BUC Press

British Urban Collective - The Digital EP released March 8 2010

British Urban Collective – The Digital EP
Released March 8th 2010 (Freeport Records / Universal Digital)
www.britishurbancollective.com

“It’s not often a well meaning community project produces generally compelling results, but Urban Collective is a noble exception” –IDJ Magazine.

British Urban Collective is a national youth-music project that turns inner city kids into rising stars of the British music industry. The project launched in 2004 as London Urban Collective and has now expanded into Glasgow, Belfast, Manchester and Hull with funding through the Execution Charitable Trust.

Young local artists trained as a Collective, with the help of professionals such as Sam Brown and Kele Le Roc, before recording their own music for a double album that will be released on Freeport Records / Cargo / Universal Digital on March 15th 2010. To mark the launch, British Urban Collective releases a four-track digital EP featuring:

Manchester: DNA ft. Breezy & Kay-C “The Struggle”
Press/Radio/TV: BBC Manchester Introducing feature, Manchester Music, Wythenshawe FM
19-year-old John Ashcroft aka DNA, who has been writing and rapping across the city since he was 14, teamed up with brothers Brian and Calvin Mutunzi (Breezy and Kay-C) and producer Resin to highlight their feelings about growing up with violence and hardship. DNA is now completing his debut album and running MC workshops while last summer Kay-C visited China as part of ‘The Prime Minister’s Global Fellowship’ and performed one of his original songs in front of Gordon Brown.

Belfast: The Monday Club “Under The Weather”
Press/Radio/TV: BBC Belfast News, U105FM interview with Ivan Martin
Four lads from west Belfast who have rapidly gained a reputation for their raucous live shows and anthemic Stone Roses / Chilli Peppers influences. Last year they supported The Divine Comedy, were shortlisted to support Taio Cruz and Pixie Lott and are now in the new Belfast Urban Collective studio recording their debut album. A video for Under The Weather is released to support the track.

Hull: Charmaine Wombwell and Danny Landau “Dandelions”
Press/Radio/TV: BBC Humberside Raw Talent, This is Ull, Hull Vibe, That Exploded, Sandman
A testament to what can happen in a songwriting class, Dandelions was written by Charmaine Wombwell (Someone and The Somethings) and Danny Landau in a 20-minute exercise during training week and went on to become a hit with the Collective and audiences alike. Charmaine is now recording her debut album with Someone and the Somethings while Danny Landau has been picked up for management by Alan Raw at Pedestal.

Glasgow: Willy Brown “Lonely Beggar”
Press/Radio/TV: Scotland Today with Sharleen Spiteri, The Daily Record
A heartfelt story for Scotland to be proud of, Willy Brown heard about the Glasgow Urban Collective project from his Dad and left a job working the rigs to audition. His heart and soul went into writing Lonely Beggar, which was produced by Resin at the Easterhouse Studios and sessioned by former Simple Minds drummer Brian McGee. Texas lead singer Sharleen Spiteri commended his songwriting after he showcased Lonely Beggar live for her. Willy is now back on the rigs but looking to pursue his dreams as a true-grit Scottish singer-songwriter.

The British Urban Collective project has recently been nominated by The New Statesman Edge Upstart Awards 2009 for Best Social Enterprise Serving A Community.

Press and radio contact 1-2-hear: Clare Tucker / E: clare@1-2-hear.com / M: 07900 452 378