Nell Bryden at Durham's Gala Theatre

SINGER-songwriter Nell Bryden heads for Durham's Gala Theatre on Saturday, October 8, with the release of a new single, What Is It You Want, taken from the album Bloom, which will be released early next year.

A firm favourite on the BBC Radio 2 playlist, her work has been championed by the likes of Bob Harris, Chris Evans, Jools Holland, Janice Long, Gary Barlow and the late Sir Terry Wogan.

Over the course of three studio albums, Bryden has provided her listeners with a string of unforgettable musical moments, including her 2012 breakthrough single Sirens – a haunting and powerful testimony based on her experience witnessing the September 11 attacks, later attracting the attention of music legend Cher, who covered the track on her 2013 album Closer To The Truth.

Her first Christmas single, in 2015, May You Never Be Alone, became her 13th consecutively playlisted single on Radio 2, and was inspired by the birth of her daughter Tala.

Bryden's eclectic ear has propelled her to unexpected success as a radio presenter. In 2014 she hosted a BBC Radio 2 special of transatlantic hits, Nell Bryden’s New York Hour. January this year saw her host an acclaimed four-part series, Nell’s Angels, in which she celebrated great female artists across a number of genres: gospel and soul, folk, country and blues, and jazz. Due to popular demand, Nell’s Angels returned with a Part 2 Series on BBC Radio 2 throughout August.

Viv Hardwick