Polly Paulusma
“…the finest young British female singer-songwriter to emerge over the last 12 months” UNCUT Magazine
In 2003, tucked away in her garden shed, 28-year-old Polly Paulusma was putting the finishing touches to her self-recorded debut album ‘Scissors In My Pocket’, a critically acclaimed work of aching acoustic tenderness which immediately received worldwide plaudits upon its international release in 2004.
“an enchanting debut of understated, intelligent folk pop” Rolling Stone
The album catapulted Polly around the world, supporting luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Jamie Cullum, Coldplay, The Divine Comedy, and Marianne Faithfull, whilst performing at UK festivals such as Glastonbury, T in the Park, ‘V’, and The Cambridge Folk Festival, amongst many others, and touring the USA and Italy twice. ‘Scissors…’ sister album ‘Cosmic Rosy Spine Kites, closely followed in 2005.
2011 saw a change in direction, as Polly founded her own Wild Sound record label, releasing ‘Leaves from the Family Tree’ and its sibling ‘The Small Feat of My Reverie’. This album featured collaborations with US singer-songwriter Erin McKeown, violinist Anna Phoebe and the film/tv music composer Michael Price (Sherlock). It was around this time that Polly spread her wings even further, scoring and releasing a film soundtrack for the Canadian movie starring Roddy Piper, ‘Clear Lake’.
Wild Sound subsequently released not just her own work but those of notable acoustic folk artists including Maz O’Connor, Dan Wilde, Mortal Tides, Harry Harris, Stylusboy, ,and others. The label became a folk imprint at newly named One Little Independent in 2017.
2021 saw the release of another brave and critically acclaimed work as Polly released ‘Invisible Music: folk songs that influenced Angela Carter’, an album of traditional folk songs and spoken-word readings which sprang from her recently completed PhD on Angela Carter’s influence from folk singing in the 1960s. It has received widespread praise from critics in both the UK and across Europe.
‘…a vibrant, insightful tribute’ Guardian/Observer
‘…intoxicating an impressive album that really deserves to be heard’ BBC Radio 2 Folk Show
‘…one of the landmark releases of the year’ Shire Folk
’…among the brightest, most inspired and captivating voices of the British folk scene’ Rockerilla, Italy
‘Invisible Music…’ will be followed in 2022 by ‘The Pivot On Which The World Turns’, a brand new album of original songs which will be Paulusma’s ninth release.
