Letter to Heather Nova Mailling List, July 1997.
Press release 1, August 1996.
Press release 2, January 1997. - The Frith e.p.
Letter from Heather, 28th July 1997 to Heather Nova Mailling List.
Dear all,
Getting this album made has been a longer more winding road than I thought it would be. But I guess we are only ever partly in control of our lives; the other part is the adventure - the unexpected. And the more you try to have control the more you're going to be taught that lesson. I was held up for quite some time while changing record labels but now I'm on V2 I'm very happy (still Sony in other territories). I now have so many songs the problem is figuring out which ones not to record. I'm about half way through recording the album and plan to have it done by September.
At one point while waiting for something or other I decided to go sailing; crossed an ocean with my parents and brother on the boat I grew up on. I hadn't done it in 10 years but it felt more natural than crossing the street. There is nothing like the purity of being at sea. Connecting to the flow of life. The vulnerability is exhilarating. And it struck me that with the earth as crowded as it is, it's amazing you can still go somewhere and not see another soul for days and days and days. I still can't figure out how I ended up in a city when I love the natural world so much. I think its because feeling the absence of it makes it all the more acute and desirable. (or maybe I'm just hooked on the fast paced, hi tec, dirty, energy of the city). By the way, my father wanted me to tell you that for any of you who collect "Heather Nova" paraphenalia, ie; plectrums, t-shirts, etc, my parents are having to sell the boat due to my father having arthritis (yes, that was the last sail). It's a 42 foot gaff rigged ketch. Any serious enquiries through Ewout please...... Plugging a boat instead of an album this time......?!
It is good to know you are out there. I cant tell you how much your support has meant to me. I miss being out on the road singing every night. I probably live my life a little too much around my music and when I'm not doing it I feel half alive. Thank you for being patient; I promise it will be worth the wait! I send you all lots of love.
Heather Nova
Go back to the top...
Press release from August 1996, as Heather releases Maybe an Angel in Europe.
Hello out there.
It's a sticky London day in August.
My band and I have spent the summer playing festivals all over Europe. Luckily the weather's been good and the crowds enthusiastic. My favourite one was in Switzerland on the top of a mountain. We also opened for Neil Young recently in Berlin in a 25,000 seater amphitheatre which Hitler had built for rallies! Hmm.
Neil Young was as inspiring as ever.
I'm about to release my next single "Maybe an Angel" We went to Spain to shoot it to get big sky and rugged desert, and all went well until an alcohol fire we were using for an effect exploded on myself and the director. In a terrifying moment I looked down and saw my trousers on fire! I managed to whip them off very fast and escaped unharmed, however the poor director suffered 3rd degree burns all down one leg. I guess we were both lucky it didn't get our faces…. Maybe an Angel?…
At the moment I'm preparing for a 5 week tour of America. (Oyster has only just been released last week in America) Then in November I go to Japan and South Africa for promotion. It's pretty wild - "Walk this World" is literally taking me around the world.
{Scribbled out bit now, but it reads something like…} It's already gone top 40 in several countries, including Australia and {Looks like Israel…(?)}
Thank you all so much for your letters and support. Hearing that my songs make a difference in someone's life is the real reward. All I want is for the music to reach people. It's a soul thing.
I'll be taking December off to write more songs and compile the ones I've written so I can put out another album as soon as possible.
Stay tuned,
P.S. Support Greenpeace… if you can….
Press release, Big Cat Records prepare to re-release the long lost "Heather Frith" e.p.
BIG CAT
Heather Nova
'the first recording'
Format: SCD
Release Date:
17th February
Cat. No.:
ABB132SCD
Tracklisting:
These Walls
New Love
Further Than You
Flying As She Falls
The very first tracks recorded by Heather Nova are re-released by Big Cat Records and available for the first time on CD. One of the first Big Cat artists, Heather Nova released this collection of songs on 12" vinyl, originally entitled, 'These Walls EP'. The original release of the E.P. coincided with the collapse of Rough Trade Record distribution world-wide, so although over 1,000 copies were sold in the first two weeks of release it was never re-pressed Until now...
Heather was very much a solo artist at this point with aspirations to putting together a band and going on the road. The next year saw her record an album, 'Glowstars', in her living room at home and finally head out on tour with a three-piece band. One London date was recorded and formed the breakthrough album, 'Blow, which on the back of Heather's rapidly growing live reputation, sold over 30,000 copies in Europe within the first two months of release.
Heather is about to record the follow up to her first studio album, 'Oyster' (over 600,000 sales world-wide) with U.S. producer, Don Was - due for a Summer '97 release*. Though her style may have developed over the last six years, 'The First Recording' remains as poignant as her more recent works, if not more so: the unmistakable voice of Heather Nova beautifully haunting, nestling somewhere deep down into your soul.
'The First Recording' will be available on CD only.