Featured Artist...
16/December...
2022...
Mishkin Fitzgerald is best known for her role as lead singer and pianist in the British 'orchestral-rock' band, Birdeatsbaby. However, she now embarks on a new project, Mishkin Fitzgerald & The Chemical Perils-an alternative mix of klezmer, folk and country.
The daughter of a minister and a math teacher, the young singer grew up singing in the church choir, was also influenced by classical piano music, and then later discovered artists such as Queen, Jimi Hendrix and Nick Cave. However, The Chemical Perils was truly inspired by Mishkin's Greek, accordion/piano-playing grandma, and for that reason has elements of Jewish music and story-telling.
Her debut album Present Company, released in 2013, was played on BBC Introducing London/Sussex and hailed by Simon Price (Independent, Guardian, Q) as 'stunning... frighteningly talented'. The follow-up"Seraphim" was released in 2017 and was featured in The Metro "Widescreen pianos-and-violins grandeur and emotive song-writing", and The Quietus "Think a beautifully-wrought mournful take on Patrick Wolf and Regina Spektor via mid-period Depeche Mode".
Although led by Mishkin, The Chemical Perils is a group effort, with an ever-growing variety of musicians. The band currently holds Garry Mitchel on double bass and brass, Anna Mylee on percussion, Hana Piranha on violin, Jacy de Sousa on Sax/Flute, Jonny Parlett on guitar, and vocals. There is only one rule for the Chemical Perils: "whoever turns up on the night is in the band".
The first offering from this new cabal is the stand out single 'Legs Broken' from the upcoming EP 'Graces Cradle' which will be released on 28thJanuary2023.
Speaking about the new single Mishkin said:
"I always find that writing about revenge is the most fun –you can channel all your negative emotions and turn them into something that is cathartic. 'Legs Broken' is a good old gypsy-punk dancing song about getting your own back. Never p*ss off a songwriter -you might find yourself immortalised in a song, and not in a good way!
"When looking for the influences underlying Mishkin Fitzgerald & The Chemical Perils you'd be hard-pushed not to think of Nick Cave, Kate Bush, Devil Makes Three, or The Veils, and with a coven of world-class musicians in the mix the debut single
'Legs Broken' and upcoming EP are definitely ones to check out.