03/10/2009

This week, Dermot has live sessions from Nerina Pallot and Cerys Matthews.

Nerina Pallot's new album, The Graduate, has a different sound from its predecessor, with a new-found feistiness to her vocals. It is self-produced, and was recorded in the North London studio she shares with her husband, but only after a sustained period of writer's block that saw her return to university to complete an English degree.

After trying to work with other song-writers, Nerina eventually decided that she preferred to work on her own material, where the routine of studying literature helped to clear her head and inspire new lyrics. A change in sound can also be attributed to the music she was listening to: "I've come to really love good pop music. Like everyone else, I was bored stiff of singer/songwriters and wanted to find something fresh. The band I became obsessed with was MGMT. I was inspired by their attitude to making music. It's so creative. They just throw out lots of ideas, try out lots of mad sounds and have a laugh, but with the basis of really strong songs."

The Welsh singer-songwriter, and jungle alumnus, Cerys Matthews releases her first album in two years this month. Entitled Don't Look Down, it will be released in two versions: one in English and the other in Welsh. It was recorded in Providence, Rhode Island, Nashville, Seattle and London, and coincides with a two week UK tour.

A busy lady, Cerys also hosts the daily lunchtime show on BBC 6 Music, which features live sessions and interviews with the likes of Johnny Marr, Beth Ditto, Robyn Hitchcock, Juliette Lewis, and Michael Winterbottom.