“Salena Godden is a tour de force. Rather than perfecting a style, Salena is style. Like most artists of note, there is no-one like her.” Lemn Sissay
“She is everything the Daily Mail is terrified of.” Kerrang Magazine
“That’s what women’s emancipation is all about.” John Cooper Clarke
“Salena Godden is a powerhouse.” Sabotage Reviews
Salena Godden, one of the UK’s most iconic poets, is set to release a new spoken word album on Friday 7 October. LIVEwire will be available on CD and download via independent spoken word label Nymphs & Thugs.
The album is a compilation of live and studio recordings, archives and brand new work. It features live material from the 2014 books, her literary childhood memoir ‘Springfield Road’ (Unbound) and ‘Fishing in The Aftermath – Poems 1994-2014’ (Burning Eye)
Salena commented: “LIVEwire is a mix of raucous live performances, but also tender and quieter pieces that sometimes get hidden. I produced this work like a vinyl LP, the A-side, the first half is for your headphone moments, then I invite you to turn it up and pour yourself a rum for a dirty B-side.”
Nymphs & Thugs founder Matt Abbott commented: “This is exactly the kind of album that I set out to release when I formed the label, and it’s a real honour work with Salena. The hairs on my neck are still standing from the first time I saw her live. This album will blow your socks off from start to finish!”
Salena has appeared as guest and writer for BBC radio programmes such as ‘The Verb’, ‘Saturday Live’, ‘Loose Ends’ and ‘Fact to Fiction’, and as poet in residence on BBC World Service programme ‘Click’. Salena uses poetry as a platform to speak up for diversity, feminism and human rights. Now in her third decade as a stand up and stand out poet, she is widely recognised as a trailblazer, her bold stage presence is distinctive and unique, delivering electrifying performances that are hilarious, intensely powerful and full of warmth, earning her a global fan base and widespread critical acclaim.
LIVEwire marks Salena’s first album for nearly a decade. The Bonus Edition features a 20-page zine, containing written versions of the poems and sleeve notes from Salena.
For more information and forthcoming live dates, visit salenagodden.com. For more information on the label, visit nymphsandthugs.net or contact Matt Abbott on [email protected].
Nymphs & Thugs is an independent record label which formed in spring 2015. Artists include BBC ‘New Voices’ winner Louise Fazackerley and John Cooper Clarke support act Toria Garbutt.
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