Nancy Elizabeth

Nancy was born in Billinge Higher End, near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, and learned piano and guitar at an early age, the latter being entirely self-taught. By the age of 18 she had made one EP, Basis, and one LP, Fly Alley, both of which were recorded, produced, manufactured and distributed by Nancy using home equipment. Around this time Cunliffe started to experiment with other instruments and acquired a khim from Thailand and a Celtic harp. Having initially started playing on the Wigan music scene, she attended Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and moved to playing regularly in Manchester, Liverpool and around England.

Nancy's first EP, released in 2006, was recorded in an old Corinthian-style church on the outskirts of Liverpool and is named after the concept of an ideal ruler in ancient Indian mythology.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=2631 |title=The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism |access-date=10 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032004/http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php?id=2631 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }} Recorded at night to reduce traffic noise interference, some distortion can be heard when listening carefully: in particular on the aptly named "Waiting for Cars". The record was released by Manchester-based Timbreland.{{Cite web |url=http://www.timbreland.co.uk/artist_details/8_nancy+elizabeth.php |title=Timbreland Recordings |access-date=22 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210103305/http://www.timbreland.co.uk/artist_details/8_nancy+elizabeth.php |archive-date=10 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}

The first LP, Battle and Victory{{Cite web|url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/releases/view/139/Nancy+Elizabeth/Battle+and+Victory/BAY+60CD|title=The Leaf Label: BATTLE AND VICTORY|website=Theleaflabel.com}} was released 24 September 2007 and licensed to The Leaf Label. This marked the first record where Cunliffe was dropped as a performing name. The album was critically well received{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/|title=BBC – Home|website=BBC Homepage}} and drew favourable comparisons with music by Joanna Newsom,{{Cite web|url=https://boomkat.com/products/battle-and-victory-77b3619b-a67c-4888-97da-94e53aba0f41|title=NANCY ELIZABETH – Battle And Victory|website=Boomkat.com}} Josephine Foster{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/oct/30/popandrock1|title=No 215: Nancy Elizabeth|date=30 October 2007|website=Theguardian.com}} and many others.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nancy-elizabeth-9011-341291|title=Nancy Elizabeth: 'Battle And Victory' | NME|website=NME |date=26 September 2007}} The release of this album went hand in hand with an increase in the number of live performances, and she started to tour both the UK, Europe and further afield with regularity.{{Cite web|url=http://leakysparrow.blogspot.com/2007/08/battle-and-victory-for-nancy-elizabeth.html|title=Leaky Sparrow: Battle And Victory For Nancy Elizabeth|website=Leakysparrow.blogspot.com}}

The second album Wrought Iron was released on 5 October 2009,{{Cite web|url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/releases/view/156/Nancy|title=The Leaf Label: WROUGHT IRON|website=Theleaflabel.com}} again with The Leaf Label. It received excellent reviews,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/36xm/|title=BBC – Music – Review of Nancy Elizabeth – Wrought Iron|first=Nick|last=Barraclough|website=Bbc.co.uk}} prompting an article to be written by Laura Barton in The Guardian.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/nov/26/nancy-elizabeth |title=Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll |first=Laura |last=Barton |author-link=Laura Barton |date=26 November 2009 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2021-05-06}} Drawing inspiration from natural sounds of the Faroe Islands (her grandmother's birthplace), rural Spain and the Lake District, the album was recorded in a remote corner of North Wales. Described as a "sparse album, dusted with piano, breathy vocals and harmonies, and touches of acoustic guitar, horns and accordion"{{Cite web|url=http://truckstop83.blogspot.com/2009/09/nancy-elizabeth-wrought-iron-album.html|title=Scrawls & Bawls: Nancy Elizabeth – Wrought Iron Album Review|first=Finbarr|last=Bermingham|website=Truckstop83.blogspot.com|date=22 September 2009}} this work moves away from the multi-instrumental previous works to concentrate mainly on the piano, guitar and vocal arrangements. Track 4 of the album was released as a single with an accompanying video, shot in Portishead lido.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19__HQTuHw4|title=Youtube Feet of Courage|date=10 September 2009 |publisher=YouTube}}

Recorded by herself in her small flat in Manchester,{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/nancy-elizabeth-dancing|title=Nancy Elizabeth – Dancing | Album Reviews|website=Musicomh.com|date=14 May 2013}} her third album was released on 20 May 2013{{Cite web|url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/releases/view/199/Nancy+Elizabeth/Dancing/BAY+84CD|title=The Leaf Label: DANCING|website=Theleaflabel.com}} and received a four star review in Time Out{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/music/nancy-elizabeth-dancing-album-review|title=Nancy Elizabeth – 'Dancing' album review|website=Time Out London|date=8 April 2015 }} and MusicOMH. The entertainment section of BBC Online recommended it for an 'alternative mercury award' stating that "Her cascading, intricately-arranged songs transcend genre conventions – swirling strings and breathy harmonies conjuring up everything from Ennio Morricone to PJ Harvey"{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-24054123|title=Alternative Mercury Prize|date=14 September 2013|website=Bbc.co.uk}}

Cunliffe has collaborated for many live shows and records, including touring with Tunng, A Hawk and a Hacksaw and James Yorkston. More recently a UK tour with James Blackshaw and Hauschka saw her perform live pieces written specifically for the tour, which features a headline show in the main hall of the Barbican Centre.{{Cite web|url=https://www.barbican.org.uk/|title=Welcome to the Barbican | Barbican|website=Barbican.org.uk}} She has also worked with Susumu Yokota{{Cite web |url=http://lorecordings.greedbag.com/buy/mother-0/ |title=Susumu Yokota Mother |access-date=11 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125135529/http://lorecordings.greedbag.com/buy/mother-0/ |archive-date=25 November 2010 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycOqGwcBnFw|title=Youtube 12 days, 12 nights Susumu Yokota featuring Nancy Elizabeth|website=YouTube }} and is in production with Paul White{{Cite web |url=http://onehandedmusic.com/2010/08/gone-fishin/ |title=Paul White featuring Nancy Elizabeth announced |access-date=11 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715002303/http://onehandedmusic.com/2010/08/gone-fishin/ |archive-date=15 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}

In this TEDx talk, she tells us about her journey as an artist and how her creative process has developed, as well as performing some of her mesmerising music. She has made a name for herself as a singer-songwriter with a difference. As well as writing captivating music, she uses everything she can get her hands on in the creative process: from guitars and pianos to Celtic harps, harmoniums and dulcimers. All this is combined to make creative music with a modern edge.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg3mRhY3CIU|title=Nancy Elizabeth TEDx talk |date=7 June 2013 |publisher=YouTube}}

• "Hey Son" (2007)
• "I Used to Try" (2007)
• "Feet of Courage" (2009)
• "The Last Battle" (2013)

• The Wheel Turning King EP (2006){{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/ie/album/the-wheel-turning-king-ep/298623438|title=Get millions of songs|website=Music.apple.com}}
• Battle and Victory LP (2007){{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/battle-and-victory/2596707258|title=Get millions of songs|website=Music.apple.com}}
• Wrought Iron LP (2009){{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wrought-iron/326676201|title=Get millions of songs|website=Music.apple.com}}
• Dancing LP (2013){{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/dancing/632952191|title=Get millions of songs|website=Music.apple.com}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/artists/view/25/Nancy%20Elizabeth Nancy Elizabeth on The Leaf Label]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elizabeth, Nancy}}

Category:1983 births

Category:Living people

Category:English women singer-songwriters

Category:English singer-songwriters

Category:English women guitarists

Category:English guitarists

Category:English folk musicians

Category:Alumni of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

Category:21st-century English women singers

Category:21st-century English singers

Category:21st-century British guitarists

Category:21st-century British women guitarists

Category:People from Higher End