Wigan singer battles serious illness to write uplifting record

Now Lizzie Hillesdon, also known by her stage name Pixey, is releasing an uplifting five-track EP inspired by that battle. Colours is a euphoric self-produced blend of festival-worthy indie-pop that will be available on Spotify on Friday, September 6.

Lizzie said: “Every song on this EP was a form of escape during this time, which now completely influences the way in which I record my music.

"Writing the EP gave me a real focus and distraction from what I’d been through and the way I was feeling, as well as a new perspective on what I wanted to do. I’d never been a writer at all, I’d always sang or played keys in other people’s bands, so rediscovering music from a whole new angle was refreshing."

The talented musician who names The Prodigy and Björk among her influences, taught herself to write, record and produce music in her bedroom using a basic home studio.

The end result features the critically acclaimed tracks Young and Hometown, as well as opening single Supersonic Love, which will be available to download from Friday August 23.

"I’d say my sound is quite dream-pop married with upbeat drum loops, which you can hear throughout my EP. I like to layer guitar melodies and riffs over one another, and keep a motif going through each song," she said.

"Hometown was inspired by a trip I made to London after I had first started to write music. After being in the same room for so long it was a kick start back into the real world, but also made me realise I missed the security of where I’m from. I was so keen to get myself going in other places I forgot how important it is to keep home close!"

Lizzie’s previous work has already made waves in the music industry, with an earlier demo being named Edith Bowman’s Record of the Week on Virgin Radio.

It also enjoyed numerous spins on Radio X, BBC Merseyside and BBC Lancashire, as well as becoming a firm favourite of Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1.

"It was surprising but also incredibly rewarding after only ever hearing my tracks played through my bedroom speakers," she said.

"It’s always a great feeling to hear your music playing on the radio, especially by presenters such as Edith Bowman and Huw Stephens.

"And the support from BBC Radio Lancashire, who were the first station to play my tracks, was also a huge confident boost."

Over the past few years, Pixey has made a name for herself as an imaginative artist with a mission to brighten up her listeners’ worlds.

And the up-and-coming singer certainly proved she has the star quality to make it happen when she won over crowds at the likes of Liverpool Sound City, Live In Leeds and The Great Escape with her infectiously catchy tracks.

To find out more about her, search for Pixey Music on Facebook.