Tuesday, September 30, 2008

30 Sep: Vote Duffy At The UK Festival Awards

The UK Festival Awards are upon us once again and Duffy's mantelpiece looks set to be adorned with yet more 2008 silverware as she's nominated in both the Best Pop Act and Best New Act categories.

Both awards are decided by a public vote - so click here to show Duffy your support.

Plus, when you place your vote your name will also be automatically entered into a draw to win tickets to every winning festival's 2009 event, as well as the chance to present an Award at the ceremony on Thursday 30th October at the IndigO2, Greenwich, London.


EDIT: The above message was pasted rom the official site. The link is notvery good (thanks to the 2 people who pointed that out! ;-) ) Specific links where you can vote for Duffy:

Festival Pop Act:
http://www.festivalawards.com/index.cfm?section=awards.category&year=2008&id=94

Best Newcomer Award:
http://www.festivalawards.com/index.cfm?section=awards.category&year=2008&id=97

Anthem of the Summer:
http://www.festivalawards.com/index.cfm?section=awards.category&year=2008&id=98


Listen to new song "Enough Love" by Duffy....

UPDATE: You can preview "Enough Love" at this link.

Duffy's "Enough Love" lyrics

What makes gold look like rust
What turns diamonds into dust
Like oxygen to you and me
We need it more than the air we breathe
Too much push and shove
Without enough love to go round

There must be enough love
To go round the world
There must be enough love
To go round the world
There must be enough love
To go round the world
There must be enough love love love

What hurts but feels so fine
What turns water in wine
It runs so deep in you and me
From a fountain to a river to the seven seas
Too much push and shove
Without enough love to go round
I finally found

There must be enough love
To go round the world
There must be enough love
To go round the world
There must be enough love
To go round the world
There must be enough love love love

Woohoo

There must be enough love
To go round the world
There must be enough love
Woohoo
There must be enough love
To go round the world
There must be enough love around the world

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click here to see Dermot O'Leary's BBC Radio 2 page then click listen again to the show. Scroll to 1 hour 6 mins into his show and he plays Duffy's "Enough Love" and calls it a "world exclusive". Hurry though because the BBC's listen again for this show is only available until Saturday 4th Oct.

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Sunday, September 28, 2008

28 Sep: Duffy up for 3 MTV Europe Awards

Contact Music have the below article today.

DUFFY LEADS NOMINATIONS FOR MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS

Welsh soul star DUFFY is leading the nominations for the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards - she's up for three prizes including Album of the Year for ROCKFERRY.
The singer will also compete for the New Act accolade and Most Addictive Track for her hit single Mercy.
She will compete against Britney Spears, Leona Lewis, Coldplay and Alicia Keys for the best album award, and go head-to-head with pop newcomer Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus in the New Act category.
Spears has landed a second nod for Act of 2008, for which she is nominated alongside Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, Coldplay and Lewis.
Other nominees include Kanye West and Beyonce Knowles for Best Urban, and Metallica and Linkin' Park for the Rock Out award.
The winners will be unveiled on 6 November (08), when the prizes are handed out in Liverpool, England.
The main list of nominees are as follows:
Album Of the Year:
Alicia Keys – As I Am
Britney Spears - Blackout
Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends
Duffy – Rockferry
Leona Lewis – Spirit
Headliner:
Foo Fighters
Linkin’ Park
Metallica
The Cure
Tokio Hotel
Most Addictive Track:
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Duffy – Mercy
Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl
Kid Rock – All Summer Long
Pink – So What
New Act:
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Katy Perry
Miley Cyrus
One Republic
Act of 2008:
Amy Winehouse
Britney Spears
Coldplay
Leona Lewis
Rihanna
Ultimate Urban:
Alicia Keys
Beyoncé Knowles
Chris Brown
Kanye West
Lil Wayne
Rock Out:
30 Seconds to Mars
Linkin’ Park
Metallica
Paramore
Slipknot.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

27 Sep: Duffy: I’m borderline on a nervous breakdown

This article appeared today at WalesOnline.

Duffy: I’m borderline on a nervous breakdown
Sep 27 2008 by Gavin Allen, Western Mail

Behind her big smile, the girl at the centre of 2008’s biggest showbiz hurricane is feeling stressed to the point of being overwhelmed. In an emotional interview, Duffy reveals to Gavin Allen the worrying depth of her struggle to cope with success

IT’S just after lunchtime on a Tuesday afternoon and in his mind a London cabbie is honing the details of his night’s work.

“You’ll never guess who I had in the back of my cab today?” he will ask, tossing up the ball for a conversational serve, “That Duffy bird,” he’ll brag, smashing a trump anecdote past his colleagues for a bar room ace.

Aimee Ann Duffy is indeed in the back of his cab but his interaction with her is limited, barring a request – which he refuses – to stop so she can grab a coffee on the way from her flat in London’s upper crust SW1 to the studio where she is rehearsing for her forthcoming tour.

“It’s chock-a-block with beeping horns,” she sighs frustratedly, explaining that the car is inching its way through congestion-charged midday traffic.

Duffy is eager to arrive at the studio because she has “a list of things to do as long as my arm”.

“I’m not feeling very calm,” she admits.

“I’m never really calm any more.”

It’s impossible to overstate the speed and strength of Duffy’s rise in 2008, from an all-but-unknown singer in January, to scoring a No.1 single in February, a No.1 album in March and becoming a million-seller by the summer. And next month she will support Coldplay on their US arena tour.

This is the real deal. The kind of all-consuming, eye-exploding, soul-sucking, mega-fame that 99.5% of celebrities desperately pretend to be caught in.

Her success comes from three things – great talent, great management and her own perfectionism, although the third of these means she is having problems relaxing these days.

“I just need to get things right because if I take my finger off the pulse I immediately feel the quality isn’t as good,” she explains.

“I don’t know if other people pay attention to the things I pay attention to because I don’t just rush around feeling like the so-called ‘pop star’ that I am.

“I pay attention to all the nitty gritty stuff but there are so many dimensions to it.

“It’s a full-time thing I have on my hands. I can’t just turn up, sing and then go to bed.

“I have to be so hard on myself. I’m my own worst critic.”

Few singers will ever tell you they have an easy ride of it. Those who are getting money for old rope want you to believe they are busy with all kinds of important decisions while those who are actually very busy tend to wear it on their faces and tell you all about it with a tired tone.

Duffy has discovered the latter of those options to be true and the ferocious level of industry required to satisfy the demand for her voice has come as a surprise to the girl herself, even if everyone in the industry was expecting it.

“There is a lot to it that I didn’t originally think of,” she admits.

“It’s not the physical amount of stuff, it’s mental.

“I used to pride myself on being footloose and fancy free, always having a smile on my face, but I have to be a bit more tough and I don’t know if I can be that sort of person.

“I still feel like a little girl in the middle of quite a tough thing.”

At 24, Duffy is certainly no little girl, but says she is not yet a woman either, so it’s no surprise she feels overwhelmed. Hurricane Duffy has blown everyone away.

When her debut single Rockferry was released in December it went to number 45. Decent, but not earth-shattering. However, the second single, the evergreen and buoyant Mercy, razed the ground before her.

In this digital age, when single sales are through the cellar floor and into hell, Mercy shifted more than 450,000 copies and was No.1 in 10 countries. It also met with critical acclaim winning the Mojo Awards Song of the Year. It pumps through the speaker of every coffee shop, aeroplane and lift in the land; and if it’s not that, it’s her other hit, Rockferry.

Mercy hitting No.4 on the US Billboard chart was the biggest American debut in her label’s history and the album, also called Rockferry, went on to shift nearly half a million records in a market where barely any UK acts crack America. Coldplay managed it, but only after two albums.

Duffy doesn’t have three equally innocent band mates with whom to share the experience though. She is a solo artist watching the wind rage around her and is struggling to control it. And she is doing it in the glare of a public eye that sees her differently to how she sees herself.

The fact that she was recently named Sexiest Woman in Wales by this very magazine amuses someone who has previously teased herself with the nickname Scruffy Duffy.

“Phil Spector once said everything is about timing,” she retaliates. “Relationships, business politics or whatever – and I agree.

“I don’t think I am the most attractive woman in Wales, it’s just because I’m doing my thing right now.”

It is a typically Duffy answer to a question, dismissing a compliment with self-deprecating charm, sense and an undertone of thwarted confidence.

Yet, while this magazine has clearly recognised her girl-next-door appeal, some London publications have been sniffier, picking up and running with that ‘Scruffy Duffy’ image.

A recent interview with the Daily Mail described her thus: “It’s clear she has been having a tough few days. Her face is puffy, she hasn’t bothered to wash her dyed-blonde hair, and she looks desperately tired.”

The singer is unconcerned by what some clearly see as a lack of effort for them, even though it is more indicative of her beguiling lack of ego, and says her everyday image is not something she considers.

“To be honest I don’t really hold myself as a young woman who is aware of herself like that,” she says, sounding slightly confused as to why she should be.

“I don’t really care. I don’t walk around thinking about what I look like.

“But I know other people do and it’s a bit strange.

“Sometimes you are walking down the street and you realise you have become a character that you have created.

“Sometimes you can look in the mirror and think, ‘Oh, that’s me.’

“You are so internal you forget that externally there is still a person there that other people see.”

Her public image is just yet another thing Duffy has to contend with and it’s something she finds awkward, saying: “I do struggle with confidence, I don’t feel a confident person” but her transition to woman is subject to scrutiny by hi-definition TV cameras, intrusive photographers lenses and harsh journalistic eyes.

“I still feel I am a little girl of 18 or 19 and I can be quite a shy little girl but there will come a point, with all these things I have to focus on, when I have to become a strong woman,” she says.

“I can’t always be that passive little girl whose favourite word is ‘Yes’.

“I’ve got to be a strong woman who knows how to say no.

“I have to learn not take any s*** from anyone anymore.”

Her transformation from wide-eyed North Walian naïf to continent-straddling artist is being aided by the woman who has been at her side since before the fame began, her manager Jeanette Lee, who has been planning how and where the hurricane would make landfall – and how her girl might survive it.

Lee was introduced to Duffy in August 2004 by two of her former charges from the Welsh scene – Owen Powell of Catatonia and Richard J Parfitt of Newport band 60ft Dolls – who had recognised her talent.

You would think it was easy to put your finger on such a stunning voice, that everyone would see it, but not so. She may have dropped her first name and started called herself Duffy at the age of 19 but success certainly didn’t come quickly for her.

As a singer she was introverted, perhaps wall-flowered by a childhood that saw her parents split up. She was thrown out of her school choir because her huge voice didn’t fit in – a big blow to the confidence of a girl who has previously said was scared of her own talent – and later when she took part in the S4C talent show Wawffactor she could only finish second.

Duffy also admits to being naive about chasing success, not knowing how or where to aim. Post-university she recorded with various small-scale projects and gigs while doing odd jobs – waitressing and working in a fishery – and was going nowhere until she met the savvy Lee.

Lee was one of the many mothers of punk fashion thanks to her time at influential clothes shop Acme Attractions and went on to perform in PiL alongside The Sex Pistols’ John Lydon.

This was before she ran the independent Rough Trade Records with Geoff Travis, a label which among others has looked after The Smiths, The Strokes and The Arcade Fire. It also used to be home to another set of powerful Welsh lungs, those of Cerys Matthews.

Duffy, who hails from Nefyn, on the Llyn Peninsula, is signed to A&M records, an offshoot of Universal, but Lee, via Rough Trade management, is her industry mother, and the pair have grown very close as Lee’s guiding hand has helped to keep Duffy’s decisions shrewd and sharpened her instincts.

Duffy is effusive in her praise for Lee calling her, “An amazing woman who I am blessed to know and work with”.

She goes on: “People talk about there being a big system around me but it is just the two of us in this project.

“We are two peas in a pod and we agree nine times out of 10.

“We are the only two that understand what this project is all about.

“She doesn’t give her time to anything else. I can’t tell you how lucky I feel.

“I was talking about her last night, about how she has been teaching me. She has taught me so much about being strong but still being graceful, being strong without being masculine.

“But also, when I first came to London, I would be talking to any old Tom, Dick and Harry and telling them everything, and I have to learn to not give so much, to keep something back.

“It’s me and her against the world.”

Working from that small base of two, the weight of work falling upon the singer’s slight shoulders because of her exceptional success is ever-increasing, from performances, writing and recording, to interviews, promotional work and approval of everything, from song mixes to artwork.

So which one of these has got her feeling so stressed out today?

“It’s just one of those days when you have to approve a load of stuff. Do you ever have one of those?” she asks innocently.

But as well as the volume of work she also has to cope with the level of her fame, something she is finding increasingly difficult.

“When people recognise me it’s usually like talking to an old friend from Nefyn,” she chirps, before recounting the tale of how she happily stood at an airport arrivals lounge chatting to a male fan who had recently seen her perform in Italy.

But she also recounted a more overwhelming experience from that Italian tour.

“I walked into a restaurant in Italy and there were 30 lads in there chanting at me. I have no idea what they were saying but they were lovely. The people at the restaurant gave me such a welcome too and you can’t really fault it, they meant no harm whatsoever,” she says, although there’s a big “but” clearly pending.

“But you are in jeopardy in those situations.

“It can be a scary situation when there are 15 lads on one side of a pub and a gang of girls on the other, and they all want a photo when all you want are a couple of drinks.

“It’s not normal and it can make you feel very isolated in a large crowd.

“I’m still a normal human. I’m not a brain surgeon or (the person who) sent the first rocket into space but you have to handle that from the beginning.

“I have sold my soul and I’m no longer anonymous, but I have to remember that the majority of people are good.

“They just want their kid to sit on your knee for two minutes and have a squeeze and if I let myself be afraid of it I won’t...” her voice trails off and she abandons the sentence.

Her next statement hangs uncomfortably in dead air, the way only a telephone silence can.

“It would be very easy to become a recluse.”

The timeworn path of celebrity is that you explode with success and then implode with the pressure that fame brings. Cynical industry minds will be expecting Duffy to follow suit – even if not to an Amy Winehouse degree – because over the years celebrities have found few ways to cope with the pressures of fame outside drink and drugs – or a hermit-like retreat.

I tell her that for the first time in speaking to her (we have spoken previously) she sounds afraid of the future rather than excited by it.

“The scary thing is that this feels to me like just the beginning,” she agrees, before making a worrying admission.

“I’m borderline on a nervous breakdown.”

That is a headline-making quote in any interview so I ask her if she means it. Isn’t that just an exaggeration or turn of phrase?

But she reiterates it.

“I used to make music when no-one had heard of me and there was nothing else going on in my life,” she continues.

“As a girl I thought I was super-human but there are pressures about being public in what I do.

“All the doubts I have are of myself.

“Can I handle this? Do I want to disappear?”

Duffy is clearly under immense pressure from her bursting diary but more so from her ringing conscience and expectations of herself, feeling that she owes every single person who has bought her album the opportunity to see her live, and if that means travelling to Italy or America or anywhere else then so be it.

She thinks about what she has just said and answers her own question.

“It would be wrong for me to disappear,” she asserts.

“I have to go and play for the fans. It’s not about selling the product, it’s about doing it right for the people who have bought it.

“I can’t not go to Italy because I have to live up to it (the album).

“And the way the record sold in the US, I want to go there and follow that up too. I don’t just want to sell records, so many people just sell records.

“I want to make my music exist as a living thing.

“I spent 80% of my time in the US playing s*** holes, and when I say s*** holes I mean it. Two thousand tickets sold but the toilets don’t have a seat on them, or they don’t have a shower – and I flew a long way to be there.”

In October she will tour the US again, on her own headline dates and as support to Coldplay before returning in November for a European and UK tour taking her back to Wales with a date at Newport Centre on December 7.

If she is nearing the end of her tether now then surely three months of touring isn’t going to help her pull back from whatever brink she feels she may be nearing.

So I ask the big question: “Are you happy being ‘Duffy’?”

“Happiness is something very personal,” she supposes.

“I have different days and emotions, but music helps me to feel happy. I think that finding happiness is searching for all the answers in life, relationships, security, passions. I write music to help unravel these answers.

“You are just a person. You try to make the best of something. It’s really not easy to stand there in front of people and sing a song you just wrote because you felt like singing.

“It’s so all-consuming and all I am is one girl writing songs.

“You stand there thinking ‘Wow, this thing that I created is changing so much of who I am’.”

It sounds to me like Duffy is in need of a long break, that disappearing somewhere for a few weeks or even months would be a good idea and I suggest her success means she has the means to take as long a holiday as she wants, with the whole of Nefyn in tow if she so desired.

“I don’t know,” she says, referring to her financial situation.

“I don’t know if I can afford to buy a new pair of tights, I just do it.

“But maybe for Christmas we (her and her family) can go on a big holiday, and buy a big turkey from M&S instead of Aldi this year.”

Duffy, who says her sole extravagance has been a classic 1956 Cartier watch, is looking forward to the end of this year, closing out her transatlantic tours to return home and reconnect with the things she misses about home.

“I miss going to the fish and chip shop, going to the beach, seeing my mates and being able to speak Welsh and have a pint of Guinness in the local.”

With those home comforts an exiled memory at the moment, Duffy is immersing herself in her work, driving herself back into that vicious circle of pressure.

“In that respect I’m my own worst enemy,” she groans.

But it is the creative process that enlivens her and it has provided respite from the grind.

While we speak she is en route to the studio where she is working on material for a deluxe double album edition of Rockferry.

It is set to be released next month featuring new songs and B-sides that have become necessary because she is being asked to headline major concerts with only 10 album tracks at her disposal.

“Ten songs isn’t enough any more, I need more,” she explains

“We never thought it would go to this level, headlining and being able to fill venues. I thought it would be an easy introduction to the world for me.

“But its been great to go back to being creative and that has been a tipping point for me, recording, being in the studio until 4am, like a mole.”

She promises the deluxe edition of her million-selling debut album will feature, “Nothing half-arsed” – she thinks it will be the original album plus a bonus disc of eight to 10 other tracks, which will include the likes of her recent cover of Paul McCartney’s Live And Let Die.

It will also feature a new song called Rain On Your Parade, something which she wrote around three months ago.

“What’s it about?” she repeats with a mischievous little snigger.

“You might see a little bit of the woman that won’t take any s*** in it.”

Friday, September 26, 2008

26 Sep: Telstar Movie release imminent - soundtrack confirmed.

We've been waiting for an official release of "Please Stay" which Duffy has sung live a few times... Speculation earlier in the year said it would be released as a single in October. Who knows whether it will actually be released as a single by Duffy (or whether it will appear on the Deluxe Edition of her album) but we are hoping that soundtrack CD for the movie will be out soon.

Confirmation that the movie will premiere on 25th and 28th October at the London Film Festival is at this link and also here. In addition the Daily Mail have written about the movie here.

The soundtrack cd tracklist is confirmed on the Telstar movie website:

1. Traitors Theme
by Flee-Rekkers

2. Johnny Remember Me
by John Leyton & The Outlaws

3. Swingin’ Low
by The Outlaws

4. Telstar
by Tornados

5. Don’t You Just Know It
by Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages

6. The Isle of Capri
by The Packa Beats

7. Play it Cool
by Billy Fury

8. Jack the Ripper
by Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages

9. Been Invited to a Party
by Heinz & The Saints

10. Be-bob-alula
by Gene Vincent & The Bluecaps

11. The Bee Song
by Arthur Askey

12. Just like Eddie
by Heinz & The Saints

13. Three Coins in a Sewer
by Alan Klein

14. Temptation Baby
by Gene Vincent & The Bluecaps

15. Have I the Right
by Honeycombs

16. Night of the Vampires
by The Moontrekkers

17. Crawl Daddy Simone
by Syndeycats

18. Please Stay
by Duffy

New Single +Duffy records BBC Session@ LSO St Lukes, London

This was a semi-secret gig, with some local fans being invited free to the gig (as floor-fillers for the tv program no doubt). The trouble was, despite the invited fans queuing for hours, the reports are that not many fans were let in and that quite a few who had secured "invites" by clicking on a link in an invitation email, were turned away and not let into the gig.....

Queuers say that the gig was filled by VIPs who had a wristband which allowed them to stroll in to a guaranteed place at the gig any time they wanted.... so it sounds like most of the crowd (when we eventually see this on telly) will be people on the BBC gravy train then... proper Alan Partridge style.

My friend however was one of the ones who queued for a very long time indeed and did manage to get in to the exclusive gig. She provided me with a few details and the setlist:

Rockferry
Hanging On Too Long
Delayed Devotion
Stepping Stone
Mercy

(Acoustic section)
Fool For You
Syrup & Honey
Oh Boy
Distant Dreamer
(End of Acoustic Section)

Warwick Avenue
Serious
Breaking My Own Heart
Rain On

The final song "Rain on Your Parade" is reported to be Duffy's next single but I have no idea of the release date yet. Will it coincide with the release of the Deluxe Edition of the album or will it be earlier?

"Fool For You" was also a new song which premiered at this recording session. Who knows whether it is the B side, the following single or maybe even the "rejected" bond theme....?

At this gig Duffy apparently introduced "Oh Boy" as a B side which will feature on the forthcoming Deluxe Edition of the Rockferry Album... The Rockferry Deluxe Edition looks like it will be released on 24th Nov in the UK but no confirmation of the tracklist yet. The 7 New Songs referred to here include "Rain on Your Parade" and could include or exclude "Oh Boy" ( i.e. are there more than 7 bonus tracks but only 7 are "new" or is there only 7 bonus tracks and "Oh Boy" is one of them?). Here is the list of as yet unreleased Duffy tracks which may feature on the Deluxe Edition:

Rain On Your Parade (mentioned for Rockferry Deluxe Edition at the St Lukes gig)
Fall For You
Live and Let Die (McCartney Cover for "Heroes" War Child Charity Album)
"Bond Theme" (submitted but rejected - title not revealed)
Please Stay (Telstar Soundtrack)
Enough Love (How to Lose Friends and Alienate People soundtrack)

Back to the BBC recording session at St Lukes.... it it thought that it will be aired as part of the BBC4 Sessions and may in time appear at this link which is a list of the BBC4 Sessions. Keep an eye on onthebox.com searching for BBC Four Sessions or searching for Duffy. I hope to get someone to record this for us when it does finally appear on telly.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

25 Sep: New Official Live Video

It seems a funny time for Universal on youtube to be putting up a video of Duffy singing Mercy live at the Pigalle Club from the 6th Feb.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vyQIJF1uEBM

We knew that they filmed it because the exclusive live video posted by MSN many months ago was "Delayed Devotion" from the same set at the Pigalle Club.

So will they release this as a live Duffy dvd sometime or will they keep sneeking out tracks as promos?

Monday, September 22, 2008

22 Sep: Duffy covers Live and Let Die for charity

The below article is from gigwise:

Duffy Covers Paul McCartney On New War Child Album

'Heroes' sees music legends link up with new acts...

Duffy, Hot Chip, Rufus Wainwright and Beck are amongst the artists donating tracks to the new War Child album.

Titled 'Heroes', the charity album features a unique collaboration between music legends and contemporary acts.

Artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson and Bob Dylan have been asked to select a classic track from their back-catalogue and then personally choose a favourite contemporary artist or band to cover the song.

Confirmed to appear on the record so far are Duffy covering Paul McCartney's 'Live and Let Die', Hot Chip taking on Joy Division's 'Transmission', The Kooks doing The Kinks' 'Victoria' and Beck re-working Bob Dylan's 'Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat'.

Brian Wilson has also nominated Rufus Wainwright who will be performing a medley of tracks from his legendary album 'Smile'.

Sir Paul McCartney said of the project: I think Duffy's version of 'Live And Let Die' is great - I was really impressed. The breadth of talent on this project is amazing; it's great that so many people gave their time, energy and support to this initiative. I urge everyone to support War Child."

'Heroes' will be released on November 24 through Parlophone Records. All proceeds will go directly to War Child.


The below article appeared on Contact Music today:

DUFFY - MCCARTNEY LOVES DUFFY COVER


Singer DUFFY has recorded a version of SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY's classic song LIVE AND LET DIE for charity - and the BEATLES legend is astonished with the result.
The Welsh songstress tackled the hit Bond theme for her contribution to the upcoming War Child charity album Heroes.
And MCCartney is bowled over with the new version of his Oscar-nominated Wings song.
The track is among a host of classic cover versions slated for inclusion on the new album, which is due for release in November (08).
As part of the project, a legion of musical legends including Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson have chosen a song from their back catalogue for a young artist of their choice to cover.
MCCartney says, "I think Duffy's version of Live And Let Die is great - I was really impressed. The breadth of talent on this project is amazing; it's great that so many people gave their time, energy and support to this initiative. I urge everyone to support War Child."
Among other tracks featured on the release are Beck's version of Dylan's Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, The Kooks' cover of Victoria by The Kinks, and a recording of Joy Division's Transmission by Hot Chip.
Singer Rufus Wainwright will record a medley of two songs from Wilson's Smile album.

The story seems to have originated here:

War Child announce an incredible new album!

“Heroes”, released by EMI’s Parlophone label on November 24, features a unique and unprecedented collaboration between the biggest names in music history and today’s hottest artists, working with a concept that mirrors one of the intrinsic aims of War Child’s worldwide efforts in war zones across the world – to place faith in the next generation..

The concept of “Heroes” is that the biggest legends in music, including Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Brian Wilson and The Clash, select one of the classic tracks from their own songwriting canon, and nominate an artist from the next generation to create a modern reworking of that classic song.

You'll have to sit tight and wait for a full track listing, but here's a little taster of what is already shaping up to be a musical tour-de-force with some of the following tracks:

DUFFY covering SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY’S “LIVE AND LET DIE”

HOT CHIP covering JOY DIVISION’S “TRANSMISSION”

BECK covering BOB DYLAN’S “LEOPARD-SKIN PILL-BOX HAT”

BRIAN WILSON nominating RUFUS WAINWRIGHT , who performs a medley of two tracks from "Smile"

THE KOOKS covering THE KINKS’ “VICTORIA”.

The album cover has been created for War Child by John Squire, who did the artwork for the legendary “Help” album, the first to be released to benefit the charity.

Featuring on the "Help" album in 1995, and on board in 2008 for "Heroes", Sir Paul McCartney spoke of his excitement for the forthecoming album saying:

"I have been supporting War Child since 1995. Their work with children in war zones saves lives and their work with those who take decisions that help them to do something about it saves even more lives. I think Duffy's version of 'Live And Let Die' is great - I was really impressed. The breadth of talent on this project is amazing; it's great that so many people gave their time, energy and support to this initiative. I urge everyone to support War Child."

Miles Leonard, MD of Parlophone said:

“Heroes (Vol 1) is the most innovative and exciting War Child album to date and therefore it was essential for me that Parlophone be involved. It is very rewarding to see so many artists giving so generously of their time for such a worthwhile cause. I’ve admired the War Child organisation for many years now so I am delighted that Parlophone has been able to lend its support”

The "Heroes" album will go towards helping War Child's work in protecting the most hard to reach children who have been hit by a combination of war, poverty and marginalisation. The importance of such a record was expressed by War Child's CEO, Mark Waddington:

“The prosecution of war on children outrages us. And War Child shares this outrage with many, many people. The generosity of the legendary and talented artists who have made this album happen is helping us to harness this outrage and do something really positive for children marginalised by war, the real heroes.”

If you want to be the first to know any War Child news, ranging from updates on the Heroes album and other music projects, to the latest actions supporting our work, simply sign up to our newsletter.

You can sign up to our newsletter here.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

20 Sep: Duffy Live@ New Pop Festival Baden-Baden

SWR3 have coverage of this German festival.

You can currently watch an interview with Duffy at this link.

Duffy performs at 11:45 German time on Saturday 20th Sept. Some of this may be covered by SWR3 radio at the time.

Duffy's set will apparently be broadcast on the evening of 27th September (at 00.35 German time) on SWR3 Late Night Extra TV Show on a channel which is available in Europe via Astra Satellite (analog and digital). Thanks to forum user "Black" for explaining that the channel is possibly called "Südwest BW" or Südwest RP". If anyone can DVD record this program please let me know!

Also, part of Duffy's set will be broadcast on SWR3 Radio (available via the internet) on 2nd October.

See this link: http://www.swr3.de/specials/newpop2008/service/radio_tv.html

EDIT - SETLIST:

Rockferry
Hanging On Too Long
Serious
Breaking My Own Heart
Warwick Avenue
Delayed Devotion
Cry To Me
Stepping Stone
Tomorrow
Mercy

I am not sure whether this was the entire setlist but it is the tracks that have been broadcast on TV and/or Radio.

Friday, September 12, 2008

12 Sep: Duffy signs autographs at SFR Studios in Paris yesterday



Details here.

12 Sept: Estelle and Duffy to go head-to-head at Mobo Awards after scoring Best Female nominations

The Daily Mail had this story (which has by now appeared in many places all over the internet).
Estelle and Duffy to go head-to-head at Mobo Awards after scoring Best Female nominations

British singers Estelle and Duffy will battle it out at this year's Music of Black Origin (Mobo) Awards after receiving nominations for Best Female.

The American Boy star has previously criticised the heavy promotion of white singers performing black music.

She has said: 'I'm not mad at them, but I'm wondering - how the hell is there not a single black person in the press singing soul?'

Estelle scored five nominations in total, including Best Album, Song, R&B/Soul and Video.

She received more nominations than X Factor star Leona Lewis, who is up for Best U.K. Female, Best Video and Best Album categories.

Londoner Estelle's career soared to new heights only after she went to the US and signed to a record label there.

Her single American Boy was a massive success and she was nominated for the Mercury Prize for the album Shine.

But Estelle lost out to Elbow, who won last night's Mercury Prize with their fourth album The Seldom Seen Kid.

This year's Mobo Awards see Dizzee Rascal up for Best Song and Hip-Hop as well as Best Male, the category he scooped last year.

International Mobo nominees include Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Mary J Blige, Ne-Yo, Usher, Akon and Alicia Keys.

Jay Sean, Taio Cruz, Wiley and Sway join Dizzee Rascal in the category of Best Male.
US acts usually dominate the R&B/Soul and Hip-Hop categories but British stars Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Estelle and Jay Sean have made inroads this year.

Mobos chief executive Kanya King said there were still 'barriers' preventing stars of British black music from reaching the top.

She said: 'Hip Hop and R&B have emerged as popular music, not just genres beloved by a minority and British artists are at the forefront.

'It's fantastic to see artists like Estelle, who Mobo championed early on, get their due.

'I'd like to call on the music industry to keep up the good work and capitalise on this. There are still barriers out there.

'Estelle had to go to America to really break through and be given her big chance. The talent is undoubtedly here, let's get behind them.'

Mel B, who last presented the Mobos in 1999, is back as host, saying: 'I am really excited to be returning as host to this year's awards ceremony.

'I have witnessed the rise of Estelle and Leona Lewis in the US, and 2008 has been an incredible year for Music of Black Origin on both sides of the Atlantic.'

The 13th annual awards will be co-hosted by Rev Run at Wembley Arena in London on October 15 and winners are voted for by the public.

Nominations for the 2008 Mobo Awards:

Best UK Female
Adele
Duffy
Estelle
Leona Lewis
MIA.

Best UK Male
Dizzee Rascal
Jay Sean
Sway
Taio Cruz
Wiley

Best UK Newcomer
Bryn Christopher
Chipmunk
DJ Ironik
Skepta
T2

Best International Act
Akon
Alicia Keys
Chris Brown
Jay Z
Kanye West
Mariah Carey
Mary J Blige
Ne-Yo
Rihanna
Usher

Best Reggae
Beenie Man
Busy Signal
Etana
Mavado
Tarrus Riley

Best Jazz
Courtney Pine
Guy Barker
Lizz Wright
Tony Kofi
YolanDa Brown

Best Gospel
Ekklesia
GreenJade
Jahaziel
Kirk Franklin
Tye Tribbett

Best African Act
9ice
Asa
D'Banj Mo Hits All Stars
Faze
Hip Hop Pantsula
Jozi
Jua Cali
Magic System
P-Square
Wahu

Best Song
American Boy - Estelle
Dance Wiv Me - Dizzee Rascal
Lollipop - Lil' Wayne
Low - Flo Rida
Wearing My Rolex - Wiley

Best R&B/Soul
Chris Brown
Estelle
Jay Sean
Ne-Yo
Usher

Best Hip Hop
Dizzee Rascal
Jay-Z
Lil' Wayne
Lupe Fiasco
Wiley

Best Video
Kidulthood To Adulthood - Bashy
American Boy - Estelle
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Stryderman - Tinchy Stryder
Heartbreaker - Will.i.am

Best Album
As I Am - Alicia Keys
Shine - Estelle
Spirit - Leona Lewis
The Carter III - Lil' Wayne
Here I Stand - Usher

Best Radio DJ
DJ 279
Ace and Invisible
Masterstepz
Rampage
Robbo Ranx
Semtex
Shortee Blitz
Steve Sutherland
Tim Westwood
Trevor Nelson

Best Club DJ
DJ EZ
Hotsteppa
Masterstepz
Rampage
Sarah Love
Scottie B
Semtex
Shortee Blitz
Steve Sutherland
Tim Westwood



12 Sept: Duffy’s family reunion in Liverpool

This article appeared in a Liverpool local paper.

Duffy’s family reunion

LOOKS like gorgeous songstress Duffy is expecting things to get a little messy when she attends the MTV European Music Awards in Liverpool.

With a couple of months still to go before music’s great and good (and hopefully a few bad, too) descend on the ECHO Arena, it seems the Welsh diva has big plans.

Nominated in just about every category – including New Act, Best Act, Most Addictive Track and Best Album – she has revealed to Mark Kaye from Juice FM that she intends to make the EMAs one big reunion party.

Mark tells Insider: “She says she can’t wait to come to Liverpool for the awards and she’s bringing the whole family.

“Her nan is 86 and still lives in Higher Bebington on the Wirral, so she’ll be there, along with Duffy’s retired dad who’s from Liverpool so it should be a real cracker.

“She was joking that it would be ‘a bunch of Scousers hitting the alcohol very hard in celebration!’”

Thursday, September 11, 2008

11 Sep: New Duffy track released by 29th Sept!

Hello People,
Today happens to be September 11th and so, before going on with the rest of my post about Duffy, I wish to offer up my thoughts and prayers to those who were affected by the Sept 11th attacks.

This is a "blog" afterall and although I try not to impose my thoughts and opinions on you guys too much (after all, you're probably only here for a bit of Duffy news) I do hope you are reminded of the tragedy, the terrorism, as well as the bravery, love and compassion shown by those heroes who saved lives that day back in 2001. Spare a moment some time in your day to be silent and remember... and thank the Lord we have such brave men and women who are/were willing to join the Forces (including the Police and Firemen who helped on that very day in New York) to fight for justice and to protect us against further attacks.



My original Post:

I am sure you will all be pleased to hear that a new Duffy track will be available for purchase very soon.

The track "Enough Love" (produced by Bernard Butler) has been speculated about for a while in the forums now, but since I never got confirmation that it was the "rejected" Bond Theme for sure I never posted about it.... People who figured it was the Bond Theme weren't so far off though because it appears to be the theme song to that other movie mentioned in connection with Duffy a while ago - How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.

The soundtrack to the movie will be released (according to amazon) on 29th September. Pre-order it at Amazon here. I have no idea whether it will be officially released as a single by Duffy. Speculations say that Duffy will release "Please Stay" as a single in October. If that's true I'd be surprised if this was released as a single aswell, but I hope so: there's always room on my iPod for more Duffy LOL

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

10 Sep: Deluxe Edition of Rockferry Album!

UPDATE: 10/10/2008
Track listing for the deluxe edition.
Disc 1
  1. Rockferry
  2. Warwick Avenue
  3. Serious
  4. Stepping Stone
  5. Syrup & Honey
  6. Hanging On Too Long
  7. Mercy
  8. Delayed Devotion
  9. I'm Scared
  10. Distant Dreamer

Disc 2

  1. Rain On Your Parade
  2. Fool For You
  3. Stop
  4. Oh Boy
  5. Please Stay
  6. Breaking My Own Heart
  7. Enough Love

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I spotted you can preorder Rockferry (Delux Edition) on Play.com right here!

It says that it will be released on 24th November 2008!

Thanks to a friend-in-the-know, who said this regarding a 2CD Deluxe Edition of Rockferry :
What's been leaked so far (information wise) is :


Save It For Your Prayers
Oh Boy
Tomorrow
Breaking My Own Heart
Put It In Perspective
Loving You

Plus 5 other tracks.. it will be two discs so if we include Frame Me and Big Flame...and the "confirmed by rumour" single "Enough Love" and Probably "Please Stay" that leaves room for one other song whose name we don't know...

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

9 Sep: Duffy Adds Montreal Date

Duffy Adds Montreal Date

09/09/2008

Duffy is pleased to announce yet another addition to her busy fall tour schedule - a show at Montreal's Metropolis on Friday 24th October.

Tickets go onsale this Thursday (September 11th) and you can get yours from the links below:

Click here to order tickets (English)

Click here to order tickets (French)

9 Sep: Last chance to vote out your least favourite Duffy song!

We're voting out our least favourite Duffy song on the album. The song with the most votes will be cast out of voting in the next round.

This way we will get to see our fave album track!

Round one will be closed very soon so if you haven't voted please do so.... We all might be disappointed when one of our very favourites gets voted out so do leave a comment and make your vote count! (My favourite track is currently facing the axe so everyone get voting please please! LOL)

Here is the link (go ahead and join the forum - we're a friendly bunch and there's lots of updated links for many of the downloads that used to be available on my blog plus many many more).

Monday, September 8, 2008

8 Sep: Duffy Interview

Listen to Duffy being interviewed on Radiocity.

It's not true that Duffy hasn't seen any cash yet from the sales of her records.... It is true that she can't dance.... She would go on a date with Guy from Coldplay.... Paul Weller wouldn't mind working with Duffy... Duffy says "never say never" regarding a collaboration with Tom Jones.... Duffy answers silly questions: Duffy's favourites are milk,George Clooney, Coco and Shoes.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

7 Sep: Vintage sound, vintage style

The below article appeared here.

Vintage sound, vintage style


It's no surprise that Duffy, the Welsh waif with the big voice, is keen on pairing her retro voice with retro fashion. For her Fashion Rocks performance of Mercy, she wore a 1950s dress she plucked from a secondhand shop in Camden, London. Some stars might spend (or borrow) thousands of dollars worth of satin and sequins for their stagewear; Duffy spent just $50. "I’ve had it for a while, and I just thought that it was so perfect." She does spend extra, however, on tailoring. "Everything I wear I have to have made to fit — otherwise, I just look like I borrowed my mum’s outfit."

Although two-thirds of Duffy's closet is vintage, "they don’t make my wardrobe smell that fantastic, I’m not going to lie to you. I’m forever buying soaps and little things to hang in my wardrobe because it gets a bit musky." She's particularly passionate about the '40s and '50s, "the cardigans with the high neck and the gorgeous cashmere." But "don’t get me wrong. I go out and get contemporary jeans and contemporary shoes."

Just as she's new to the U.S. music scene, she's new to fashion. "At the moment, I’m just kind of playing around with fashion and understanding it because I’ve never really had it so much in my life before," said Duffy, two tiny pink flowers blooming amid her Dusty Springfield hair.

Her Mercy and Warwick Avenue videos may feature a preponderance of tight shots of her doll-like face, but "wait for my next one," she said assuredly. "You’re going to get more of the lady lumps." — O.B.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

6 Sep: Duffy is N0.1 Sexiest woman in Wales.

The 50 sexiest women in Wales

From politicians to models, teenagers to OAPS, the sexiest women in Wales come in all shapes and sizes.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/videos-and-pics/gallery/

1. AIMEE DUFFY

SHE may be one of the biggest selling artists in the world right now, but Aimee Duffy – better known to her fans as just plain Duffy – is nothing if not modest.

After a polite “thank you very much” when she hears that she’s been named this year’s sexiest woman in Wales, she laughs and says it’s “the most ironic of ironies”.

“It’s bizarre, getting this, coming at this point where I don’t particularly feel sexy. Or maybe I do feel sexy because I’m happy in who I am but I don't feel gorgeous or anything.

“I was quite an unattractive child,” she admits.“At school I remember a boy told me I was ugly and I cried! “Maybe I was one of those swans or something.”

She doesn’t sound convinced.

“It’s really hard, we’ve just been doing a fashion day today so you’re talking to a woman who’s been spending the whole day thinking about her body.

“I’m quite short, I’m five foot two and a bit – people are surprised when they meet me that I’m shorter than they expected – and I’m quite… voluptuous.

“I’m like a figure of eight, is how I put it. I can’t just follow the latest trends, I have to alter things to my size and shape.”

Having sold more than three million of her debut album Rockferry, which launched her onto the scene just six months ago and went into the charts at number one, Bangor-born Duffy has become a household name.

But this is no ego-driven diva. Duffy’s reputation for being unaffected and naturally charming are not without foundation, and she’s refreshingly open about her own occasional lack of confidence.

“The one moment where I struggle with the way that I look and who I am is when you hand your happiness over to someone else,” she says.

“When you find a lover or a boyfriend it’s got to be the right person because if it’s not then that’s going to eat away at you. When you’re strong and happy with yourself, if someone comes in and shakes that up it can be tricky. It’s something I’ve experienced for myself in my teens and up to now.”

It’s not difficult to believe, having listened to some of the heart-rending lyrics on her debut album, many of which deal with love turned bad. So has getting hurt put her off romance for good?

“For me it’s quite different because I’m 24 and in this unusual position – it’s not every day that you become famous, for want of a better word.

“It’s so hard for me at the moment to actually find a bloke who doesn’t feel…” she trails off, unsure of how to finish the sentiment, before changing course slightly.

“I’m still human, if I go on a date the best comment I can get is ‘You look lovely’ and I think ‘Lovely? I took three hours getting ready, I want better than lovely!’”

Despite all this, Duffy insists that being sexy is about much more than looks.

“I think it’s about being happy in your own skin, it’s about being truly content with yourself and being able to smile through. I don’t think it’s about how you look really. It’s finding that happiness in yourself. When you finally get there you realise that you don’t need a lover or a best friend to tell you that you look great.

“It’s not about fitting into a pair of skinny jeans if they’re not meant to fit you. It’s about knowing yourself and your body. I heard a saying once that if you concentrate on your looks, one day you’re going to be very disappointed because age and gravity will get the better of you.

“For me someone’s face and the way they dress and their physique is just a mask. It’s more important what’s going on inside them.”

Asking whether she knows what makes her sexy provokes a burst of laughter. “God no, I don’t even know if I am. I walk around quite oblivious really,” she says.

“Personally I think Shirley Bassey should win – anybody who can look that good in a pair of diamante wellies is at the top of my list!”

Friday, September 5, 2008

5 Sep: Duffy Live@ "Fashion Rocks", New York

This event was broadcast on CBS (US TV channel) on 9th September and recorded on 5th Sept.

Duffy performed Mercy and it is available in HD below:

Mercy@ Fashion Rocks 5th Sept (aired 9th Sept)


96MB on Rapid:

DOWNLOAD



HQ Pics of Duffy at Fashion Rocks!



The rest aren't HQ....


Afterparty, HQ pics:


Thursday, September 4, 2008

Sep 04: Duffy on the cover of WWD


The 4th September edition of Women's Wear Daily has Duffy on the cover (wearing a silk minidress by Charlotte Ronson), an article and new photos. Click the photos for larger images.

SOUL SEARCHER
by Nina Jones

A pixie with a serious set of pipes, the Welsh singer-songwriter Duffy will put her feminine brand of soul into Friday’s fifth annual Fashion Rocks concert, to be held at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.

In her native Britain, Welsh-born singer Duffy is fast becoming known for bringing a soulful, retro sound loaded with impassioned, lovelorn lyrics to the country’s music scene.

When she released her Northern Soul-inflected single “Mercy” — a fusion of horns, strings and tinkling percussion — in February, that single and her subsequent album, “Rockferry,” shot to the top of the U.K.’s music charts. “Rockferry” later hit number four on the U.S. Billboard chart.

But unlike some of her fellow Brit chanteuses, she seems to have checked any accompanying diva antics and personal dramas at the door. She even takes the grueling pace of touring across Europe, the U.S. and the U.K. over the past few months in stride. “It’s kind of grounding, you know?” says the singer in her melodic Welsh lilt. “To be able to actually focus on the music five days a week is really refreshing and really important, it reminds me what all this is about.”

Not that it’s all work and no play on tour. “I like to have a glass of wine — the occasional sort of letting loose,” she says with a laugh. “[Or] a couple of pints of Guinness — if I can find Guinness — always does the job.”

During her recent U.S. tour, she clocked gigs at Lollapalooza and the All Points West festival in New Jersey, providing her with a whistle-stop tour of the country. “It was hard work because I’m not used to traveling eight hours from one place to another, but I got to see a lot of America,” she says. “I found the people in Philadelphia to be amazing. It was unbelievable, just totally having a great time, everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs, singing along.”

And appropriately for an artist who’s made an equally strong statement with her blonde, back-combed hair and monochrome duds, the singer will round off her U.S. tour experience by playing Fashion Rocks. Duffy won’t yet reveal which of her numbers she’ll unleash on the audience. “I’m doing one track, but we don’t know what we’re going to do yet, it’s not set in stone,“ she says.

And while the singer’s style and sound — along with her moniker, which she takes from her surname — have led to comparisons with one of Britain’s most famous soul exports, Dusty Springfield, Duffy insists that her image is all her own. “I know what I do and do not like. I don’t think clothes should define you, I think they should just enhance your character. I sort of apply that rule to what I do,” she says. “I’ve always loved...vintage, I’m really into the Forties and Fifties, that’s my favorite era, so stylish and cut really well, and it’s kind of very feminine.”

For the singer’s Fashion Rocks performance, she’ll appear as a brand ambassador for Nivea, for which she’s appeared in a series of print ads to mark the concert. Later, some of her tracks will also appear in Nivea television spots.

And belying her thus-far brief moment in the spotlight, she says she’s already au fait with the mugging for the camera that being a spokeswoman demands. “In the beginning, there’s a part of you that thinks, ‘This wasn’t what I thought it was all about,’ you know, but [now] I think that it’s just good fun,” she says. “At the beginning, I used to be really afraid of the camera, but I think what I just realized is that it’s the eyes of the public, just a way of people getting to see me. It wasn’t as though anyone had a gun to my head — [though] you would have thought that at the beginning, that’s how scared I was.”

But despite notching up a beauty campaign relatively early on in her career, she doesn’t plan to roll out her own clothing or cosmetics line just yet. “I would never say never, because you never know, if it was for a good cause,” she says. “But right now I’ve got my hands full, I’m really enjoying the music part of it, I’m not really thinking about branching off or anything. I just feel as though I’m at Day One with everything, really.”


4 Sep: Rockferry was made on a Shoestring!

Daily Star Article

4 Sep: Duffy on Saturday Night Live Sept 27th!

Thanks to Texas Tom for this info:

THIS JUST IN .... (from Universal Records promo man in Houston)



DUFFY IS CONFIRMED FOR Saturday Night Live, in New York City - SEPT 27th



PERFORMING "MERCY" AND "WARWICK AVENUE"

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

3 Sep: Duffy shops sort of like a rock star

This AP article has shown up on several websites, including the Seattle Times.

Duffy shops sort of like a rock star

Welsh singer Duffy might have a gold album in "Rockferry," but she still keeps track of her pennies. In Manhattan to prepare her upcoming...

By Samantha Critchell The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Welsh singer Duffy might have a gold album in "Rockferry," but she still keeps track of her pennies.

In Manhattan to prepare her upcoming appearance on "Fashion Rocks," a style-themed, star-studded concert linked to New York Fashion Week, Duffy carves time for a little shopping spree at the upscale Barneys New York store on Madison Avenue. One glimpse at a sleek and chic $2,000 Valextra handbag sends her running in the other direction.

But now that she's enjoying a bit of celebrity, she needs outfits for performances, the red carpet and her rare days of down time. Those down days are the hardest to dress for now, she says, because she wants to be comfortable and relaxed, but there is the chance someone — even a photographer — might recognize her.

Duffy, born Aimee Anne Duffy, is actually hard to miss. She's got a petite frame, full lips and big blond hair. She's got a big soulful voice, too, but as she walks around the store she is almost timid.

"They've got nice things in here, huh?" she says.

The mission was to buy at least one thing for each compartment of her life: Duffy on the go, Duffy the rock star and Duffy at home.

Duffy makes a beeline for Roberta Di Camerino's vintage hard-frame bags. They complement the singer's affinity for 1960s style, but they're too big for everyday — on this day she's got a tiny pouch purse containing only her wallet, phone, hotel room key and a Nivea cherry lipstain (she stars in their ad campaign).

She then spots a red-gold-and-white, hand-woven cosmetics case by Maria la Rosa. She remembers that a red nail polish exploded in one of her bags coming from London to New York — justifying the expense.

She wonders aloud if there is a similar, bigger bag that she could use to keep the makeup for her shows. Presto, a full-size $155 bag — albeit in blue and white — appears. She's usually a sucker for a matching set but she likes them so much, she'll let it slide.

"I shop like a man. I see something, I buy it. I don't dwell on it."

That takes care of traveling Duffy.

On the weekends, Duffy says she wears a lot of hats. It's part of that funky Brit inside of her, she explains. She tries on a red cloche — calling it "an option" — then tries a red fedora with a cutout in the wool for ponytails. "Genius," she declares.

But will she be home often enough to wear yet another hat, adding to those she already has? Maybe not. "I feel like I've been hoarding things. I now have to do a clear-out of my closet every month."

Now a hair accessory, that's something that doesn't take up a lot of room. She likes the tweed headbands; those made with this season's trendy feathers aren't for Duffy. She likes a red hair clip, decorated with an antique-style jewel, best of all.

Duffy doesn't have a stylist. She makes all her wardrobe choices, even for the red carpet. She'll often buy a vintage dress and then chop off the bottom and turn it into a mini. "My mom won't be pleased I said that," she says with a laugh.

That means, though, that she doesn't spend that much on her dresses. Jewelry could be another story.

Some Ileana Makri diamond stud earrings catch her eye. After putting them on, she takes a pass because they're too conservative. A pink diamond ring is not.

"This would be perfect for a special occasion. It's dainty but sweet and sparkly."

If she were going to splurge, she's sure she'd do it on the ring, but $2,000 is still a lot of money, she says. "I have to ease myself into something that expensive."

3 Sep: Duffy on MTV Live Sessions


Duffy On MTV’S Spanking New Sessions

03/09/2008

You can now see Duffy performing a five track live session from her debut album 'Rockferry', Courtesy of MTV.co.uk.

The tracks performed are: 'Mercy', 'Serious', 'Syrup and Honey', 'Warwick Avenue', and brand new single 'Stepping Stone'.

Click here to see Duffy performing in the sumptuous surroundings of MTV.

Enjoy!











Tuesday, September 2, 2008

2 Sep: DUFFY LIVE ON Q102.com

DUFFY LIVE ON Q102.com - Can you cap the vids?

I came across this a few days ago but I was wondering if there was anyone out there who has a powerful PC who can capture the videos or if not at least capture the audio.

SETLIST:
Stepping Stone
Warwick Avenue
Mercy
Watch here.