Biography
- Classically trained since age 7, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree (with Honours) from the Birmingham Conservatoire (2002 - 2006).
- Full-time fiddle player with signed UK indie rock band, The Wonder Stuff, most recently headlining the Avalon Stage, Glastonbury Festival 2009.
- Member of signed acoustic duo Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls, touring extensively across the US, Europe and Japan (2006 - present).
- Live and studio session violinist, most recently working with The Proclaimers, Damien Dempsey, Captain and TV composer, George Taylor.
- Creator and leader of rock/metal string quartet, Nemesis (2009 - present).
- Endorsee of Ted Brewer Electric Violins, Pirastro Strings and The Sound Post Ltd.
- Sponsored by dress designer Vivien of Holloway, corset creator Maya Hansen and Gloomth.com
"After 4 years of intense musical training under the violin virtuoso, Ken Aiso, I graduated with honours from The Birmingham Conservatoire in the summer of 2006. As a 'classically trained' violinist (as that seems to be the title awarded to me) I've been performing with orchestras and string quartets for the most part of my life."
"What really interests me, however, is the power of ROCK! I was 17 years old when I purchased my first electric violin (it was a transparent red Ted Brewer 'VIVO') and ever since then, sought out other rock musicians that wanted to play with me. My initial band endeavour was to come under the name FIRESWITCH - a Birmingham based prog metal band."
"At the same time as playing 'metal' violin, I met another Birmingham based band - The Wonder Stuff and as of March 2005, joined them! As a result of my work with The Wonder Stuff I secured full sponsorship with Ted Brewer Violins. Since then I've been demonstrating these ace violins at music conventions around the world."
Session Work
The Proclaimers
"After Miles Hunt and I supported the Scottish legends, the twins approached me to play guest fiddle for their home coming show at Edinburgh Castle. I took the solo on Sunshine On Leith on July 19th '08 in front of a sold out, roaring crowd. Thanks for having me guys!"
Damien Dempsey
"I had the honour of playing an acoustic set with Mr Dempsey live at Guilfest '07 - a gulpingly dream-come-true experience if ever there was one for me."
Primitive Painters
"The super-chilled Californian rockers asked me to feature on a new track of theirs, entitled 'It's Not Enough'. Have a little look - www.myspace.com/primitivepainters "
Captain
"You'll also be able to hear my violin stylings recorded on the awesome new Captain album out 2008.
www.captaintheband.com "
The Wonder Stuff
The first female member to join the band, Nockalls has been writing, recording and touring as fiddle player with The Wonder Stuff since March 2005.
Long before "Britpop", British indie music had a golden era that saw the likes of Pop Will Eat Itself, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, EMF, Jesus Jones and of course, perhaps the biggest band of the era - The Wonder Stuff. With a sound that mixed post-punk guitars, psychedelia, pop-rock and folk they were the perfect alternative band in a time of Stock Aitken Waterman. Armed with killer, catchy tunes and sneering lyrics The Stuffies were to go from indie darlings to headlining the Reading festival and enjoying hit success with 'Welcome To The Cheap Seats', 'Size Of A Cow' and their number one collaboration with Vic Reeves, 'Dizzy'.
Projects
Miles & Erica
Miles Hunt, singer and rhythm guitarist of The Wonder Stuff joins the band's fiddler Erica Nockalls to form a dazzling acoustic duo, performing pieces from a vast catalogue of Wonder Stuff hits, Miles' solo work and of course, the duo's own material. Miles and Erica tour extensively, playing to enthusiastic audiences across Japan, America and Europe. "The Miles and Erica duo is such a creative outlet for us and I entirely enjoy touring our shows together. Miles has the ability to capture and hold the audience's attention like no other performer I've seen... his on stage between-song-banter have the crowd (and me) in hysterics. If you want to hear some cracking foot-tapping tunes, enjoy a good laugh and don't mind a bit of strong language, come and see us!" Miles and Erica are supporting Scottish legends The Proclaimers on their huge UK tour in Oct/Nov 2009. Erica will also be featuring with The Proclaimers playing lead fiddle on their massive hit 'Sunshine On Leith'. Check the Tour Dates page for more info.
Nemesis
A specialist string quartet, formed and fronted by violinist Erica Nockalls.
"Strikingly handsome and devilishly proficient, Nemesis are Conservatoire graduates, all with vast and wide ranging musical tastes. Nockalls has always had a penchant for the heavier side of music and has remained a loyal disciple to those more extreme genres throughout her formal classical training as a violinist. Whilst being bored to tears playing Mozart Divertimenti and Pachelbel's Canon, Nockalls quickly formed the opinion that a string quartet's ability to entertain should exceed registry office limitations and stretch to wider forums. Nemesis play Nockalls' own arrangements including finer works by some of her favourite rock and metal bands, or anything she thinks worthy of rendition, just so long as it rocks."
www.myspace.com/lovenemesis
"Ted Brewer Violins are launching a wild new quartet range of instruments in 2010. Nemesis string quartet will be working with Ted to help develop the new range and will play these amazing electric creations as well as our acoustic instruments."
EXHIBITION
"Exhibition is a side project I'm working on with Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff. It's an odd bin for any of our music that doesn't fit the jelly mould of anything we're known for, it's quite different from the noise we make in The Wonder Stuff. Please get in touch with us if you need any music composing for film or television. Take a listen at www.myspace.com/exhibitionmusic "
Shared
'Shared' is the new acoustic compilation album featuring specially recorded pristine Miles & Erica tracks, produced by Miles Hunt.
The CD will be available from the official album launch party where some of the CD's artists will perform - 25th July 2009 @ The Horseshoe Inn, Bridges, Shropshire. Artists include Miles & Erica - Wayne Hussey - Dirty Ray - Timothy Parkes - Rob Dunsford - Matthew Derrick.
