The Irrepressibles

Led by composer and artist Jamie McDermott, The Irrepressibles are a 10-piece 'performance orchestra' that, through the power of their instruments, can transport and transfix, break moulds and collide worlds. Fusing European orchestration with pop melodies and soaring cathartic vocals, debut album ‘Mirror Mirror’ is a theatrical, playful, and emotionally passionate album. From the dramatic opener ‘My Friend Jo’ to the galloping rhythms of ‘Anvil’; from the yearning echoes of ‘Forget The Past’ through to the intensely intimate ‘In This Shirt’, ‘Mirror Mirror’ is a beautifully constructed sonic exploration depicting Jamie McDermott's confessional stories of love, anger, lust and loss with a journey through The Irrepressibles’ mystical and theatrical world. Whilst The Irrepressibles’ sound has been compared to early David Bowie, Kate Bush, Anthony & The Johnsons and even Bonzo Dog Do Dah Band, ‘Mirror Mirror’ is quite unlike anything heard before. McDermott's androgynous vocal range soars above intricate polyphonic arrangements, accompanying the glamour of a sonic world of Exotica-meets-Baroque-meets-Scott Walker-style orchestral pop arrangements. As the album unfolds there is so much to discover, enchanting musical offerings that hold surprises at every turn. ‘Mirror Mirror’ follows the release of a seven track CD/DVD package ‘From the Circus to the Sea’ released in January 2009 to critical acclaim. Providing the score to the film ‘The Forgotten Circus’, ‘From the Circus to the Sea’ was produced in collaboration with ‘backwards motion’ filmmaker and winner of the IMZ best choreography on screen award, Shelly Love. In the last seven years, The Irrepressibles have fundamentally carved a new frontier in pop performance. Using conceptual sets, and teams of artists in film, dance, avant-garde costume and make-up, the collective bring these songs to life through create extraordinary live spectacles. They have created their inimitable displays all over Europe, from the Hackney Empire and the Roundhouse in London, to a Roman ampitheatre in Barcelona, a 17th Century villa in Sicily and infamous La Cigale in Paris. Recently they presented one of their most iconic spectacles The Human Music Box, performing within the confines of a rotating opened box. Premiered at the V&A as part of the Baroque Baroque exhibition in the Raphael Cartoon Gallery, they then transferred the show to Latitude Festival in July for three breath-taking sets performed floating on the festival’s lake to thousands of spectators, and are set to tour the show through 2010/2011. With further incredible shows to be announced for later in the year, The Irrepressibles may be one of Britain’s best-kept secrets, but they won’t be for long! The Irrepressible are: - Jamie McDermott - Composer / Voice / Guitar - Sarah Kershaw - Piano - Jordan Hunt - Violin - Charlie Stock - Viola - Nicole Robson - Cello - Sophie Li - Double Bass - Rosie Reed - Flute - Craig White - Oboe / Cor Anglais - Anna Westlake - Clarinet / Saxophone - William Turner-Duffin - Sound Design / Electronics http://www.theirrepressibles.com/ www.myspace.com/theirrepressibles www.twitter.com/irrepressibles