Respected singer/songwriter at the top of her game delivers eclectic set of contemporary alt folk-country - with punchy takes on infidelity, debt, death and desire Charlie's new album,'Cheapskate Lullabyes'. Her seventh album and first set of originals since 2006, is an eclectic collection of genre-defying musical styles which she describes as 'borrowed from folk, country, Django Reinhardt and the Beatles'. Lyrically, the subject matter ranges from infidelity ('His Wife') to debt ('Cheapskate Lullabye'), via drink ('A Man Walks Into A Bar'),death ('Australia') desire ('Liontamer'), therapy ('Fifty Pound Father') and difficult step-children ('Milk Teeth'). Co-produced & written with long-time collaborator and school friend Julian Littman, the album features her live band, The Hula Valley Orchestra. The 4 piece current line-up are all multi-instrumental and despite the name don't feature Hawaiian music or come from a valley. The band will be appearing at festivals throughout summer '11 including Cropredy, Cornbury and Ireby. Although best known as one of the UK's most respected singer-songwriters, Charlie enjoys a multi-faceted career that includes acting in film, TV & radio, comedy-improvisation, and composition for film and TV. May '11 sees the airing of 'Sybil Law', her first radio comedy series, written for BBC Radio Scotland and starring Una Maclean. Her enduring radio classic, 'Pilot of the Airwaves' was the first of many successful songs that lead the way for an impressively diverse list of artists to record her material, including Tina Turner, George Harrison,Lisa Stansfield,Paul Carrack,Ricky Ross,Sheena Easton(US No 4),Celine Dion, UB40 and Jimmy Nail, for whom she wrote "Ain't No Doubt", a UK No 1. ?File under treasure? ? Charlie Gillett, Observer Music Magazine ?A clever songwriter with a dream of a voice that glides from folk and country to jazzy cabaret? ? The Telegraph ?She sounds like Albion?s lost McGarrigle sister? ? Uncut ?The surety of Dore?s singing helps highlight the elegance and candour of her songs? The Observer Also available; BICD2 'Sleep All Day and Other Stories', BICD3 'Cuckoo Hill' BICD5 The Hula Valley Songbook Tour dates 27th May - Ireby Festival, Cumbria 14th June - Wargrave Festival, Berkshire 15th June - The Slaughtered Lamb, London 25th June - Glastonbury 26th June - Dent Music & Beer Festival, Cumbria 2nd July - Cornbury Festival, Oxfordshire 24th July - Summertyne Festival, The Sage, Gateshead 12th August - Fairport's Cropredy Convention, Oxon
