Wiki
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Release Date
1 January 2008
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Length
12 tracks
Ladyhawke is the debut studio album by New Zealand singer and songwriter Ladyhawke. It was released on 19 September 2008 by Modular Recordings. Featuring production by Pascal Gabriel, Greg Kurstin, Kid Gloves, Kish Mauve's Jim Eliot, Paul Harris and Van She's Michael Di Francesco, the album incorporates 1980s-influenced new wave and synth-pop, as well as indie rock. It was promoted by five singles: "Back of the Van", "Paris Is Burning", "Dusk Till Dawn", "My Delirium" and "Magic".
Ladyhawke received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended Ladyhawke for her ability to reproduce the music of the 1980s. The album reached number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). It also charted at number 16 in Australia and the United Kingdom, receiving gold certifications in both countries. The album won six awards at the 2009 New Zealand Music Awards—the most awards won since 2004—and two at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009.
The cover artwork is a watercolor painting by Sydney-based illustrator and painter Sarah Larnach of a loosely dressed Ladyhawke intently playing a NES on an unseen television. Also visible are three cats, a Super NES controller, a Genesis console, a microKORG synthesiser, and a NES Zapper holstered in her underwear.
The album's lead single, "Back of the Van", was originally released as a digital download in 2008. It was re-released in the UK on 19 May 2009, reaching number 93 on the UK Singles Chart. "Paris Is Burning" was released on 30 June 2008 as the second single from the album, peaking at number 40 in New Zealand, number 52 in Australia and number 61 in the UK. Following a reissue on 2 March 2009, "Paris Is Burning" reached a new peak position of number 47 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Dusk Till Dawn" was released as the third single on 15 September 2008, peaking at number 78 on the UK Singles Chart. "My Delirium" was released on 8 December 2008 as the album's fourth single. The song became Ladyhawke's best-performing single to date, charting at number eight in Australia, number nine in New Zealand, number 19 in the UK and number 36 in Denmark. "Magic" was released on 28 September 2009 as the album's fifth and final single. It became Ladyhawke's second highest-peaking single in New Zealand, reaching number 31, while failing to chart in the UK.
Personnel
Pip Brown – vocals, backing vocals (all tracks); electric guitar (tracks 2, 8); bass guitar (tracks 3, 4, 11, 12); guitar (tracks 3–5, 7, 9–12); drums, synthesiser (track 7); keyboards (track 9); art direction, executive production
Michael Di Francesco – bass guitar, engineering, production, synthesiser (track 7)
Jim Eliot – engineering, keyboards, production (tracks 4, 6, 11); drums (track 4)
Tom Elmhirst – mixing (tracks 2–7, 9, 11, 12)
Antonio Feola – engineering (track 2)
Pascal Gabriel – drums, engineering, keyboards, percussion, production (tracks 1, 3, 5, 10, 12); guitar (tracks 1, 3, 5, 10); bass synthesiser (tracks 1, 10, 12); mixing (track 10); piano (track 12)
Jason Gossman – mixing assistance (tracks 1, 8)
Alex Gray – keyboards (tracks 3, 5, 10); guitar (track 3); percussion (track 5); Rhodes piano (track 10)
Paul Harris – drums, engineering, keyboards, production (track 4)
Tony Hoffer – mixing (tracks 1, 8)
Peter Huntington – drums (track 2)
Roy Kerr – programming (tracks 2, 8); drums (track 8)
Kid Gloves – engineering, production (tracks 2, 8)
Greg Kurstin – engineering, keyboards, production, programming (track 9)
Sarah Larnach – art direction, artwork
Dan Parry – mixing assistance (tracks 2, 4–7, 9, 11, 12)
Anu Pillai – bass guitar, keyboards, programming (tracks 2, 8); drums (track 8)
Hannah Robinson – backing vocals (tracks 3, 10)
Leo Taylor – drums (tracks 6, 11)
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