MADLY BRILLIANT IDA MARIA HITS THE UK! NEW TOUR AND SINGLE

• 10th Sep 2007

Ida Maria mixes a dash of a Gallagher's gob, a sprinkling of Winehouse's recklessness, a splash of Bjork's pixie like chic with a large serving of Chrissie Hynde's musical sensibility, a sizeable slice of her hero Iggy Pop's live performance style, and not to mention a bucket load of infectious material, Ida Maria has all the ingredients necessary to make it Big.

Maria is a brilliant singer from Norway who is definitely a name for the near future. She has already received airtime from Rob Da Bank and XFM's John Kennedy. Ida has new single 'Oh My God' out on October 1st and plays the following shows this September:

11 Sept Dublin Castle, London

12 Sept Roadhouse, Manchester

20 Sept Old Blue Last, London

26 Sept University of West England, Bristol

27 Sept Notting Hill Arts Club in London

28 Sept Sheffield University, Sheffield

Ida Maria's first outing on wax in the UK will be 'Oh My God', described by Ida herself as a “A song to have a panic attack to – like a desperate shout”.

23 year old Ida Maria was born in an idyllic mountainous range on the northern coast of Norway, Nesna, which has a reputation for having one of the most educated and creative communities in the country; an inspirational and cultural backdrop that played a large part in shaping her as an artist.

In her early teens, Ida taught herself to play guitar by ear and left Nesna, at the age of 16, for the comparatively thriving metropolis of Bergen, she started to work on her live set, doing the rounds on the gig circuit. By the time she got to university in Sweden, music had evolved into more than just a passion. It had become a career choice: “I felt I was wasting away my time, reading all these books I wasn't interested in, I wanted to be a musician and an artist”.

It was live where Ida Maria and band have made their mark. Ida is a natural on stage: “I love to perform, I feel like a freak when I'm not performing, when I'm walking down the street, but by the time I'm on stage I am me.” She will do whatever it takes “to give the audience energy and lust to dance”. On one occasion she cracked her ribs during a performance so badly she couldn't walk properly for a month. On another, she head butted a guitar at such force that blood was gushing down from her head for the rest of the gig – “I thought it was red wine thrown from the mosh pit at the time”.

Ida Maria has now signed a record deal. Her collection of recorded songs to date is packed with catchy tunes that sound like they'd be at home on the 70s New York garage scene and bold, brazen lyrics that pack a sloganeering punch reminiscent of UK punk music. “I'm not a poetic songwriter, I like to spell things out in black and white big letters… I write Rollercoaster songs. Songs about everything (people and places, God, partying and love, from the inside to the outside). Songs that have got diversity between the highest enjoying of life and the lowest points… I'm a very impulsive person. I'm so impulsive I have trouble controlling myself..”