Thea Gilmore

Infobox musical artist
Name = Thea Gilmore

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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Thea Eve Gilmore
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1979|11|25
Oxford, England
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = Vocals, Guitar
Genre = Rock, Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Occupation = Musician, songwriter
Years_active = 1996-present
Label = Hungry Dog/Flying Sparks, Sanctuary, Fruitcake/Fullfill, Ryko
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.theagilmore.net theagilmore.net]
Current_members =
Past_members =

Thea Eve Gilmore (born 25 November 1979) is a British female singer-songwriter. She began her career working in a recording studio, where she was discovered by her now long-time collaborator, producer and sometime co-songwriter Nigel Stonier, whom she married in October 2005. [ [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aQVh3lk0R5lo&refer=muse Bloomberg.com: Muse Arts ] ]

Career

Gilmore was born in Oxford to Irish parents [cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll |title= Thea Gilmore Biography |accessdate=2008-09-17 |author=Wilson, MacKenzie |work=Allmusic] and lived in the village of North Aston, Oxfordshire. [cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/articles/2006/09/25/thea_gilmore_review.shtml |title=Entertainment - Thea Gilmore |accessdate= 2008-09-17|author=Conmy, Mick |date=2006-09-30 |work=BBC Oxford |publisher=BBC] She became interested in music as a result of her father's record collection, which included work by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and The Beatles. Later, she listened to Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and The Replacements, among others. She began writing poetry at the age of 15 to cope with the divorce of her parents. [ [http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608004084/Thea-Gilmore.html Thea Gilmore Biography ] ]

Gilmore released her first album as a teenager, entitled "Burning Dorothy", in 1998 and over the course of the next four years, released increasingly well-received albums that earned her a reputation in the UK music press but no chart success. She finally made a breakthrough at 23 with the release of "Avalanche" in August 2003, which became her first album to break into the Official UK Album Chart, at #62, and spawned two minor hit singles, "Juliet (Keep That in Mind)" and "Mainstream", for which she garnered acclaim for producing a low-budget music video filmed in a local Virgin Megastore. The video received exposure on the BBC's flagship music show "Top of the Pops 2". [cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/videoclips/show153.shtml |title=Top of the Pops 2 - Wednesday 5th November 2003 |accessdate=2008-06-04 |publisher=BBC]

In 2004, legendary folksinger Joan Baez personally invited Gilmore to open for her during her tour leading up to the US presidential election. [ [http://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/92/this_girl_is_taking_bets/ Guernica / This Girl Is Taking Bets ] ]

In 2005, Gilmore continued touring commitments, for the first time not releasing a new album (the covers collection "Loft Music" was widely released during 2004). In October 2005, she and Stonier married in a ceremony near their home in Cheshire.

Gilmore finally returned to recording with the release of "Harpo's Ghost" in August 2006, after a two-and-a-half-year absence of new material. [ [http://arts.independent.co.uk/music/features/article1218257.ece Thea Gilmore: No holds barred - Features, Music - The Independent ] ] This was her first album on major label Sanctuary Records after many years of independent releases. The album was once again acclaimed in the music press and UK radio lent their support to the single "Cheap Tricks". Gilmore has been touted by "Uncut" magazine as "the best British singer-songwriter of the last 10 years...and then some" and has gained steady acclaim for each of her albums.Fact|date=August 2007

On November 14, 2006, Gilmore gave birth to her first child with Stonier, a son named Egan [ [http://archive.theargus.co.uk/2007/6/28/237124.html The Argus - Thea Gilmore interview special ] ] , having conducted a UK tour in the autumn while heavily pregnant. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/articles/2006/09/25/thea_gilmore_review.shtml BBC - Oxford - Entertainment - Thea Gilmore ] ]

Subsequent to the release of "Harpo's Ghost" she parted company with her manager Sara Austin, left Sanctuary Records and released EP "The Threads" independently on her March 2007 UK tour with remaining copies sold on her website afterwards.

On May 19, 2008 Fruitcake Records (via Fullfill and distributed by Universal Records) released "Liejacker", Gilmore's eighth album featuring contributions from Joan Baez, Dave McCabe, and Erin McKeown. It was preceded on May 12 by the single "Old Soul", a duet with McCabe.

In June 2008, Gilmore signed to Rykodisc (Warner) for the United States. "Liejacker" is now scheduled for release in the US on September 23, 2008.

Discography

Albums

*"Burning Dorothy" (1998)
*"The Lipstick Conspiracies" (2000)
*"Rules For Jokers" (2001)
*"Songs From The Gutter" (2002)
*"Avalanche" (2003) *UK #62*
*"Loft Music" (2003)
*"Harpo's Ghost" (2006) *UK #69* (illustrated)
*"Liejacker" (2008)

EPs

*"Instead of the Saints" (1998)
*"As If EP" (Limited Edition) (2001)
*"The Threads EP" (Limited Edition) (2007)

ingles

*"Saviours and All" (2001)
*"Fever Beats" (2002)
*"Juliet (Keep That in Mind)" (2003) *UK #35*
*"Mainstream" (2003) *UK #50*
*"Cheap Tricks" (2006)
*"Old Soul" (2008)

DVDs

*"Harpo's Ghost - 3 track acoustic performance" (2006)

References

External links

* [http://www.theagilmore.net Official site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/theagilmore Profile] on MySpace
* [http://www.thetrousers.co.uk/issues/four/thea_main.htm Summer 2006 interview ] in Wears the Trousers Magazine
* [http://www.cdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=748 2004 interview]
*Discogs artist|artist=Thea+Gilmore
*Musicbrainz artist|id=4176a7cc-5b9d-46c9-b616-8f2b19f7f92f|name=Thea Gilmore
* [http://www.vixenrecords.com/foxymusic/nigelstonier.htm Nigel Stonier biography at Foxy Music]