Musician Toni Sidgwick's delight as new single is released

A BARNARD Castle singer-songwriter will this week celebrate the release of the lead single from her newly-recorded five-track EP.
Carry My Heart, by Toni Sidgwick, will be available on digital music platforms from today, Friday, April 21.
A summer release for her EP, called Lions, is planned.
The 29-year-old, who originally hails from Shetland, spent a week recording the tracks in Hertfordshire after catching the ear of producer Lauren Deakin-Davies.
“Initially, I sent a demo off to an independent label called Folkstock to see if it would suit them.
“They did not have space, but their producer Lauren heard the tracks and wanted to work with me.”
This led to a trip to Ms Deaken-Davies’ studio The Den.
“She has worked with a number of up and coming British folk musicians,” added Ms Sidgwick, a data analyst at GSK.
Her producer played electric guitar, bass and synth on the tracks, while session musician Rhiannon Mair came in after the initial recording to add the drum parts.
Dale-based harmonica player Gary Sanders – who plays drums and percussion live with Ms Sidgwick – also features on the EP.
Having just received the finished tracks, Ms Sidgwick said she was “really chuffed” with the outcome.
“Most of the tracks were written over a period of time and it was a case of selecting those which I felt fitted in – all apart from one which I wrote the week before I went away and which ended up being the title track,” she said.
“I wanted to build a EP with a range of songs that would appeal to a range of people.
“I am really excited to show the music to everybody.”
The first to hear the new tracks will be the audience at Tynemouth’s Surf Cafe on Sunday, April 23, where Ms Sidgwick will play a solo show.
Ms Sidgwick is then due to be part of a charity show in Gateshead at the end of the month.
An afternoon session at the Commercial Hotel, in Barnard Castle, is pencilled in for Monday, May 1, with a gig at the Old Well Inn planned for May 28.
To find out more, find Toni Sidgwick Music on Facebook.