Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Caroline Francess ... again ...

Well, this little diamond I found. This absolute gem of an angel ... frum up north ! Sheffield to be precise, and she's a real show stopper.

I've said before that listening to her is like listening to an Original Sound Track, or a Disney film, maybe less frothy, but certainly as catchy and heart string tugging.

Effortlessly switching from humorous ditty to war poetry set to Andrew Lloyd Webber / Elton John solo piano.

I'll tell you something, Burt Bacharach once had a pet duck called Quack Quackarack ... that might not make any sense, but when you think about the combination of Bacharach's humour and genius songwriting, then see Caroline, it will all make sense.

Check her out 'Home' and 'Queen B' you'll be humming whilst washing the dishes or strolling through the park ... and then you think, "hey, she's a Sheffield Wednesday fan too" ... and hey Preston, Robert's your father's brother, and you've got one of my favourite artists right about now !!

Spread The Love, see you and her at my homecoming show in Leicester on Saturday night, gonna be good fun ...

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx
MattHenshaw.com

'Like' and follow 'Matt Henshaw Recommends ...' on facebook ...

Anywyn Williams, Caroline Francess, Lew Bear, Martin Luke Brown ... again ..., Josh Wheatley, Casino Empire, Elizabeth Cornish, The Strangler Figs, Sky Valley Mistress, Jesse Wright, Siobhan Mazzei, GEORGIE, Tapestry, The De Montfort University Gospel Choir, By The Rivers, Martin Luke Brown, Joy Mumford, Three Girl Rhumba, MotorMouf, Samuel Idwal, Abandon Her, Stef Baker, Emily Carr, Becky Edwards, James Byron, Mahalia, Mia & The Moon, Rosa-Leigh, AJA, Kate Rendell, Esther Van Leuven, East Midlands Girls, Ones to Watch for 2014, The Bobcats, Savanna Bones, Mattayoux, Matt Zara, The Simpletones, Charlotte Carpenter, Leah Sinead, Amii Dawes, Hib Word (House Of Verse), Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'YOUR EYES ARE MADE OF GOLD' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/your-eyes-are-made-of-gold-ep/id904335049
https://play.spotify.com/user/11100320251/playlist/7CJI4WcomJKYozyujcN4hK
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'ALWAYS IN THE WAY' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/always-in-the-way-ep/id875188981
https://play.spotify.com/user/ilsonowl/playlist/2tHGjyz7EpEZpvgc8HpuRm
DEBUT 'IT AIN'T EASY/MY LIFE - EP' !!!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
'EASIER' OUT NOW !!!
'Easier' Official Video - https://goo.gl/ynTayr
iTunes - https://goo.gl/9r5341
Spotify - https://goo.gl/OTLXaV
GooglePlay - https://goo.gl/JVvd5r

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Abandon Her ... again ...

If you like your pop music catchy and classy then look no further than the girls and boy that make up Abandon Her.

Abby, Olivia, Sarah and Giles weave delicious harmonies over superb melodies, and it's just pure songwriting. The kind of purest songwriting I love, and take to heart when I do all the travelling on the road that I do.

When you hear a song in June 2014 and it's still knocking around in your head on the other side of the continent in January 2015 that's "mission accomplished" as far as I'm concerned.

Songs like 'Witches Islands', 'Right Back to Your Door' and new songs like 'Lilac' are real "humdingers", that's an appropriate use of that kind of terminology, right ?

Spread The Love, see you and them at my homecoming show in Leicester on Saturday night, gonna be good fun ...

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx
MattHenshaw.com

'Like' and follow 'Matt Henshaw Recommends ...' on facebook ...

Anywyn Williams, Caroline Francess, Lew Bear, Martin Luke Brown ... again ..., Josh Wheatley, Casino Empire, Elizabeth Cornish, The Strangler Figs, Sky Valley Mistress, Jesse Wright, Siobhan Mazzei, GEORGIE, Tapestry, The De Montfort University Gospel Choir, By The Rivers, Martin Luke Brown, Joy Mumford, Three Girl Rhumba, MotorMouf, Samuel Idwal, Abandon Her, Stef Baker, Emily Carr, Becky Edwards, James Byron, Mahalia, Mia & The Moon, Rosa-Leigh, AJA, Kate Rendell, Esther Van Leuven, East Midlands Girls, Ones to Watch for 2014, The Bobcats, Savanna Bones, Mattayoux, Matt Zara, The Simpletones, Charlotte Carpenter, Leah Sinead, Amii Dawes, Hib Word (House Of Verse), Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'YOUR EYES ARE MADE OF GOLD' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/your-eyes-are-made-of-gold-ep/id904335049
https://play.spotify.com/user/11100320251/playlist/7CJI4WcomJKYozyujcN4hK
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'ALWAYS IN THE WAY' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/always-in-the-way-ep/id875188981
https://play.spotify.com/user/ilsonowl/playlist/2tHGjyz7EpEZpvgc8HpuRm
DEBUT 'IT AIN'T EASY/MY LIFE - EP' !!!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
'EASIER' OUT NOW !!!
'Easier' Official Video - https://goo.gl/ynTayr
iTunes - https://goo.gl/9r5341
Spotify - https://goo.gl/OTLXaV
GooglePlay - https://goo.gl/JVvd5r

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Amii Dawes

I Love Amii Dawes. Quite simply one of the best songwriters I've had the pleasure of playing with in this last year of touring.

In fact, the only person I've played with that has written a song that I genuinely wish I'd written, or feel like it is a song I should have written, but someone else got there first !!

'Tiny Little English Town' is about her native Northampton could be about any little town, village or small city in England. The imagery, the poetry, the melody is magnificent. When I first heard her sing the couplet "this Tiny Little English Town, where even in our dreams we're wearing hand-me-downs" I nearly cried.

Last month Amii released an EP and an album, and even though my favourite song isn't on either, this highlights her prolific nature as a songwriter, and a singer after my own heart; write lots of songs, do lots of gigs, and if you're gonna play someone else's music it's gonna have to be a Beatles song or an old soul number, otherwise what's the point? And who cares if no-one else likes that kind of thing ... but let's be honest, who doesn't like John Lennon or Smokey Robinson? Poor Misguided Fools ...

Go out and watch Amii play live, buy her CDs and hopefully her 'Little Blue Book' of songs will stay with you like they have me and she'll keep writing for years to come. I'm excited at the prospect.

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx
MattHenshaw.com

'Like' and follow 'Matt Henshaw Recommends ...' on facebook ...

Anywyn Williams, Caroline Francess, Lew Bear, Martin Luke Brown ... again ..., Josh Wheatley, Casino Empire, Elizabeth Cornish, The Strangler Figs, Sky Valley Mistress, Jesse Wright, Siobhan Mazzei, Georgie Rose, Tapestry, The De Montfort University Gospel Choir, By The Rivers, Martin Luke Brown, Joy Mumford, Three Girl Rhumba, MotorMouf, Samuel Idwal, Abandon Her, Stef Baker, Emily Carr, Becky Edwards, James Byron, Mahalia, Mia & The Moon, Rosa-Leigh, AJA, Kate Rendell, Esther Van Leuven, East Midlands Girls, Ones to Watch for 2014, The Bobcats, Savanna Bones, Mattayoux, Matt Zara, The Simpletones, Charlotte Carpenter, Leah Sinead, Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'YOUR EYES ARE MADE OF GOLD' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/your-eyes-are-made-of-gold-ep/id904335049
https://play.spotify.com/user/11100320251/playlist/7CJI4WcomJKYozyujcN4hK
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'ALWAYS IN THE WAY' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/always-in-the-way-ep/id875188981
https://play.spotify.com/user/ilsonowl/playlist/2tHGjyz7EpEZpvgc8HpuRm
DEBUT 'IT AIN'T EASY/MY LIFE - EP' !!!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
'EASIER' OUT NOW !!!
'Easier' Official Video - https://goo.gl/ynTayr
iTunes - https://goo.gl/9r5341
Spotify - https://goo.gl/OTLXaV
GooglePlay - https://goo.gl/JVvd5r

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Abandon Her

Abandon Her are amongst the local bands I have seen the most around Leicester in 2014, great band, great songs and, above all, lovely people ! Four of the loveliest you might ever meet. And they're playing for me at The Cookie for my next single launch in June, more on that later ...

The band invited me to play at their EP launch at The Musician in Leicester back in March and it was a wonderful spring day full of love and music, and free cake ! There's nothing better than sipping your favourite brand of tea, in my case Yorkshire, and being entranced by their glorious music.

Olivia has an effortlessly beautiful voice, Abby writes classic pop structured tunes, Sarah knows her way around a keyboard and if Giles doesn't make you laugh within minutes of meeting him then something must be amiss, and he's a great drummer to boot. Great, genuine advocates for Spreading The Love these folk !

My iTunes is currently pretty bare, composing of my two records plus Abandon Her's brilliant debut 'Principles', and Tapestry's free EP (maybe a clue as to who I might be recommending next).

Each track is a winner, but the song 'Witches Island', about a roundabout in Countesthorpe of all things, is definitely my favourite song currently of any local artist in the East Midlands, and there's some hearty strong competition, a lot of great music around at the minute ... but here's a quick top 5 of some of my favourites ...

1) Witches Island - Abandon Her
2) Whole - Charlotte Carpenter
3) Princess in a Paper Bag - Becky Edwards
4) Falling From Grace - Leah Sinead
5) We Are The Simpletones - The Simpletones

Just a quick Top 5, not a lot of thought gone into it, just a few that have cemented themselves into my psyche, search for them, have a listen for yourself and enjoy, next week I'll probably have some different favourites.

If you enjoyed this, why not check out another Matt Henshaw Recommends ... ?
Stef Baker
Emily Carr
Becky Edwards
Mahalia
Mia & The Moon
Rosa-Leigh
AJA
Kate Rendell
Esther Van Leuven
East Midlands Girls
Ones to Watch for 2014
The Bobcats
Savanna Bones
Mattayoux
Matt Zara
The Simpletones
Charlotte Carpenter
Leah Sinead
Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Mahalia

Quickly before we get into it, look up the wonderful Mahalia's namesake, Mahalia Jackson and enjoy some of the sweetest sounding American gospel ... now, Mahalia, she's great !

One of the Midlands most promising talents, I'm so glad I've had the pleasure of seeing her perform a number of times and shared a stage. There's a real air of wonder in the room whenever she takes to the stage. It's a family affair, and when you're in the room you feel part of the family too.

Down at The Cookie Jar in Leicester I've seen some fantastic acts and Mahalia is right up there as one of the best. I've a bent for soulful stuff as you all well know and for a girl of such a young age she carries such a maturity and brings an effervescence that is so endearing. If you like good music, the pleasure and enjoyment you get from it is always multiplied infinitely by the feeling that those making it are having such a great time.

I'm so pleased to have been asked to join the stable of acts that are hosting regular nights at The Cookie Jar, Charlotte Carpenter, Alessi's Ark, Mahalia and myself will be bringing some of the best live, soulful and acoustic acts to the heart of Leicester city right through until Christmas ... I'm starting with my single launch on Friday 21st of this month, see you there !

Mahalia's next night - Mahalia Presents - is coming up this Saturday and if you're around you definitely get yourself down there ...

Get yourself a FREE Mahalia Download NOW ...