Charlotte Church signs deal to finance new record

Charlotte Church launched a pop career in 2005

Singer Charlotte Church has agreed a £2m deal with an investment company to fund her next album.

Instead of signing a traditional record deal, she has chosen music investment firm Power Amp Music to bankroll the recording and marketing of the album.

Church said Power Amp will give her the same funds as a major record label but with more "control and ownership" over her career.

Power Amp also funded Madness' 2009 album The Liberty Of Norton Folgate.

Church said she was "delighted" to sign the deal, adding: "This is a wonderful time to be a recording artist.

"It provides me with a financial commitment equivalent to that of a major record company."

'Clear vision'

Power Amp Power founder Tom Bywater said: "Charlotte had a clear vision of what she wanted to do and we have provided the funding for her to achieve those ambitions while allowing her to retain full creative control and copyright ownership."

The announcement comes a day after global record label body the IFPI published a report saying artists were "much better served" by record labels and only a small minority could succeed without them.

Church rose to fame aged 12 as a classical crossover singer, scoring a smash hit with her debut album Voice of an Angel.

After three more classical albums, she moved into pop in 2005 with Tissues and Issues, which went to number five in the UK album chart.

In 2006, she launched a TV career fronting her own Channel 4 chat show.

In recent years Church has focused on bringing up her two young children with rugby player partner Gavin Henson.

Last month it was announced that she would be making a return to TV as part of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new talent search programme, Over The Rainbow.

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