Hazel Iris Celebrates Release Of First Full-Length Album

On the 25th October at one of London's most historic landmarks, St. Bartholomew-the-Great at Smithfield, Hazel Iris, eccentric storytelling singer-songwriter celebrated the release of her first full-length album, Nine Sisters, supported by Shure.

The event was more an arts festival than an ordinary launch gig, as some of the most brilliant and innovative artists, from various genres, were on the line up.

Shure supported the event with KSM8, BETA52, SM137, SM81, KSM141, BETA98, SM57's and SM58 microphones and PSM300 in ear monitoring systems.

Church's are often difficult venues for great sound. Peter Junge, engineer in charge of recording and filming the event, explains how the Shure microphones performed.

"For the Hazel Iris 'Nine Sisters' album launch, we used Shure microphones on every instrument. Not only was the live-sound superb but the recording also came out really well. Listening back I was very surprised by how focused it all sounds and how little issue with bleed or ambience we have on the signals. Very often, when using that many condenser microphones in a church, there can be a problem. However, the sound is nicely separated and I'm pleased I'll be able to make a studio quality mix from it.
My favourite microphones on the evening were the KSM8 on lead vocals which provided a super clear sound, the Beta 181 on drum overheads captured the entire drum kit nicely and the Beta 98s on snare + tom which got all the details I want for this kind of music. They all sound fantastic!"

Marc Henshall, Senior Marketing Specialist, Pro Audio, explains why supporting artists and events is important for the brand. "For the industry to thrive, it’s imperative that we support truly unique talent. Shure have a proud history of supporting great music over many decades, and when Hazel approached us with the ambitious concept for her next album launch, it was clear this was an event we wanted to support. Far from a standard album launch, Hazel has worked hard to bring in broader creative aspects, including theatrical elements. We’re a huge advocate of theatre at Shure, and we recognise the importance of this sector in what it brings to the UK creative industries, both culturally and fiscally. Hazel’s work in bringing popular music closer to theatre and classical music is refreshing and exciting."