Keep the Faith

Alexia Coley is a girl who has been preparing her whole life for what 2014 has presented her. Three single releases on limited edition 7" vinyl have brought her music to the attention of BBC6 Music, Radio 2 and BBC London and now her debut album is recorded, mixed and ready to release in October of this year. Although Alexia had played to thousands of people while fronting bands for other people, it was only a couple of years back when she played a solo show at Big Chill Festival that she came to the attention of her current label Jalapeno Records. Like everyone else there that day they were captivated by the energy and style of a performance that took in jazz, soul and swing in an effortless combination. Although her future label only discovered Alexia that day, you could ask anyone in the West London live music scene and they all would know exactly who she was. Whether playing resident gigs at The Paradise and Mau Mau, wowing huge crowds at Notting Hill Carnival as part of Gaz's Rockin' Blues sound system or fronting shows for Rotten Hill gang alongside The Clash's Mick Jones - when people saw Alexia sing they remembered it. Her music has a classic soul and jazz vibe but with the sassy edge of a girl who has grown up round Ladbroke Grove and seen what effect modern day London has on people. Her songs are timeless but still relate to young people growing up right now and she can just as often be found sandwiched between a rapper and a DJ on the bill as a line-up of jazz players at Ronnie Scotts. Her voice is one that could rank among the greats with songs that are a mixture of uplifting good time soul and slow emotive torch songs, all drawing closely on Alexia's experience of living in our capital city, falling in and out of love with the right and wrong men and being a pivotal part of West London's live music scene. The album kicks off with her latest single "Drive Me Wild" a love song and statement of intent written by Alexia about finding love and that one special person to share your life with and leads straight into it's polar opposite "Beautiful Waste Of Time" - a song written about a friend living life in the fast lane on a dead end road. A full on floor filler and always a live highlight, but like some of the best music to dance to, Beautiful has a melancholy lyrical undertone. By the time Something's Going Down comes on it becomes clear that this is an autobiographical album about relationships, life and love - with this particular song telling about the disappointment felt when you realise that the person you are with is still into their ex. Without You and Dreaming continue the search for love while Jekyll & Hyde and Mr Shady are damning putdowns on the wrong type of man in time honoured soul girl style. I Like A Drink manages to simultaneously lift the spirit of the album and lower the tone showing a different and more playful side to Alexia's songwriting - the story of a joyous night out gone wrong which ends with porcelain as your best mate. The album finishes with the title track Keep The Faith, a heart breaking song written in a time of despair and guaranteed to give goose bumps to even the most hardened souls. It is always the set finisher in Alexia's shows and whether at a festival or a club you can guarantee to hear a pin drop in the final refrain.