The Norrisette Songbook

"gorgeous, threadbare piano and sensual vocals" - Johnny James, Creative Tourist​

Norrisette - meaning 'little Northerner' - is a jazz and folk-inspired songwriter from Newcastle upon Tyne who has lived in Manchester for 12 years. She is the alter-ego of classical composer Anna Appleby. Her lyrics often bind heartbreak and the natural world together, with surrealism along the way. Despite being more widely known for her experimental electronica, piano is often at the heart of her music, it being her 'computer' since the age of 5.

Norrisette has performed electronica sets at Bluedot, Sounds From the Other City, and Manchester International Festival, and has supported artists such as Anna Meredith and Haru Nemuri, but has recently gone back to the piano as her protest against AI and the aggressively digital world. The Norrisette Songbook, funded by a PRS Foundation's Women Make Music award, will be a physical notated collection of her best works, as an invitation to others to play her music in their own way.

This gig also sees the launch of her new EP 'Anthropocene' which has been painstakingly and lovingly put together over many months with producer Jack March, who has focused on recording live performance in single takes in the studio, with minimal post-production. Both EP and songbook aim to be as real and tangible as possible. The venue, Low Four, is a fitting choice as a studio that often celebrates live acoustic music and classical musicians.

For this gig she is joined by her long-term collaborators Jack March on guitar, Ashley Garrod on bass, and Imogen Shortall on drums.

Opening the night will be the one and only Sanja Cin, a local songwriter who will capture your heart and your humour with her gentle and sparklingly witty lyrics.

Sanja Cin (pr: Sanya Chin) writes soft pop songs. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, raised in a small Austrian town, after several years in Vienna, she landed in Manchester. By surprise. Guided by a joy for ear-pleasing melodies, it's the behind-the-scenes stories that are interesting: the endless barking of the neighbor's neglected dog, the jealousy of the friend's friend, but also the themes of heart-break & resilience.

Norrisette gratefully acknowledges support from PRS Foundation Women Make Music for this launch.