Combining cello, percussion and her distinctive voice, Abi Wade is one of Brighton’s most original live performers. Below she talks about her inspirations, and her ongoing work towards The Album.

“I remember writing musical doodles on a piano when I was very young. I’m sure they were pretty terrible and more for my own pleasure than anyone else’s! I guess the real songwriting started much later, in my teens really – I was already playing piano and cello but I started teaching myself the guitar and singing.

“There is a long list of artists who influence me from songwriters Joanna Newsom, Laura Marling, Lykke Li to Arthur Russell, Aphex twin and Ame. Most of my life I grew up playing classical pieces. I was in quartets and orchestras as a child. There is nothing like the power of a full orchestra. Music was generally presented to me to play – I was concentrating on not messing up a lot of the time.

“I remember the first time I heard Erik Satie and the first time I played Debussy and Ludovico Einaudi, and The Planets by Holst as an orchestra – that was pretty awesome. I think the sounds I write now were really founded in my experiments at university. Studying a music and arts course I was very influenced by minimalism and performance art. I started picking up items from the hardware store to create different sounds on my cello.

“I’ve played a lot of festivals such as End Of The Road, Wilderness Festival and Truck. But I feel grateful to have supported some great acts such as Micheal Kiwanuka, Dan Mangan, Other Lives and Deptford Goth. Supporting Coco Rosie felt like a big deal to me. It was an honour to play with them and in my hometown. I think churches are probably my favourite place to play. I played a lot of churches when I toured with Patrick Wolf and I also played Union Chapel a few months back and that was spectacular too. So I’ve been spoilt I guess.

“I recorded my first four-track EP And Blood And Air at Clockwork Owl Studios with Tim Bidwell. It was my first recording – they were all handmade and have consequently sold out. That was released on a great Brighton-based independent, Love Thy Neighbour. I also released a double A-side Heavy Heart/Faker on vinyl. Since then I’ve been working alongside brilliant producer Dan [Copeman from Esben And The Witch]. I released the single Boxer in the wake of my album I’m working on.

“I am collating all my song sketches and pulling them around to see if I can make them into things that resemble songs for The Album. It’s all-consuming, with lots of new toys to get my head around.”

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Abi Wade plays Spectrum, in association with Resident, at Brighton Dome Studio Theatre on Tuesday, April 15, with Fear Of Men, Grasshopper and Grace Carter. Starts 8pm, tickets £4. Call 01273 709709. Visit abiwade.com