30 Apr: 3 MOJO Nominations for Duffy!

Duffy has received 3 nominations in this year's MOJO awards.

Loads of papers reporting on this... The Daily Star has the headline "Duffy's Up For a Threesome", but I suppose we couldn't have expected more from them. LOL. Image of their paper version is below (click for a larger image) - anyone know where this pic of Duffy is from?


Popsugar have a photo of Duffy from Coachella. The Mirror mention it. The BBC mention it.... Anymore good articlse with photos people?

Metro's article is pasted below (their photo below is of Duffy on Jay Leno)

Duffy has her triple Mojo on

Newcomer Duffy has received three nominations in this year's Mojo Honours List, more than any other artist.

Alex Turner's band the Arctic Monkeys have two - and his project The Last Shadow Puppets have received another two nominations.

Welsh soul singer Duffy has been nominated in the Breakthrough Act category, while her album Rockferry is up for Best Album.

Her smash hit Mercy is also up for Mojo Song of the Year.

The Mojo Honours List will take place in London on June 16.

Here are the nominations:

The Mojo Song of the Year:
LCD Soundsystem: All My Friends
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds: Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!
The Last Shadow Puppets: The Age Of The Understatement
Richard Hawley: Tonight the Streets Are Ours
Duffy: Mercy

The Mojo Best Album:
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds: Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!
Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare
Radiohead: In Rainbows
Duffy: Rockferry
Robert Plant And Alison Krauss: Raising Sand

The Mojo Compilation of the Year:
Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan (Ace)
The Very Best of Ethiopiques: Hypnotic Grooves from the Legendary Series (Buda/Manteca)
Cries From The Midnight Circus: The Ladbroke Grove Scene 1968 - 1971 (Sanctuary/Universal)
From the Motion Picture Control (Warners)
Juno OST (Warners)

The Mojo Best Live Act:
Arctic Monkeys
Rufus Wainwright
Seasick Steve
Led Zeppelin
Neil Young

The Mojo Breakthrough Act:
Duffy
Foals
Pete Molinari
The Last Shadow Puppets
Bon Iver

[End Article]

The Times has this article (pasted below):

To some, Duffy is a purveyor of plastic soul but the Welsh newcomer has received critical approval with three nominations for the Mojo magazine awards.

She competes with Led Zeppelin, Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys at the awards staged by the magazine read by serious “musos” and stadium-filling artists.

Duffy, 23, who was initially compared to Dusty Springfield, has sold 700,000 copies of her debut album Rockferry inside two months. Her Sixties soul-influenced No 1 single Mercy is shaping up to be the year's top-selling download. Critics were split between those who hailed Rockferry as an inventive recreation of classic R&B and others who found a lack of depth in Duffy's vocals and lyrics.

30 Apr: Duffy Featured in Spanish Mag

Thanks to Rebeca who emailed me these scans of an article in Metropoli (the mag with El Mundo newspaper. The date on this is 11th April. Click the photos to see huge images.

29 Apr: Duffy bans family from gigs... apparently

This was mentioned in several places on the web today... The Metro offering is pasted below (as if their pic of Duffy from Coachella). Does anyone have the original New! magazine this appeared in? Does it have any pics? ;-)

Duffy bans family from gigs?

It seems Duffy's family are not allowed to watch the singer when she plays in public.

The Welsh star, whose real name is Aimee Duffy, told New! magazine that she hadn't invited her family to see her landmark gig support Paul Weller at the Royal Festival Hall, and liked to keep them "away" from her music.

"I didn't invite any of my family and there's a part of me that thinks maybe I should have," she told the magazine.

"I have never really included friends and family. I like to keep them away from my music. I have never been much of a home bird," she admitted. "I just call them up all the time and try to see them when I can, but I can't say that I am pining for them because I still have lots I've got to do."

But the soul singer, who has reached No 1 in both the single and album charts with Mercy and Rockferry respectively, said she was keeping her family away out of shyness.

"I have a lot I need to learn before I can present myself to them and I need to get a little more confident."

In spite of her success, the singer insisted that she was staying true to her musician roots and wouldn't be swayed by fame.

"You don't really feel any different. Your world changes around you, but inside you still want the same things: to sing and make music."

29 Apr: Duffy on Jay Leno Tonight Show

Duffy performed Mercy on the Jay Leno show last night.

29 Apr: Duffy in Dutch Newspaper Algemeen Dagblad

Duffy is mentioned in today's Dutch newspaper 'Algemeen Dagblad'. She is compared (yet again) to Adele and Amy Winehouse... still at least the provided a couple of pics from Duffy's show at the Coachella Festival - I don't think the other photos on my blog show the full extent of Duffy's little Goldfrapp style dress....

Anyway. The full newspaper article is below, along with the main photo. (Click on them to see larger image.)




I put the text from the article through google translate and the result is below... my fave quote is:
Duffy, Adele and Winehouse are rather on the type of girl next door: fun, but not the big breasts and raised lips.

Google translate result below:

The souldiva are back
By ANTON SLOTBOOM

Duffy, Adele, Amy Winehouse: women dominate the charts with nostalgic soulsongs, inspired by Motown and the sixties. Men seem to stand in their shadow, but behind the scenes is the boss.
enlarge image Adele, Amy winehouse and Duffy. PICTURES EPA / AP
The blonde Duffy, the wereldster Amy Winehouse, Adele with her beautiful voice: these ladies are top of British charts around the world. In times where CDs sell increasingly worse, these ladies scored remarkable.

The big new star is Duffy. Aimee Anne Duffy from Wales, 23 years pass, the last few years was prepared for the great work. In March its debut finally appeared: a strong first album, though she sometimes hes voice of Amy Winehouse itself barely distinguishable.

Adele from London with haar19 year younger. The singer living with her mother recently gave the album 19. Adele is compared with the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. That they would be a star, it was not hard to predict: Adele Atkins sat on school with the equally successful singers Katie Melua, Kate Nash and Leona Lewis.

Duffy and Adele are already gekscherend The New Amy's, the troonopvolgsters of Amy Winehouse, himself only 24. The three ladies are strongly influenced by major artists from the past: Ella Fitzgerald, Dusty Springfield, Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday, Etta James. Both the album Winehouse as that of Duffy also refers explicitly to the Motown record label and the 60s.

Although the ladies in the spotlight, his men behind the scenes is the boss. The brain behind the retro-trend is the British producer Mark Ronson (32). He determined the course of the last album by Amy Winehouse, Back to Black. He scored a hit with the Winehouse sung by Valerie, a cover of the famous rock group The Zutons England. The Netherlands was in a 1-hit song, the first world who just download. Ronson also worked with Adele and another singer who scored gold: Lilly Allen.

Duffy knows also supported by men. The big man behind her success is producer Bernard Butler (38), guitarist of the rock band Suede lifted. The singer appeared years ago on a talent in Wales is still a shy teenager, but now she is a little vamp. On July 2 shall Duffy in Paradiso in Amsterdam: the concert was sold out within the shortest times.

After the generation of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, just as famous for their appearance and because their musical talent, is the new generation of stars much more accessible. Duffy, Adele and Winehouse are rather on the type of girl next door: fun, but not the big breasts and raised lips. They sell themselves even if sekssymbool. The regular stature of Adele is vexed, but she's not open and uncertain.

The platenbazen of Duffy and Adele therefore need not worry. Their employees are a lot braver than Amy Winehouse. Hardop they will not say, but Duffy and Adele seem to be happy in her footsteps.

Addicted or not, Amy Winehouse does not win. She takes in the footsteps of Shirley Bassey, with producer Mark Ronson on the title track for the new James Bond: Quantum of Solace. Moreover, her album Back to Black, a rousing ode to the soulgeluid of Motown and the sixties of the last century, the world still high in the charts. Duffy and Adele can not touching.
[End Article]

Hmmm... yet another article lumping Duffy with Winehouse and Adele. I don't think Duffy is "happy" in Winehouse's footsteps.... she said in that P3 Live Swedish Radio Session that she didn't like the label "retro". Duffy is Duffy and she would be successful regardless of Amy Winehouse IMO.

29 Apr: Mystery Duffy Sessions - help?

This is a short little snippet, but it features clips from a Duffy session.

I wondered if anyone knew:

• when was this aired?
• what channel was it on? (looks like France2?)
• is there another source of this on the web - i.e. on the France2 website? (I had a look but I can't speak French and I didn't find anything)
• is this the 25/04 slot as mentioned last month on the French version of the original Duffy site? Or are the clips from that showing?
• does anyone have (or know if they aired) the actual sessions that these clips were taken from?
  

29 Apr: German venues Upgraded again.

This message appeared on the official Duffy site today:

German Dates Upgraded Again!

29/04/2008

The demand for Duffy's shows in Cologne and Berlin has been so overwhelming that the venues have been upgraded once again.

To accommodate all her German fans, Duffy's show in Cologne will now take place at the larger Palladium venue and the Berlin show will move to the Postbahnhof Gleishalle.

The dates for the shows remain the same and all original tickets are still valid.

We look forward to seeing you at what promises to be two fantastic live shows:

9th June - Cologne, Palladium (Upgraded from the E-werk)
10th June - Berlin, Postbahnhof Gleishalle (Upgraded from the smaller Postbahnhof)

If you haven't got your tickets yet - you can buy them here.

28 Apr: Duffy covers 'Tainted Love' on Jools Holland Radio show.

Jools Holland Radio show aired on BBC Radio 2 on 28th April 2008.

Duffy covered 'Tainted Love' in this radio show.

MP3s. The music played on the show has been cut out, so just the interview parts from the show, plus Tainted Love.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/exu2d1
http://www.sendspace.com/file/pxfvls
http://www.sendspace.com/file/4ihg16
http://www.sendspace.com/file/osrqp4
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jd45ja (part 5 is Tainted Love)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/lkt2rb
http://www.sendspace.com/file/9y7h70

The entire show is avalable to listen again (for a few days) here.

28 Apr: Duffy Live @ KDND 107.9 The End (Radio)

Looks like 107.9 (The End Studios) is Californian radio (Sacramento). And here is the video of Duffy (with Tom and Jon) doing an acoustic version of Mercy.... yes I know we have seen loads of these acoustic versions of Mercy (and aren't they just great?!) but after Mercy they do an acoustic version of STEPPING STONE. Never heard that before... and it sounds great! :-)


Did anyone catch anymore of this radio show? I assume they interviewed Duffy? Anymore live songs?

28 Apr: Duffy on JAY LENO TONIGHT

11:35 (NBC) The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: Actress Helen Hunt; musician Duffy. (N)

28 Apr: Duffy to appear at Virgin Festival (Baltimore)

The line up for the Virgin Mobile Festival is Baltimore (US) in available and Duffy will be appearing that on Saturday 9th August.

27 Apr: 4Music Presents... Duffy

TV programme called "4Music Presents... Duffy"

This was aired today at 2:50pm (Channel 4, UK). Unfortunately it is NOT available on 4 on Demand (they only have select programmes available 'on demand' and this isn't one of them).

However, it is repeated on Monday 5th May on ch4 (11:40pm) and on S4C (6:25pm) so watch out for that.... Or you can catch it below from youtube.

Duffy sings live (no idea when this was recorded) and does 2 spots of interview. Setlist below:

Mercy
Interview
Serious
[ad break]
Warwick Avenue
Interview
Stepping Stone

From the interviews we find out that from September 2008 Duffy is heading over to tour in Japan and Australia. She wants to have kids, fall in love and have a "normal" life, although she wants to do her music as long as she can.... She was asked if she'd like to do a Bond Theme (what with current rumours about Winehouse doing the next one, and the interviewer commented that there is a Welsh heritage there, i.e. Shirley and Tom). Duffy said she'd love to do a Bond Theme.

No one asked her if she'd love to do Eurovision, although I suspect she wouldn't be as enthusiastic for that one, or maybe her promoters wouldn't, anyway. LOL

Now available from youtube below:

26 Apr: Duffy in Italian Newspaper Libero

Duffy's world domination continues. :-) This is from an Italian Newspaper (Libero) Click the photo for larger, readable text (if you read Italian that is).

26 Apr: Duffy on Radio 2 on Monday

Duffy will be on Jools Holland - BBC Radio 2. 10.30pm - 11.30pm Monday 28th April.
Duffy joins Jools and the band for a cover of Tainted Love.
Check the listen again at this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/holland/ontheshow.shtml

25 Apr: Duffy Live on Radio Alice, San Francisco

Duffy performs a live acoustic version of Mercy on Radio Alice today!






EDIT 29th April: As if to upstage 'The End Studio's acoustic version of Stepping Stone, Radio Alice added there version of it to their website today. (vid below)

24 Apr: Duffy Treat for New Yorkers

This notice appeared on the Duffy website:

New York Instore Performance

24/04/2008

On Tuesday 13th May Duffy will be dropping into the Union Square Virgin Megastore in New York for an acoustic performance and signing session.

You can get wristband passes to this unique event by purchasing Duffy's debut album 'Rockferry' at the Union Square branch of Virgin from midnight on Monday 12th May.

The instore action kicks off at 8pm - don't be late!

Click here for more information.

24 Apr: Duffy still on Top in European Charts

Duffy's 'Rockferry' solid at No. 1 in Europe

Duffy starts a second week at No. 1 on the European Top 100 Albums with "Rockferry." But its hit, "Mercy," is usurped at the top of the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles by Madonna's "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake.

"Rockferry" is down 1-4 in the United Kingdom, 1-2 in Switzerland, 3-4 in Ireland, 4-5 in Denmark and 6-7 in Italy, but counters that by debuting at No. 1 in Sweden and holding at No. 1 in Greece. It's also up 17-2 in Spain, 4-2 in Norway and Finland and 4-3 in Austria, and is steady at No. 2 in France, and No. 3 in Germany and Portugal.

24 Apr: Duffy - The sound of the hour

This article is in German. The google-translated version is here.

24 Apr: Slovakian Newspaper Article

Duffy's international coverage has no limits it seems! Here is an article from today's SME newspaper (Slovakia). Click on the photo for a much larger image!

23 Apr: Warwick Avenue Promo NEW DUFFY PIC

I found this new photo we haven't seen before.... Click for larger image.
(EDIT:Larger version below added 29/04/08 - thanks BG!)

23 Apr: WARWICK AVENUE VIDEO PREMIERES

I can't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have just watched the video premiere of Warwick Avenue at 5 past midnight just now....

All the stuff we saw of the video before, all the balloons, red socks, walking down the road in Merrick Square in London..... all of it has gone and is not in the video at all!!!!!!!!!! Not even a hint!

The ENTIRE video is a close up on Duffy's face as she sings along to Warwick Avenue and cries - looks like she's in the back of a cab coming abck from the Warwick Avenue tube station. Her mascara runs and that is it..... the entire video.

I couldn't believe it. I was gobsmacked. I was expecting a class video like the photos we saw of glittery balloons and Duffy walking around in the grandma coat and red socks but NONE of it was in whatsoever!

I'm amazed.

And for those of you who didn't see all the photos and video of Duffy filming for the Warwick Avenue video then check it here:

http://aimeeduffy.blogspot.com/2008/04/2-apr-more-photos-from-warwick-avenue.html

http://aimeeduffy.blogspot.com/2008/04/1-apr-duffy-gets-upset-filing-warwick.html

22 Apr: Duffy's Fave Movies....

Got this news off the German Official Duffy Website. I put it through google translate and the result is pasted below:

Recently, we had Duffys favorite records. What DVDs, but are very forward on the shelves of the new Soulwunders? Sun sees its Top Ten:

Breakfast at Tiffany's ( "My absolute favorite!")
Doctor Zhivago ( "One of the most beautiful classics!")
Goodfellas ( "Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro - we must not have much to say. In the bloody scenes that I have always keep shut their eyes!")
True Romance ( "Love at first sight, always a nice thought!")
Love Story ( "It can be beautiful howl ...")
Napoleon Dynamite ( "So funny.")
Pulp Fiction ( "A great flick!")
Frankie & Johnny ( "A classic!")
Lolita. 1962 ( "Plays on your mind, wrong or right, this film is gorgeous")
The Notebook ( "This film is a typical woman's film, and I love him. History is moving, you have a heart of stone, if not at the end will break out in tears.")

For your reference here is the German websites previous post from 14th (also put through google translate):

Now you get the opportunity to do more to learn from Duffy.
The Soul asterisk that gave us a list of his ten favorite films and plates. Here's Part 1 - Duffys favorite records:

Richard Hawley - "Lady's Bridge" ( "This record is simply gorgeous!")
Otis Redding - "Dock of the bay" ( "For me, he was the greatest singer of all time")
Joy Division - "Closer" Collector's Edition ( 'Love will tear us apart' ... on this collection, there is an amazing live version of the song! ")
Percy Sledge - "When a man loves a woman". ( "What a devotion. You can feel his emotions, which he expresses immediately.")
Shelby Lynne - "I am Shelby Lynne" ( "A wonderful voice. Plate I recommend this often. Comes to me, as they would not know a lot - it is so wonderful.")
Marvin Gaye - "What's going on" ( "simply brilliant!")
Scott Walker - "Classics and Collectibles" ( "A reflection of his amazing work.")
Dave Godin's deep soul treasures - Volumes 1, 2.3 "(" One of my best discoveries ")
Bettye Swann - "Bettye Swann" ( "The Treasure of the Lost Soul Music.")
MGMT-"Oracular Spectacular" ( "Unbelievable!")

22 Apr: DUFFY - DUFFY RECLAIMS TITLE ATOP EUROPEAN CHARTS

This article appeared just now. Pasted in below.

DUFFY - DUFFY RECLAIMS TITLE ATOP EUROPEAN CHARTS
Welsh singer DUFFY has been crowned the new queen of Europe - her song MERCY is the continent's number one single and her album ROCKFERRY is the most popular LP.
Duffy's single replaced pop star Leona Lewis' massive hit Bleeding Love in pole position to score a second non-consecutive week at the top. She originally reached number one with Mercy at the end of March (08).
Madonna's collaboration with Justin Timberlake, 4 Minutes, is at number two and Mariah Carey's Touch My Body is in third place.
Flo Rida's club anthem Low slips one place to four, and Lewis drops to five.
Meanwhile, Duffy's Rockferry has knocked the new R.E.M. release Accelerate from the top of the European albums chart into number two, while Amy Winehouse's Back To Black slips to number three.

22 Apr: Official confirmation of Warwick Avenue....

The below message appeared today on the official Duffy website, mentioning the premiere of the Warwick Avenue video on channel 4 tonight. (I posted about this a couple of days ago - there's also a spot on ch4 on Sunday afternoon...)

Also a (currently non-clickable) advert for the Warwick Avenue single has gone up on Duffy's myspace. Looks like the artwork is the same as on the Warwick Avenue promo CD.

Official message pasted below:

'Warwick Avenue' Video Premiere

22/04/2008

Tune into Channel 4 at 00:05 tonight to catch the exclusive, first ever screening of the brand new video for Duffy's next single 'Warwick Avenue'.

If you can't stay up that late catch it again over breakfast on Channel 4's Freshly Squeezed at 7am tomorrow morning (Wednesday 23rd April).

You can also watch the video anytime you like on this website from tomorrow (Wednesday 23rd April).

'Warwick Avenue' is released on Monday 26th May on CD and 7" vinyl.

The tracklisting details are:

CD
1. Warwick Avenue
2. Put It In Perspective

7" vinyl
A. Warwick Avenue
B. Loving You

Stay tuned for pre-order links coming soon...

21 Apr: Duffy's album straight to NO.1 in Sweden!

This is from today's Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. Note the chart positions at the bottom of the page! Rockferry is number one.
The photos are very large (especially the bottom two photos) - click on them for larger images.

19 Apr: Duffy sings Mrcy on Scalo76 Italian Show

This show (filmed on 12th April) was aired today (19th April). There are some great pics that were taken on filming day at this link. (Just click on the photos for larger images.)

Video of Mercy is below followed by interview.

19 Apr: Wanna See the WARWICK AVENUE VIDEO?

Of course you do.... So UK viewers can tune it to see it on Channel 4 on the evening of Tuesday 22nd April at 5 past midnight:

4 Music: Duffy: Video Exclusive

Channel:

Channel 4

Air date:

Wed, Apr 23 2008 - 00:05

Description:

Exclusive showing of the video for Warwick Avenue, the new single by Duffy taken from her album Rockferry

Don't miss it.... anyone have a DVD recorder and can get this for me, please let me know. :-)

We also get this next Sunday afternoon:

T4: 4Music Presents... Duffy

Channel:

Channel 4

Air date:

Sun, Apr 27 2008 - 14:50

Description:

The singing sensation from Nefyn in Wales, whose first exposure to music was via an old Ready Steady Go video, gives an exclusive performance and chats about life after the release of her critically-acclaimed album, Rockferry

19 Apr: Acoustic 'Mercy' on German Talkshow last night.

Duffy was on a German Talkshow (Radio Bremen on ARD, a German Public Broadcast Channel) last night (Friday 18th April). The performance was an acoustic version of 'Mercy' and then Duffy was presented with a golden record for 100,000 sales so far in Germany. Video is below.

18 Apr: Duffy featured in Swedish Newspapers Dagens Nyheter & Goteborgs Posten

The above two photos are from this article. They are VERY large. Click on the photos to see the larger images!!!

Duffy was featured in Dagens Nyheter, which is a Swedish newspaper. It was Friday's 18th April 2008 edition. Images of the article are below. Click on the photos to see much larger images which are readable (if you read Swedish anyway....)



There is also the below article from today's Goteborgs Posten newspaper:


The below photo isr eally big. Click on the photo to see the larger image:

18 Apr: Duffy Interview (NRJ energy.de)

This interview includes clips from that great acoustic version of Mercy on this previous post....

18 Apr: Clash Magazine Podcast with Duffy Interview

At last... I thought it would never come out. You may recall that Duffy featured in the May 08 issue 26 of Clash music mag.

The magazine mentions the podcast. You can get the podcast free via iTunes, but there is this better link which opens the file via quicktime directly in my browser (works for me anyway) and you get a flash of photos throughout.....

18 Apr: B-side on Warwick Avenue is.....

"Loving You" on vinyl
"Put It In Perspective! on CD

If you want the vinyl there's this ebay item.... this is quite cheap but please note that they aren't sending it until the release date of May 26th.

18 Apr: US fans don't miss this....

OK so we knew about Jay Leno (to be aired on 28th April) but now this from an NME article:

The Welsh singer will perform at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem on May 12 as part of her promotional tour which will see her appear on Live With Regis & Kelly, Late Night With Conan O’Brien and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Please someone get these in your diary and then on youtube. :-)

Also Duffy is appearing on the London Live show (MOJO) 25th-28th April. Details here.

Again can someone grab these and put them on youtube please? Please leave a comment if you can do it as I am in England and can't see these shows. :-(

18 Apr: Interview Five News

That Steve Hargrave gets about a bit LOL. Below is a video of his Sky News interview which popped up on Five News. Thanks Fred for letting me know. :-)

18 Apr: Sky News Duffy Interview

The below article appeared today on Sky News. "Debut single" is obviously wrong (unless Rockferry went to number one and I missed it). You would have thought they could have checked the details....... although I suppose since Rockferry was never released on CD maybe that is what they mean......

Judging from all the chatter over these...
a) Tescos announcing they are setting up a digital music shop by the end of the year (DRM free), but some people think this is a dumb idea because CDs is where the real money is...
and
b) Starbucks giving away free downloads of top tunes and vids (including Duffy's music)

...everyone is saying that DRM digital music is on it's way out and that since digital music has always been a drop in the ocean compared with sales of physical releases.

So then, maybe Sky News is on top of things in ignoring Duffy's Rockferry single, which was only released on download and vinyl...... then again maybe they are just bozos for getting it wrong.
LOL
Good job I can type quick or I'd be here all day rambling on with my nonsense... ;-) Article pasted below.

Duffy Speaks On Her Rise To Stardom
Steve Hargrave
Sky News showbiz correspondent
Updated:07:25, Friday April 18, 2008


You don't get many pop stars squeezing you in for a quick interview when they're meant to be knee-deep in rehearsals for the biggest gig of their career so far.

But then you don't get too many interviewees like Duffy.

The Welsh sensation is riding high in the album charts at number one, with her debut single having only just dropped off top spot in the singles chart.

The 23-year-old has had a phenomenal rise to the top in such a short space of time that it's a wonder she isn't slightly more confident about her success.

But it's good to see when we meet at the Royal Albert Hall she's remarkably modest about the fact that her album has just sold more than a million copies in a month across the world. Success hasn't tainted her charm.

"It's really weird," she tells me. "I'm in this adjustment stage right now, and I think I'll only take it in when I'm 50 and I look back over something and think 'Wow, that was crazy'.

"I keep making music but I don't know how long they'll be a demand for what I do, but I'm just enjoying what I do right now."

I'm hearing all this through some slightly battered ears. As we speak, her drummer is taking the opportunity to do his sound check behind us. The banging of the snare drum is throbbing through my head. But Duffy takes pity, and tries to shut her band up for a few minutes to accommodate our interview.

"Rusty, can you keep it down?" she shouts over to the stage, but sadly to no avail. They have a time schedule to keep to, which means the rest of our interview will be interjected with bangs and crashes.

"OK," she apologises, "I can't sabotage my music. I'm sorry about the noise!"

A lot of people have labelled Duffy the next Amy Winehouse, minus the drug problems, but the singer herself says she's very much her own person.

"We've had some great women in the British music scene," she says. "I've not ever met the majority of these people though. It's strange in a way. I think we're all kind of individual."

Duffy - real name Aimee Anne Duffy - rose to success thanks to the help of Bernard Butler, the former guitarist from Britpop stars Suede.

He produced the album Rockferry, which spawned the number one Mercy. She's been battling hard to make a name for herself for years. She even entered the Welsh equivalent of X-Factor, although it was a very low-key affair compared to the UK version.

"I think you've got to make a lot of mistakes in anything, you know, it's the same with music," she says. "I don't look in the past you know, I look forwards."

Her next single will be Warwick Avenue, a slow-burning, charming ballad from Rockferry that looks set to send her back toward the top end of the charts.

She's also just about to launch the album in the States, where industry bosses are already tipping her to be the next big UK act to break through.

But don't think she's ever going to forget those humble Welsh roots. "I think nine times out of 10 if you come from Wales you kind of carry it with you," she explains with a smile.

"It's not a big country you know, we have a language and a community and Welsh cakes - how cool is that we have cakes that are Welsh!"

17 Apr: Rockferry Album Review (New Zealand paper)

This New Zealand newspaper gives the Rockferry album a B+ grade. Pasted below.

Amy meets Dusty in Welsh Idol singer's soulful debut

By STU HUNT - Nelson | Thursday, 17 April 2008

Duffy - Rockferry (Polydor)

Aimee Duffy has been heralded as one of the so-called new Amys, along with fellow teen singer Adele, for their retro bent and lusty vocals.

The old Amy is, of course, Amy Winehouse, who wouldn't necessarily need replacing if she wasn't so hellbent on self-destruction, but these days she makes the likes of Duffy look daisy fresh.

Maybe it'd be more appropriate to call her the new Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross or the new Lulu since she has their husky rasp to her vocals and her songs certainly seem to be channelling their era.

Rockferry is the young Welsh singer's debut album. She was taken under the wing of Suede's Bernard Butler after the inauspicious start of coming second in the Welsh version of Pop Idol, called Wawffactor.

Rockferry kicks off with the eponymous title track and a lazy sweeping ode to her father's hometown.

Duffy gets a little more sultry on the soulful Serious and things get more strung out on Stepping Stone, where the album moves out of the '60s and towards a more modern R and B sound.

Duffy may not have quite the same depth to her vocals as Adele or Winehouse but she makes up for it with suppleness as she bends her lithe voice around the material without a lot of showy note-flexing. Rockferry offers a clean soul sound that makes a lot of Duffy's unstressed and unforced talents and in some ways it's the perfect showcase for this talented newcomer.

She certainly seems to have a clear grasp of the "Less is more" concept. - B+

17 Apr: Dutch Article about Duffy

OK so what I have done with this one is paste in the google-translated text here for you. The original article is here.


Duffy: "I am a long kept secret '
Wolkige arrangements and strong texts on debut album of singer Duffy
Published: April 16, 2008

Zangeres Duffy (23) with its sizzling voice and retroliedjes popular in alternative circles and among the general public. But with Dusty Springfield wants them not to be compared.
By Hester Carvalho

Amsterdam, April 16. Duffy is in an Amsterdam hotel room and takes a bite from a stroopwafel. "I had never before eaten. Beautiful! "Duffy shows in Amsterdam a few interviews, then she continues. Her career is rapidly since the release of debut CD Rockferry. "I have my vliegangst must overcome. I now fly daily. As recently in America, as I went from New York to Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington. Then back home and to France, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands. "

The interest of the media for the 23-year-old Aimee Duffy from Pembrokeshire in Wales is everywhere large. Because Duffy applies for something exceptional: everyone loves her music. In that respect it seems to Amy Winehouse. Duffy also makes songs both in alternative circles as popular among the general public. She is in the hit parade, and Rock Werchter next summer, and tickets for her appearance in Paradiso, in July, were sold out within five minutes.

The secret of Duffy is her voice. That voice has a sizzling quality, which contrasts nicely with the wolkige packages filled with sounds of marimba, harp and strings. Producer Bernard Butler (formerly of Suede guitarist, and later producer, inter alia, The Libertines) also arranged for an undertone of a hollow spookklanken, which prevents songs like Warwick Avenue, Mercy or Distant zoetsappig Dreamer. 'Retro' is Duffy, but the name of Dusty Springfield ', to whom they still strongly reminiscent may not mentioned in her presence.

Just as the early star no more long interviews. Not that that is a problem, because Duffy talks, as they themselves say, 'fifty miles an hour. "

Had they realised beforehand what success means? "This I did not see coming, no. I just had a dream - always be able to sing. Furthermore, I thought not. The enormous attention has beaten me with stomheid. And my father is even more impressed. He always believed that I would make, but every day he gets three or four calls on me. "

They enjoy the reactions they get. "It's nice to see that people appreciate what I do. I am often angry at myself for things I have not done well enough. Then it helps to imagine that one person who thanks to my music a little better feel. "

Her success leads to a contradiction, she says. "In England, but especially in London, it is important to 'super cool'. I do not know exactly what means super cool, I think something bored and unhappy. Now my music as' cool ', that would mean that I am also super cool, but I am very excited to be super cool. "

Duffy seems new, but had already been four years working on her debut CD. She sang in talentenshows, in bars and did participate in the Welsh version of Idols. Four years ago, she was discovered by Jeanette Lee that she describes as her manager, coach and best friend. Lee was known as early eighties percussionist of the band PIL, which Johnny Rotten after The Sex Pistols had been created, and later (with Geoff Travis) and the mastermind behind record company Rough Trade, which bands such as The Libertines, The Smiths and The Strokes discovered. "Jeanette has given me all that time kept secret. They wanted me to quietly give me the chance to develop, "says Duffy. "Even Geoff Travis knew nothing about me. People with Rough Trade thought that I was a trainee, so often I came there on the floor. "

Lee's contribution was that she brought Duffy into contact with Bernard Butler. In the course of a few years they designed together the "big sound" where Duffy was looking for.

The lyrics of her songs covered by the plastic descriptions of liefdesleed. When Duffy hearts are not broken, but called it: 'Smashed up hearts hung out to dry' (in Hanging On Too Long).

"I love strong images in texts. That is why I admire the style of people like Scott Walker, and many old, forgotten soulzangers. The best example is the song I Can not Give Back The Love I Feel For You, Syreeta, the wife of Stevie Wonder. It sings to herself, 'Here's a tear for a souvenir and a dream torn at the seam / but I can not give back the love I feel for you'.

"That image affects me. The relationship is over and the person I give everything back, but not love, which is still happen. "

Rockferry, Duffy is now at Universal. The action in Paradiso, Amsterdam, on July 2, is sold out. For her action at Rock Werchter in Leuven, Belgium are still tickets available. Inl.: Www.iamduffy.com
[END ARTICLE]

EDIT: I'm adding this little thing I found on youtube. :-)


"If you want just a little bit, you'll have to take all of me...." Similar to the ideas behind 'Stepping Stone' perhaps....?

17 Apr: More Live Duffy

Great news for Canadian fans!

New annoucements on the official Duffy website:

Duffy To Play Osheaga Festival

17/04/2008

Another Summer festival has bagged Duffy for its line-up. She is set to play the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival 2008 in Montréal, Canada on Monday August 4th.

Tickets go on sale this Saturday (April 19th) from the festival website, which you can visit here.

More European Shows

16/04/2008

Hot on the heels of the news that Duffy's Paris Bataclan show has now sold out, we're very pleased to announce three more shows in Europe this summer - Duffy will bring her live show to Paris, Barcelona and Madrid in July.

Tickets for these shows go onsale at 10am on this Friday (18 April) - click the links below to get yours when the time comes...

July 9 - Paris, Olympia (Buy Tickets)

July 11 - Barcelona, Razzmatazz (Buy Tickets)

July 12 - Madrid, Joy Eslava (Buy Tickets)

Duffy In New York

11/04/2008

On Monday May 12th Duffy will perform a very special show at the New York Apollo to celebrate the release of her debut album 'Rockferry' in the States the very next day (May 13th).

If you're one of the growing army of American fans make sure you do not miss out on what's certain to be a glittering and memorable evening.

Tickets go on general sale tomorrow morning (Saturday 12th April) at 10am EDT - click here to pre-order them from Ticketmaster.

British and European fans are also advised to take advantage of the current excellent US exchange rate to book yourself a short Duffy-themed city break.

17 Apr: Duffy @ MTV.it TRL awards?

On 14th April Duffy was at the TRL awards, on the show maybe? These photos are from mtv.it by Paolo Battigelli. Two of them are quite large so click on the photos to see a larger image....

There is a link to watch a video of the show but it doesn't work for those of us outside Italy, so if anyone can youtube it please let me know!

17 Apr: Duffy sings Mercy on Buenafuente (BFN)

I believe this aired on 16th April.
Anyone have anymore info? What is the channel? Is it from Spain?

16 Apr: Duffy sings Mercy Operacion Triunfo 2008 (Telecinco)

Seems to be a Spanish TV show..... I think it was aired on 15th April.

16 Apr: Duffy Becomes New Madonna

This offering from the Mirror today...

Duffy becomes new Madonna as Dolce and Gabanna muse
By 3am's Danielle Lawler and Clemmie Moodie 16/04/2008

She has a great voice - and now Duffy will have some stonking free clothes to go with it.

We can reveal that the 23-year-old singer is Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana's new clothes-horse.

"Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana saw her perform and were totally blown away," says our mole.

"They asked her to play in Milan and then signed her up as their muse.
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"Duffy is thrilled - not least because she now gets to wear gorgeous designer clobber for free!"

Dolce & Gabbana famously designed the corset-heavy costumes for Madonna's Girlie Show tour of 1993, and have remained one of the Material Girl's favourite designers ever since.

16 Apr: PhillRees Warwick Avenue Illustration

Yes Phillrees is back on my blog.... you may recall an earlier post showing off one of his illustrations of Duffy. Well here is another one! And this one is even better IMO. Let him know what you think here.

16 Apr: Duffy featured in Swedish Music mag Sonic #39

A note for Swedish fans! Duffy is featured in this Swedish Music mag in what they are calling their Feb issue.

Also for Swedish fans, here are some Rockferry reviews from the Swedish press:

• Aftonbladet
• City
• DN
• GP
• Punkt SE
• SvD

15 Apr: Duffy @D&G Showcase, Milan

The above images are from the Italian version of Duffy's Official website!

OK so that photo from the Independent baaaaaaaaaaaad review was from the D&G Showcase (D&G Building in Milan) on Sunday 13th April. You can see some great pictures of Duffy at this link.

Vogue has reported about this today..... pasted in below:


D&G'S SONGBIRD
IT LOOKS like there may be a new muse on the Dolce and Gabbana horizon: chart-topping singer Duffy.

Stefano Gabbana himself turned out on Sunday evening to hear the young Welsh songstress perform five songs from her debut album, Rockferry - including, of course, her Number 1 single, Mercy - at the D&G building in Milan. We hear the designers are quite taken with her cool Sixties style. Roll on spring/summer 2009… (April 15 2008, AM)

Leisa Barnett

15 Apr: Listen to Duffy LIVE@TCT Virgin Radio

You have to become a VIP member of Virgin Radio to listen (simple and free) then go to this URL:
http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/artists/duffy/article/2625.html

There is:

Mercy
Syrup&Honey
Warwick Avenue

All Live from the Albert Hall TCT Concert....

Oh yes. Thank you Virgin Radio.

Also keep your eye on this link for further info about these TCT tracks... ;-)

15 Apr: Toronto Star Article

This today from Canada's Toronto Star newspaper....


Small-town performer poised for big time
ANDRE PAINE BILLBOARD

As a music lover who grew up in the tiny Welsh coastal town of Nefyn, 23-year-old U.K. chart phenomenon Duffy admits she’s still struggling to comprehend her sudden popularity. “There were more people in the South by Southwest audience at my show than there are in my town,” says the former Aimee Duffy, whose hometown has a population of 2,550. Duffy is gearing up for her U.S. launch on the back of impressive success at home. In the United Kingdom, her debut, Rockferry, which marries her rich voice to a fresh take on classic soul and the ’60s girl group sound, enjoyed the biggest firstweek sales so far this year when it moved more than 180,000 copies after its March 3 release, according to the Official U.K. Charts Co. “That was mind-blowing,” she says. “I’m not going to pretend it isn’t strange. You really do have a new life overnight.’’ In conversation, Duffy has a guileless quality that Bernard Butler, one of her producers and collaborators, attributes to her isolated Welsh upbringing.

Nefyn was a bus ride away from the nearest record shop, which only stocked the top 40.

That store has doubtless been doing good business with “Mercy,” which spent five weeks atop the British chart.

Now the upbeat, string-laden track is spearheading her U.S. campaign, where the album will be released May 13 via Mercury. Duffy is due to play Coachella and the Roxy in Los Angeles at the end of April. She will be back in the United States in May, including a slot on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Duffy is quick to dismiss press comparisons to Dusty Springfield — “For me, that’s so far removed from where I am sonically, it couldn’t be more wrong” — while Mercury president David Massey shuns parallels with another U.K. soul singer, Amy Winehouse.

“We haven’t been marketing Duffy’s personality, although she is starting to cross over and become a celebrity,” he says. “She’s the girl next door: very natural and innocent and fun.’’

14 Apr: Independent Review of TCT Albert Hall

What is this guy's problem?! This Independent review is appalling! Some is pasted below. Don't know where their photo is from.....

The Dusty Springfield comparisons are a red herring. Duffy's material – apart from her perky, Martha Reeves-influenced single "Mercy" – reeks of that of a soft-rock chick in the Bonnie Tyler mould. The former Wawffactor (the Welsh equivalent of Pop Idol) contestant possesses a formidable screech, and tonight her brief seven-song set, all from her deliriously successful debut album Rockferry, slipped by unobjectionably. You could picture the 23-year warbler from Gwynedd going down a storm on cruise ships.