Words by Ed King
On Sunday 14th February, Gabrielle Aplin brings her Light Up the Dark UK Tour to the O2 Institute – with support from home grown label mate, Hannah Grace + Warner’s new prodigal son, Lewis Watson.
Doors open at 7:30pm with tickets priced at £16.50 – as presented by Birmingham Promoters.
N.B Gabrielle Aplin has retained her record label, Never Fade Records, since her debut self release in 2010. The label has also been developing a wider roster of artists since 2013, including Hannah Grace and Saint Raymond – who both appear on Aplin’s 2016 Light Up the Dark UK Tour. For more on Never Fade Records, click here.
Gabrielle Alpin caught the crest of a YouTube tidal wave back in 2010 – you know, the way people could before certain ‘decisions to protect the artist’ were made by the online broadcaster. Just think… where would Jay Z or Chris Martin be without such a courageous artistic line in the sand.
But Ms Aplin was much more than just an ego on a small screen, having explored two ends of the Pop/Folk production spectrum with her first two self-released EPs, Aplin’s Home EP (Jan 2011) was a solid and self effacing 5 track declaration. Cue some well deserved online sales, supporting national airplay and knock knock… Parlophone signed Gabrielle Aplin, releasing her debut single with the major, ‘Please Don’t Say You Love Me’, in Feb 2012. Aplin‘s debut album, English Rain, was released in December the same year.
Birmingham Review eventually got to see Gabrielle Aplin about a year after the Parlophone machine started whirring, watching her take over the Institute’s main room on a Monday. Not an easy room on the crappiest of weekdays. Read Ed King’s Birmingham Review of Gabrielle Aplin @ Birmingham Institute 14.03.13 here. I think my favourite line is ‘….makes me imagine Mumford & Sons on meth.’
Now the Wiltshire born, Bath schooled (on and off a record label) singer/songwriter is back in Birmingham, and back at the Institute. And having been sans snapper the last time Gabrielle Aplin came to town, this time Harry Mills will be throwing DSLRs around the Digbeth venue – shooting a Birmingham Review to go into THE GALLERY. So if a picture tells a thousand words, you might be up late.
Gabrielle Aplin released her sophomore album, Light Up the Dark, in September 2015. Stop, look & listen to the album’s lead single/title track below:
‘Light Up the Dark’ by Gabrielle Aplin
Gabrielle Aplin comes to the O2 Institute (B’ham) on Sunday 14th February – with support from Hannah Grace and Lewis Watson. For direct gig info & online sales, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/2016/02/02/gabrielle-aplin-lewis-watson-hannah-grace-in-bham/
For more on Gabrielle Aplin, visit http://gabrielleaplin.co.uk/
For more on Never Fade Records, visit http://neverfaderecords.com/
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For more from the O2 Institute, visit http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/
For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/
