Somerset based folk singer-songwriter, Sharon Lazibyrd, releases her keenly anticipated debut solo single on 15th July. The song is already receiving airplay around the country and the world on folk and indie shows. "A glorious pairing of haunting lyrical details and the unity of the artist herself" Jackson Cooper Riviera FM “I love that song…it’s going to have to go on my favourites” Liz Franklin Radio Teesdale “Sharon's voice hits you from the outset, at first slightly fragile but masking latent potential and depth as it delivers… poignant lyrics” Thank Folk for That "Sharon’s voice cuts perfectly through gentle instrumentation in this very well constructed song. This is a folk listener’s dream, I look forward to hearing more in the future." Alan Grant Celtic Music Radio Not Blue is a song of empowerment that was inspired by Sharon’s own frustration at some of the situations in her life. “I wrote the song as a way of addressing these and moving on and in doing so imagined my frustrations as evil spirits that could be chased away” said Sharon. Not Blue features Sharon on vocals and ukulele and she is joined by some very talented musicians and friends who orchestrate the song with piano, accordion, violin and backing vocals. Damon and Kate Bridge (Owl in the Sun) and Lukas Drinkwater (Jacob and Drinkwater, Ange Hardy). A broken shoulder in January this year gave her unexpected time to really think about the instrumentation and arrangements of her songs. This track was initially recorded live with whole take overdubs added afterwards. This is apparent from the organic feel of this track and the way the song breathes. Sharon is currently recording her eagerly anticipated debut solo album, Half Shame and Half Glory, at Orchard Studios in Somerset and it will be released later in 2016. Sharon Lazibyrd is a talented, original and award winning singer- songwriter who writes striking and melodic songs. Her songs are influenced by musicals, music hall and everything from Julian Cope to English folk. She has performed across the UK and in Ireland including Glastonbury and Tolpuddle and as half of the duo Lazibyrd winning the South West Music Awards Best Folk Act of 2013. Her songs have been shortlisted in competitions, she has recorded a session for Bob Harris, been championed by Tom Robinson, included in the FATEA showcase sessions and she was invited to take part in a BBC Introducing folk residential in 2014. She has shared a stage with a talented range of artists including Hattie Briggs, Kitty Macfarlane, Dave Swarbrick and Ange Hardy. In 2015 she performed at 15 festivals and she is performing on the festival circuit again in 2016 including the 6 Music festival, Kingsbury May Festival, Home Farm Festival and Keynsham Folk Festival