Bronagh Slevin

My songwriting career began

in the kitchen at the Coach House, Portishead’s recording studio in Bristol. You can hear cups of tea being poured on some of the original tracks. An album was grafted, little by little, unexpectedly. I scribbled song lyrics on the back of Spanish and French essays and watched the Wild Bunch become Massive Attack, and Portishead and Tricky fight over the bassline of “Glorybox” and “Hell is round the corner”. I was a student at Seville university when the record companies came hunting, hungry for their piece of Bristol Sound.

Bloom

Bloom was released in 1998 to wide critical acclaim and now, almost twenty years on, is still considered a “Trip-hop masterpiece”. I’m grateful to all the fans who have uploaded songs from the album, and artists who have created their own versions of the single Purple. Thank You!

Purple was included on many compilations, such as She: a Female Trip-hip Experience and Ibiza Chill, among others. Purple was a big hit in France and has been used on TV adverts and MTV productions. It was remixed by A Tribe Called Quest (Ummah remix) and by French Band, Air (Femme d’Argent remix). Now it’s part of my electro-to-acoustic project (yeah, I do things the wrong way round) and I’m delighted to be able to accompany myself with my beloved cello (“Sole”, battered but still sunny!).

The second single, Flame, was released with several dance remixes. One of these, the Mood ll Swing Borderline Insanity remix, was big in clubs. I remember being in clubs in London and not recognising my own voice. Hence my electro-to-acoustic move… 😉

Since Bloom times,

I’ve collaborated as songwriter with Up, Bustle & Out and Los Ladrones, and musicians in Brazil.

My Flight, with French artist Distances, was released on Décamper, a cd-book initiative where artists, writers and musicians give voice to refugees, from Lampedusa to Calais, and beyond.

Pearl of the Sea was also a late summer with Sicilian duo, Aura.

Recently I’ve worked with producers on several projects in Italy, France and the US. You can listen here to nineteen, pitch, snowdance and breaking the waves from my project Breaking the Waves with American artist Storm Craver.

I also play the cello with Sicilian folk bands, a hugely enriching experience as Sicilian and Irish cultures unite.

Between Two Islands and Tra Miti e Folk are two of my cello and vocals projects, and Ritrova la tua Voce is where I share everything I’ve learnt along the way about singing from your core essence.

Come and find me on my Instagram page.