Chris Singleton
Tube trip:New to London? Don't know your way round the city? Then let Dubliner Chris Singleton take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London - or, more accurately, through the London Underground. Ever since Singleton started going to London to visit his girlfriend, he has been fascinated with the tube, and his debut album, Twisted City, takes the listener on a sort of magical mystery tube tour, each song representing a different stop on the line and exploring Chris's different impressions of life and love in this sprawling metropolis. Twisted City opens with the sound of a train departure announcement - could this signal the start of Chris Singleton's own journey to pop glory?
Paper trail:This young Dubliner's musical journey began with the summery, psychedelic sounds of The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Kinks, and the glam-rock stomp of T. Rex, The Sweet and David Bowie. The 1960s and '70s influences are apparent in such songs as Worry Number One, Stop Following and new single Get Up, but there are also nods to such respected songsmiths as Andy Partridge and Neil Finn. Singleton scribbled the album's lyrics on the backs of train tickets, airplane boarding cards and pieces of paper he picked up along the way. He also played, recorded and produced the album, and even set up his own record label to release it.
Noise annoys:Chris's music was never destined to be dull or monochrome: he experiences a rare phenomenon called synaesthesia, in which sounds and words become a kaleidoscope of colours in his head. He also has a rather less benign ear condition, hyperacusis, which causes him to find everyday noise painful and unbearable. You'd imagine London - or a recording studio - would be the last place someone with an allergy to sound would want to be, but Chris's love of music won the day, and he mastered his ailment long enough to master the album in Abbey Road studios.
Launch platform:Chris launched the album - where else? - on the tube, and the record quickly garnered positive reviews from the underground and overground press. The Daily Express called it "an express train of emotions", and The Ticket likened it to Paul McCartney when he was fab. And on the day he launched the album, ITV ran a news feature on Cathy with the catchy, well-crafted pop tunes. It wasn't long before Universal Music Group caught wind of this new talent and signed the young Dubliner up to a distribution deal in Ireland and the UK. Chris releases a new single, Get Up, on Brown Paper/Universal at the end of this month. He's also doing a few dates in London with a band that includes keyboardist Andy Fleet, drummer Joe "JC" Caddy, Spanish bassist Zane Maertens and Cypriot guitarist Stelios Kaisperides.
