Music / News
Bristol Beacon welcomes new cohort of resident musicians
For the second year, the Bristol Beacon is running an artist-in-residence programme to support the ongoing creativity and sustainability of selected local mid-career musicians.
Electronic artist GROVE, alt-pop vocalist Holysseus Fly and nu-jazz group Waldo’s Gift were the first musicians to take up residence at the venue last year, following an open call for emerging artists with promise aged 25 and above.
The year-long residency programme is paid and offers studio time as well creative mentorship.
is needed now More than ever
This year’s cohort reflect the city’s diverse cultural palette, with leftfield instrumental electronica, contemporary roots and alternative hyper-pop represented by the three distinctive artists.
Electronic producer Kayla Painter is a stalwart of the Bristol scene, appearing most recently on the Megascreen stage of Simple Things festival, and was previously a lecturer at BIMM.
Her atmospheric soundscapes blend real-world field recordings with experimental beats. Her work draws on science fiction and abstract storytelling to create immersive live experiences.
Painter’s debut album, Fractures, was named the best electronic album of 2024 by independent music platform Bandcamp, and she produced a playlist exploring the sounds of nature for BBC 6 Music in May.
She applied for the Resident Artist programme at a pivotal point in her career, she says: “I wanted to spend time developing my practice and continuing to build on my music career.
“Having just stepped into full time work as a musician, this residency is going to support me…with ample resources, spaces to invite new collaborations, and support from the team.”
View this post on Instagram
Folk and soul singer-songwriter Lady Nade is another longstanding figure in Bristol, but her career has taken her in more far-flung directions including performances with six-times Grammy-nominee Yola, a collaboration with Ivor Novello folk artist Boo Hewerdine and a musical cameo in Channel 4’s Traitors.
Her deeply personal lyrics are recognised for their intimacy and vulnerability, while her eclectic style incorporates roots, jazz, Americana and pop elements and she is known for paying tribute to one of the greats in her ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone‘ concerts.
She won song of the year at the UK Americana Awards in 2022, was nominated for artist of the year by the Americana Music Association (AMA) UK in 2023, and continues to receive acclaim from radio stations and reviewers nationally, including for the recent release of the single from her third album, Willing.
“I applied for the Bristol Beacon residency to elevate my live show and write new music,” Nade said. “Artists really need three things: time, space and money. This project offers all three, and it also helps artists connect with fans who remain at the foundation of everything we do.”
The third of the cohort is brooding underground pop artist Tlya X An. Her glitchy, Y2K-inspired sound fuses early-2000s R&B with bold electronic production and eye-catching visuals.
The enigmatic performer recently appeared at the Beacon to lend vocals to Scaler, in the support slot for Daniel Avery‘s show for Simple Things.
Tlya X An’s boundary-pushing performances that blend hyper-pop melodies and choreography have a dark, hard-hitting edge
Tlya said she hopes the residency will afford her the time, space and resources to “take things to the next level,” adding “this is an opportunity to push further, both creatively and in the discipline behind the work that goes into everything.”
The Beacon’s creative producer Owen Parry said each of the artists was chosen for their energy, ambition and unique individual quality.
“Their work speaks to the breadth of talent this city continues to generate and we’re thrilled to support each of them at such a pivotal point in their artistic journey,” he continued. “We look forward to seeing how the residency enables new collaborations, ideas and creative breakthroughs.”
All images: Elljay Briss
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
