Shona Foster

Scottish-born, Yorkshire-bred Shona Foster left the desolate beauty of the Moors behind her and travelled south. Arriving in Brighton, she set about bringing to life the songs that would characterise her unique musical direction. Shona’s work defies easy categorisation. When you hear it, you’ll know that Frank Zappa was bang on when he said that writing about music was like dancing about architecture. We could talk of haunting melodies and enchanting rhythms or about how an Ella Fitzgerald/Tom Waits/Tim Burton collaboration might sound – but that still wouldn’t even be close. For Shona, the songs spring from the fertile ground where truth and experience meet fantasy and drama – daydreams and imaginary soundtracks made real. What may start as the merest hint of melody is then lovingly crafted by singer and band until the piece has reached its fullest potential. The result is a heady mix of symphony hall (violins, clarinet, flute) and local junkyard (pipes, oil cans, old bicycles). The exotic and the everyday in perfect harmony. There’s an air of menace throughout, but it’s allied to a sense of adventure, a keening intelligence and a winning way