons releases her third album Dandelions early this summer on her label Fast Awake Records with distribution through Cadiz Music. Produced by the award-winning Benedic Lamdin of Nostalgia 77, this self-penned release is a new departure for Kaz, which sees her moving away from her jazz roots to a more individual and contemporary songwriting style, where she fuses Spanish and Brazilian classical guitar with pop, folk and jazz influences.

All songs on the album are written by Kaz who cites Rufus Wainwright as an early inspiration for her songwriting, along with The Divine Comedy, Nick Drake and Radiohead.

Key tracks from the release are Whatever, on which Kaz sings about trusting in her destiny and The Dandelion Song – a tongue in cheek take on the denial of love. Other tracks on the album include Pachamama, inspired by her travels through South America,Almost with its soothing vocal delivery and the gentle innocence of The End; based on a poem by James Wallace.

Having made her stage debut in her home town of Brighton at the age of four singing solo at the Dome, she studied music atGoldsmiths and Trinity College of Music before recording her first album Take Me Home on 33 Records, which featured jazz wunderkind Gwilym Simcock. Then, after reaching the finals of the international competition at www.jazzconnect.com, Kaz released her second album Different Smile, this time on her own label Fast Awake.

Kaz has also performed live onstage with the likes of Jamie Cullum, Brazilian artist Ife Tolentino and Lyn Dobson (Manfred Mann, Dusty Springfield, Nick Drake) at jazz festivals in Dubai and throughout the UK. She will be performing at The Forge in Camden onWed 1st June with a full band and string quartet to celebrate this release.