Listen carefully as you walk the streets of Hove and you might hear the rustle of an industrious songwriter hand-making the artwork for every last copy of a soon-to-be-released single.

The digital revolution may have made this level of commitment to “physical releases” something of a rarity, but this former fine art student is something of a rare find herself.

Jane Bartholomew has some well-crafted, sparse songs that give her delicate vocal plenty of room to breathe, something in evidence on her first, self-recorded album. Her voice is the component in the mix that falls furthest from the bounds of easy comparison.

“It’s something I don’t really think about,” she says. “When someone asks me where I got my voice, I don’t really know what to say... ‘I plucked it from a tree?’.”

A naturally shy performer and quietly spoken in person, Bartholomew grew up in Felpham, near Bognor Regis, before she moved to Brighton seven years ago after studying fine art in Kent.

After going through her grades on the piano as a girl, she returned to music as a teenager and began writing songs in her early 20s.

“I didn’t record anything for a long time and I suppose I never felt like a singer-songwriter, and I hate that expression anyway.”

When she did come to record her debut record, Morning Songs, she opted for a lo-fi approach, creating and producing the album herself from her bedroom.

“I like things minimal,” she says. “I find the more space there is, the better it is for me. You often find the simplest things work the best and because I was doing it all from home I didn’t have access to other sounds. Songs should be able to stand up on their own with just a guitar and a vocal.”

With a strong set of recorded songs behind her, Bartholomew’s confidence has grown, but she still admits to nervousness in a live context.

“I did a show with Mary Hampton and I was racked with nerves. I just couldn’t relax. I don’t really know how to overcome that, but I don’t think it’s such a problem because I don’t sing about laid-back things.”

Her live act takes different forms, but her voice and piano (or guitar) is almost always accompanied by strings, pointing to Bartholomew’s fondness for classical music.

The current project is new single Firey Son, recorded with her band live and, this time, in a studio.

“I wanted to retain the feeling of being in a room where it doesn’t matter about the little mistakes. It’s kind of about the idea of having a child.”

Due for release in early April, the single will feature the aforementioned artwork, created from a linocut and reproduced on a hand-press, which necessarily produces slight variations in each copy.

It’s something of a labour of love for the 31-year-old, who works with the deaf three days a week around her music.

“I’ve really got into it and it’s rekindled my passion for arts and crafts,” she says. “I take my inspiration from old manuscript papers I’ve been able to get in charity shops – some of the images are just beautiful and the lettering is amazing.”

Jane Bartholomew will perform tonight with The Balky Mule and My Two Toms as part of Fat Cat Records Presents. She returns to Brighton with Palm Springs at the Prince Albert, Trafalgar Street, on April 6.

For more information, and to listen to some of her music, visit www.janebartholomew.net.

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