Plum (photo by Jannica Honey)
Electro-pop producer & multi-instrumentalist Shona Maguire, aka Plum, became the first female artist ever to win a Scottish Alternative Music Award, securing “Best Electronic” award in March 2013, having been heralded “One to Watch for 2013” by Best of British Unsigned in January 2013, and with her album The Seed in the ‘Best Albums of 2012’ list for many bloggers at home and abroad, including Ade Ibiza.
Performing and releasing music under the name Plum, she creates intricate, unique, quirky, and ever so slightly twisted music. With a live set combining home-made floor pad samplers, filters, various buttons and triggers, she has been described as a bit of a mad scientist.
She will be releasing her next EP “Betsy Thunder” in June 2013, along with live dance performances resulting from a dance residency currently taking place at Edinburgh’s Dance Base, in The Grassmarket.
She has travelled to 28 countries, accidentally causing a bomb-scare in one of them. She has volunteered with North Korean refugees, owned a motorbike, lived in the back of her car, and studied music production at Hackney’s Point Blank Music Production College (6 time winner of the annual T-scan awards “Best music production college”) which led her to adopt her current life as an independent electronic musician under the guise of Plum, a childhood nickname.
After releasing her first two EPs on LA based label Summer Rain Recordings, she was snapped up by cult label Benbecula Records as the only female artist in their 11 year history, releasing critically acclaimed album Different Skin in 2009.
She has enjoyed extensive airplay & interviews on radio including BBC Radio 1, Best of British, Amazing Radio and BBC Radio Scotland. Her music has been featured in TV (Lip Service, BBC Three, 2010) and adverts.
“There’s a sort of ‘mad professor’ element to her work, where anything can be an instrument and she’s pretty keen on making some of her own too – sample pads made from roofing rubber have made it into her wildly eclectic and energetic live sets”. The Scotsman
“Forget what you think about female singers and listen to this.”
Matt Graveling, Best of British
“A really great, really interesting artist – comparisons to The Knife and Nikki & the Dove” Ally McCrae, BBC Radio 1
“I’m glad more people are starting to catch on to what I’ve known for years. It’s rare to find music that is equally intelligent, beautiful and moving, all at a high level. But my friend Plum is that kind of rare artist”” Canadian rap legend, Buck 65
“Really enjoying it” Gotye
“A brilliant artist who gets better with each release” Vic Galloway, Radio Scotland
“Already one of the most important albums of the year” Ringmaster
“Heroically trying to shove the stale, soulless, reality TV pop music from the upper echelons of the chart”
Sound of Confusion
