To those of us who frequented the music pubs of Camden, London, certain venues out East and the London poetry den Y Tuesday, such lyrical flights by Gabi Garbutt are not unusual. We have seen her charming pixie-punk form flitting before us like the secret love sprite of William Blake and Patti Smith, with songs sung in her own unique London accent with a West Country twist. To many of us, this just what music needed, an authentic songsmith whose words really take you somewhere.

Gabi’s band, The Illuminations, includes the slick rhythm section of Ollie Jones on drums and the demonstrative Dan Fatel on bass, alongside Jimi Scandal on lead guitar who brings his inimitable style and catchy guitar lines, with Ted Mitchell making the double role of sax and keyboards his own.

Alerted to Gabi’s talent, Edwyn Collins invited the band to his Scottish Highlands studio to complete the recording of her well received debut album, ‘The Discredited Language of Angels’, which was produced by Sean Read (Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The Manic Street Preachers, The Pretenders), and released in November 2019. This is an album of brassy, punchy, catchy riffs and choruses that anchor the poetic verse to everyday life and champion the redemptive power of love.

Gabi and her band have now recorded their second album, ‘Cockerel’, which is due for release 20th May 2022 on Trapped Animal Records.This album written and recorded during lockdown and it's reprieves, promises to be full of songs that search the inner landscapes of the heart and soul, more textured in pace and form, referencing the fragile lives of artists who have been of inspiration to Gabi, as well as characters and situations from her own life in these troubled times.

Gabi and her band have toured the UK and Europe with Edwyn Collins, The Big Country and The Libertines, which included a memorable date with the latter in the legendary Paris Olympia - with Gabi’s name up in bright red neon where the names of Piaf and Brel had hung before. They also supported The Boomtown Rats at their prestigious one-off London Palladium comeback show. They will be celebrating the release of their new album with a free entry show at The Victoria, Dalston on 24th May 2022.