Redbird has wings!!

"Redbird"

Few people on the HNH team manage to blag their way into as many gigs, football matches, book launches, kebab shops and wine tastings as my colleague Matthew Collins!

Today a parcel arrived at the office for him while he’s been in Italy working on a story. Naturally we opened the parcel in his absence and a very pleasant surprise for us it was too.

Those of us lucky enough to catch the Billy Bragg gig in Manchester last year for Hope Not Hate were mesmerised by a rare appearance over this side of the Irish Sea by Briana Corrigan-the former singer with The Beautiful South (she sung on their number one song ‘A Little Time’.)

Briana has the sort of voice that when you hear her sing, you just naturally freeze in awe. Is it pop-opera, is it country-folk, or a bit of all of the above and a little more?

It’s all of the above, actually. To see a copy of her new album meant that we just had to give it a play and of course text Matthew to say we’re going to give it away on our Facebook page, because there are plenty people more deserving of a chance to own this album than him!

Briana’s new album “Redbird” is crisp and emotional, melodic and haunting in places. Briana is political, too; A genuine antidote to manufactured and commercial personality.

“Redbird” has an intelligent, adult passion. Briana lit up the Manchester Academy all too briefly for us last year, lending her voice to our campaign while she was working away on “Redbird”. Having heard some brief excerpts in Manchester, we knew it would be worth the wait.

So thanks once again to Briana for supporting our campaign, and thank you for your beautiful songs. “13 Wonderful Love Songs” which opens “Redbird” will probably end up being the soundtrack to one of our videos during this year’s campaign against the fascists.

You can have a wee listen to it and a free download here

Let’s hope we get to see more of Briana on tour over here too as soon as possible.

Briana at the HNH gig in Manchester last year