Ella Edmondson
Encyclopedia
Eleanor Rose "Ella" Edmondson (born 22 January 1986; Hammersmith
, London
, England
) is an English singer-songwriter
. Her primary instrument is the guitar
though she can also play piano
.
colleagues Adrian Edmondson
and Jennifer Saunders
. She has two younger sisters, Beatrice and Freya. The majority of Edmondson's childhood was spent in Richmond
before her family relocated to Devon
. She attended Exeter School
where she wrote songs as part of her music GCSE. Edmondson became a fan of death metal
because it was the only music that her father didn't like. She went through a goth
phase as a teenager and became a satanist. She worked as snowboarding
instructor
in Canada
, a barmaid and a painter and decorator
before deciding to focus on music full time. Ella got married at the end of September 2010 to her longtime boyfriend, Dan.
Edmondson began writing songs at the age of ten, and first recorded at 12 with Glyn Johns
. At 14, she received her first guitar as a Christmas
present
from her father and taught herself
to play by copying him. Her first gig was at 16 supporting Thousand Natural Shocks in Exeter. She made an appearance in an episode of her mother's sitcom Jam and Jerusalem
in 2006 performing "Breathe". In 2007, she released her first EP
, Blame Amy and appeared on the compilation Folk Rising. Her debut album, Hold Your Horses
, was released on 16 February 2009.
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is an English singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. Her primary instrument is the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
though she can also play piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
.
Biography
Edmondson is the eldest of three daughters of The Comic StripThe Comic Strip
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents.... The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders, with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and...
colleagues Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was...
and Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
. She has two younger sisters, Beatrice and Freya. The majority of Edmondson's childhood was spent in Richmond
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
before her family relocated to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. She attended Exeter School
Exeter School
Exeter School is a selective independent co-educational day school for pupils between the ages of 7 and 18 located in Exeter, Devon, England. In 2010 there were around 180 pupils in the Junior School and 670 in the Senior School...
where she wrote songs as part of her music GCSE. Edmondson became a fan of death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
because it was the only music that her father didn't like. She went through a goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
phase as a teenager and became a satanist. She worked as snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
instructor
Instructor
Instructor may refer to:In education:* Professor of a technical subject like dance or civil engineering at a university* A teacher of a specialised subject that involves skill**flight instructor**drill instructor**Physical Training Instructor...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a barmaid and a painter and decorator
Painter and decorator
A house painter and decorator is a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painter...
before deciding to focus on music full time. Ella got married at the end of September 2010 to her longtime boyfriend, Dan.
Edmondson began writing songs at the age of ten, and first recorded at 12 with Glyn Johns
Glyn Johns
Glyn Johns is a musician, recording engineer and record producer.-Career:He has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Easybeats, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, Spooky Tooth, The Ozark...
. At 14, she received her first guitar as a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
present
Gift
A gift or a present is the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free. In many human societies, the act of mutually exchanging money, goods, etc. may contribute to...
from her father and taught herself
Autodidacticism
Autodidacticism is self-education or self-directed learning. In a sense, autodidacticism is "learning on your own" or "by yourself", and an autodidact is a person who teaches him or herself something. The term has its roots in the Ancient Greek words αὐτός and διδακτικός...
to play by copying him. Her first gig was at 16 supporting Thousand Natural Shocks in Exeter. She made an appearance in an episode of her mother's sitcom Jam and Jerusalem
Jam and Jerusalem
Jam & Jerusalem is a British comedy-drama that aired on BBC One from 2006 to 2009. Written by Jennifer Saunders and Abigail Wilson, it starred Sue Johnston, Jennifer Saunders, Pauline McLynn, Dawn French, Maggie Steed, David Mitchell, and Sally Phillips. Earlier episodes also starred Joanna Lumley...
in 2006 performing "Breathe". In 2007, she released her first EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Blame Amy and appeared on the compilation Folk Rising. Her debut album, Hold Your Horses
Hold Your Horses (album)
Hold Your Horses is the debut album by British singer-songwriter Ella Edmondson. It was released on 23 February 2009, on the Monsoon label.-Label:...
, was released on 16 February 2009.