Elizabeth Midwitch; The Badmouthed Angel

Elizabeth Midwitch, real name Stephanie Seward, is a seventeen year old Electro-Synth Musician from a small English town known as Norwich. With two self-produced albums under her belt, and currently working on her third, theres no denying that this girl has a dream and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it come true.

Her first self-produced album, Sex.Murder.Fame.Lies, reveals the not so amazing sides to of all four of those things as well as applying them to everyday life. The opening track, and album title track, Sex.Murder.Fame.Lies. explores the emotions of breaking away from everything when it all begins to get too much and fighting against those who are trying to hold you back and stop you from being who you want to be. Which is exactly what Elizabeth, or Steph; but lets stick with Elizabeth for now, done. She broke away from all those people who were holding her back and fought against those who told her she 'wasn't good enough'.

The album covers the topic of Lies well with songs such as "Game Over" and "Two Faced", two songs which show a rivalry between two people and the lies they use to get under each others skin. One of the slower, down tempo, tracks on the album, "North Star", covers both the topic of Lies and Sex by using creative lyrics to tell the tale of wanting someone you can't have more than anything in the world but having to lie and hide what you're truly feeling around everyone else. The most obvious song for Fame on the album is "Londerground", which explores the 'nasty' side of England's capital, London. Showing that Fame comes at a cost, using playful lyrics Elizabeth Midwitch states that Fame is "not what it seems" and that it's all "disguised with lies".

After finishing her first debut album it wasn't long before Elizabeth Midwitch got back to writing and recording new material, fiddling with beeps and bleeps along with pounding drums and bass lines on computer music software such as Fruity Loops and Cubase. And on 3rd February, 2009 'Badmouthed Angel' was released, a collection of inspiring songs written from the heart.

The opening track, and once again, title track, "Badmouthed Angel", is a soft acoustic ballad with lyrics so honest and desperate it leaves the listener with a tear in their eye. This feeling doesn't last long as the album thunders along into "Follow Me" a song which makes the listener want to grab that hairbrush and dance around their bedroom screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The song deals with the problem of a copycat which, lets face it, everyone has seen or maybe even have had at some point in their life, whether it's been in the cliques at school or maybe just a younger sibling trying to be like them. "Follow Me" is one of those songs that anyone can enjoy and perhaps relate to.

The album stays up-tempo as it carries on into the next song "Dirty Whispers" with lyrics about a secret lover, theres no doubt that this is a song not to be played around young ears. The album then hits a high point as it comes crashing back down into "Sorry" another heart-wrenchingly honest song brings the tears welling back up in the listener's eyes before they are once again obliterated by the song "Proud", another up-beat song that reveals the thoughts that go through your mind when they meet someone in a nightclub. The album is then once again slowed down in pace as the softness of "Make Me Or Break Me" fills the listeners ears, but not long after they are one again shaken back up by the last song on the album entitled "Lies", probably the heaviest track on the album, it's another one of those 'Fuck You' songs, every artist has one, and this is Elizabeth Midwitch's.

Elizabeth Midwitch has managed to accomplish quite a bit working on her own, from her small bedroom in Norwich. Proving to all of those people that said she wasn't good enough that she in fact was, and still is. Currently working on her third self-produced album, 'The Girl Show', due for release later this year, Elizabeth Midwitch has shown that where you come from, or what other people say, has nothing to do with what you can achieve.

After seeing this talented young lady live twice with my own eyes, and owning both her albums, I can recommend this artist to you all and honestly say that you will not be disappointed. Watch out for this girl in the future, she may go far.

Useful Links:
Midwitch Myspace
Official Website