Grammy-nominated Beth Nielsen Chapman heading to Sunderland's Fire Station

Ever since the release of her first album, Hearing It First in 1980, Beth Nielsen Chapman has undoubtedly made her mark in music.

Her body of work includes seven No 1 hits and spans a diverse roster of legendary artists who have covered her songs including Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Keb’ Mo and Elton John, and has often been featured in film and TV.

She returned with her new album, CrazyTown, last month via Cooking Vinyl.

Produced by the celebrated five-time Grammy Award-winner Ray Kennedy, who’s worked with everyone from Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, and Shania Twain, to John Mellencamp and Taylor Swift, CrazyTown combines elements of classic rock, blues and pop and explores themes of navigating the ups and downs of life and love.

“It’s about navigating chaos” says Beth. “How, even despite everything being crazy, on some level one can trust that things are in divine order and that we will be OK.

"There’s a lot of groove and joy and fun on this album, along with a couple of deep dive ballads.”

Speaking about album track, ballad The Edge, written about losing her first husband to cancer in 1994, she said: “It is about acquiescing to the absolute depths of sadness and fear and a loss of trust in how to turn things around.

“Sometimes when we are in deep grief we have to speak about the experience because others are there in it too and writing about it and expressing it moves us through it.”

She added: “‘CrazyTown is a bit of a leap for me. I’ve always loved being in the studio and making records, but I think this experience of these sessions with Ray Kennedy producing really captured the feel and the breath of what happens when I perform live. There’s a spontaneity and immediacy to my vocals and the whole sound has a rawness and an edge that I really love.”

Beth is an artist with many accolades to her name: mega-hit This Kiss, sung by Faith Hill, was ASCAP’s 1999 Song of The Year, garnered a Grammy nomination and Nashville NAMMY’s 1999 Songwriter of the Year.

Beth also received a special award by The Alabama Music Hall of Fame and was the recipient of The Distinguished Artist Award from the Alabama State Council on the Arts in 2009 and in October of 2016, Beth was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, one she considers to be the highest honour she’s ever received.

In 2019 Beth was invited to become an Ambassador for the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation.

Beth is one of many highlights of the 2022 / 2023 season at the city’s newest venue, which also features PJ Harvey, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours with The Transatlantic Ensemble, The Futureheads and many more.

:: Beth Nielsen Chapman, with support from Scott Mulvahill, plays The Fire Station on Sunday, November 13. Tickets are priced from £22 from sunderlandculture.org.uk