Biography
Multi-instrumentalist Laura Kidd formerly wrote and produced her own music as She Makes War . In 2020 she retired this name, and continues to write and produce as Penfriend.
Her fourth full album, Brace for Impact was released in 2018.
Her third album, Direction Of Travel was released in April 2016 (The state51 Conspiracy). She has released two previous albums Disarm (2010) and Little Battles (2012).
She Makes War’s sound has been dubbed ‘gloom-pop', ‘a modern musical Boudica’ (Louder Than War), and as ‘The emotional resonance of Elliott Smith colliding with the barbed vigour of Sleater-Kinney’ (Gigwise).
Her music has a wide range of influences from early Echo & The Bunnymen to Belly, The Breeders, PJ Harvey, Blur, Elastica and Suede, Bikini Kill, Nirvana, Hanne Hukkelberg, Cat Power, Carina Round, Radiohead, My Brightest Diamond and Bon Iver.
Third album Direction Of Travel (2016) features guest appearances from Tanya Donelly and Mark Chadwick. Laura Kidd plays most of the instruments herself, with guest appearances including Clive Deamer and Andy Sutor on drums, The McCarricks and Nicole Robson on strings, and Cajita on piano. The album was produced by Laura Kidd and mixed by Dan Austin (Doves/Pixies) and is released on 8 April (The state51 Conspiracy).
Drown Me Out, the first single from Direction of Travel, received its premiere exclusively at The Line of Best Fit on 12th February 2016. Third album Direction of Travel follows 2015's Disarm:15 EP, a 'tender reworking of songs' from the debut album.
I Want My Country Back, a protest song, was released on 19 May 2017 and made available as a free download to encourage sharing prior to the UK general election on 8 June 2017.
She Makes War's first two albums, Disarm and Little Battles, share stories from the personal to the political, dealing with matters of love, loss, birth, therapy, murder, abandonment, and hope.
Their sonic and thematic collisions - analogue with digital, war with peace, and technology with the natural world - are underpinned by Kidd’s bewitching, pastoral vocals and violent guitars, and supported by a plethora of additional instruments from ukulele to autoharp, melodica, piano, violin, harp, saxophone and three-part recorder ensemble. Both albums were co-produced by Laura Kidd and Myles Clarke of Sparkadia, Kid Harpoon, and Belakiss.
TOURING
She Makes War has toured extensively in the UK and Europe both as a solo act and with a full band. She has also supported Suede , The Levellers, tUnE-yArDs , Gruff Rhys, The Magic Numbers, Duke Special, Shlomo , Midge Ure, New Model Army, Glen Matlock and Earl Slick, Nadine Shah, Erica Nockalls and Miles Hunt, Chris Helme and Drugstore.
She has also toured extensively on bass and vocals for artists including Tricky, Viv Albertine, Lil’ Chris, The Penelopes and Alex Parks, directs her own music videos and presents regular online gigs for listeners around the globe.
OTHER PROJECTS
Breakfast With Apollo: In 2012 Kidd launched her regular Breakfast With Apollo music nights in London, seeking to improve the gigging experience for bands and audiences by creating a coherent and cohesive format, encouraging collaborations between bands, educating both parties on sensible gig pricing and the consequences of this. Breakfast With Apollo nights have received strong support, continuing throughout 2015 in Bristol, London and beyond.
Stand Up: In 2015, she appeared in a one-woman show at Edinburgh Fringe, a blend of humorous spoken word and melancholy music performance, sharing tales of real life on the road and Laura’s ill-fated attempts at finding love along the way. Her show was described as 'a charming hour of biographical storytelling and music…perfectly executed acoustic gems' -The List.
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