RISING star Beth Jeans Houghton seems to have every ingredient needed for pop success.
She is stylish, kooky and, crucially, has a brillant knack for a melody.
The Newcastle girl is finally set to make it big with her band the Hooves of Destiny, more than two years after coming to the attention of the music press with her Hot Toast Volume One EP.
Artists like Marina and the Diamonds and Eliza Doolittle have come and gone in that time, but with the release of debut album Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose last week, the time has come for her to take her crown as the princess of the British indie scene.
After so long watching from the sidelines, the 22-year-old is delighted to finally have her album out.
“It’s exciting just for the fact it’s taken so long to get to this point, and more of a relief I guess to know it’s finally coming out. We’ve been in suspended animation for a long time.
“There were many delays, just boring stuff. But it’s been beneficial in a sense to give us more time to work through songs and figure out how were going to do them live.”
The songs on the album are a kind of wonky folk music, simple songs adorned with strings and choirs, making them instantly anthemic but without losing any charm.
But she’s not convinced ‘folk’ is the best description of her music.
“I understand where it comes from, but that was when I was 16 playing on my own with a guitar, but that’s completely irrelevant to our music now.
“I feel like I left the band I was in on my own and joined this one. There might be some slightly folky bits in some places, but it’s definitely not the biggest animal in the zoo.”
The album, recorded two years ago, was produced by Ben Hillier, better known for working with Doves, Blur and Elbow.
“They’re obviously good records,” she said, “but they’re nothing like my music, and I almost didn’t even go for a drink with him to talk about it because I was that stubborn.
“But he said he just wanted to have fun, see what happens, play around with stuff, and that was my vibe. We became a great team.”
Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny officially launch the album at Gateshead Old Town Hall on Saturday, February 25.
Tickets are £8 (£6 for concessions) and can be booked by calling 433 6965.
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