Caroline Lavelle - Eclectic Classical Folk Artist

Caroline Lavelle is a British singer-songwriter and cellist who has, thus far, had quite an eclectic musical journey with very impressive results.

Having been influenced at a tender young age by her grandfather who was a conductor, Caroline later left home at 15 to study at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London. Though she was classically trained and fully expected to pursue a career in classical music, the gods of destiny had different plans. Like a wandering free-spirit, she branched out to create a unique track away from the classical expectations imposed upon her when young.

Interviewed as saying, "I want to stand on my own devices, to make more of a difference than to be sitting halfway down in a cello section playing the same old things most of the time. The creativity involved in writing one's own music and having to marry lyrics and arrangements is much more challenging for me. My greatest love is writing."

Her busking in London, often outside Kensington Tube Station and Covent Garden from the early to mid-eighties drew attention, where she was noticed by Frankie Gavin, a founder member of Ireland's De Dannan band. Switching over and being part of the band up to the early nineties, Caroline then worked and played alongside Mary Black and Dolores Keane, both notable Irish singers.

From this point spawned forth her involvement with an array of some of the most renowned names in the music industry such as Loreena McKennitt, Peter Gabriel, Vangelis, Massive Attack, Hector Zazou - just to name a few - aside from the making of her own discography. (A rundown of her discography and collaborations with other groups and artists are included at the end in alphabetical order.)

What distinguishes Caroline from other artists is her passionate and emotive nature, with a sensuously captivating and exquisite voice which beckons the most timid of listeners to reach out. One is left with the impression that something wondrously turbulent within her is struggling and seeking to unfold a magical reality, likened to a flower that has been touched by the warmth of the sun rays, as she weaves her captive audience into a spellbinding honest creativity of richly poetic lyrics.

In 1992, after Caroline's contributing vocals and cello to the track "Home of the Whale" on the Massive Attack EP Hymn of the Big Wheel, this brought attention to English musician and record producer William Orbit who became inspired in 1995 to produce and mix her debut solo album Spirit, where one track from that album - Moorlough Shore - has become a video popular on YouTube. Caroline self-produced two later albums, Brilliant Midnight (2001), which had three further tracks added after a year's time, and then A Distant Bell (2004).

Caroline Lavelle is working currently with Justin Elswick and Israel Curtis on her fourth album.

One can visit her official website at www.carolinelavelle.com for in-depth videos, audio and news updates especially on her latest upcoming album.

Collaborations

Afro Celt Sound System
Sound Magic Volume 1, "She Moved Through the Fair" (1995, vocals & cello).

BT
Emotional Technology, "The Great Escape" (2003, vocals & cello).

Chicane
Far from the Maddening Crowds, "Lost You Somewhere" (1997, vocals & co-writing).

De Dannan
Ballroom, ALL (1993, vocals, cello, arrangements).

Hector Zazou
Lights in the Dark, ALL (1998, cello); Strong Currents, "The Freeze" (2003, vocals & lyrics); L'Absence, "Lies Will Flow" (2004, vocals & lyrics).

Loreena McKennitt
A Winter Garden, ALL (1996, cello); Book of Secrets, ALL (1997, cello & viola da gamba); Live Paris & Toronto, ALL (2001, cello); An Ancient Muse, ALL (2006, cello); Nights from the Alhambra, ALL (2007, cello).

Massive Attack
Hymn of the Big Wheel EP, "Home of the Whale" (1992, vocals & cello).

Muse
Origin of Symmetry, ALL (2001, cello).

Nigel Kennedy
Kafka, "Breathing Stone" (1996, vocals & co-writing).

Peter Gabriel
Us, ALL (1992, cello).

Radiohead
The Bends, ALL (1996, cello).

Sleepthief
The Dawnseeker, "Nightjar" (2006, writing & vocals).

The Chieftains
Further Down the Old Plank Road, ALL (2003, cello).

The Pogues
Pogue Mahone, "Anniversary", "Love You 'Til the End", "Pont Mirabeau" (1996, cello).

Vangelis
Voices, "Come to Me" (1995, vocals & lyrics).

She has also worked with Laurie Anderson, The Waterboys, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Graham Parker, The Cranberries, and Ryuichi Sakamoto.