Singaporean Sharliza Jelita bursts like brightly coloured confetti onto the music scene with her energetic live performance and eclectic pop music. Combining Hot Chip, Janelle Monae, Stereolab and Sesame Street, the result is her alt-pop debut album ‘Strange Things’, to be released on 25 June  2012.

To promote her first single No Go Pogo, she went round central London and got random people to jump on pogo sticks.

Sharliza’s life is one furnished with events that have served as a rich pallet of inspiration. This traverses a cross-cultural discovery after being orphaned at 15, independently experimenting with different countries, lifestyles and people. Her varied experience and eccentric outlook on life makes for observational songwriting with a sense of humour that covers infidelity, money, lack of sun and rebellious independence.

It was the likes of Duran Duran, Suede and Radiohead that drew Sharliza Jelita to UK shores. She fronted a band called the Rrrs and quickly became guitarist in the electro-pop collective Death Metal Disco Scene (featured in Dorian Lynskey’s First Sight feature in The Guardian). Sharliza’s own solo work owes more to the influence of Hot Chip, the Futureheads and the flamboyance of Janelle Monae.

Now based in London, her live performances are what draw in the crowds, regularly throwing in all manner of theatrical props from mechanical rabbits, feathers and flying fridge magnets, which have led to it being described as ‘Hot Chip meets Sesame Street’.

With pop-tastic singles and eye-opening videos fast approaching, Sharliza is original, outspoken and impossible to miss.

Musical influences also include Duran Duran, Black Eyed Peas, Frank Zappa, The Futureheads, Radiohead, P Ramlee and trojan calypso. For her live performances, she looks to Boy George, Tina Turner, Carmen Miranda, Freddie Mercury and Eddie Izzard.

Find out more about Sharliza’s backstory

Follow Sharliza on Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Youtube

People involved in this album

Partners in crime include Jonny Goodwillie of the Hook-up Consultancy (Catskills Records founder), Tom Beck for press and radio PR, Massimo Zeppetelli for online PR, Russ Keffert, head honcho of Something Nothing Records and producer working his magic at the Brighton Electric, Seymour Milton, programming genius at the Strongroom for all his contributions and Oli at Optimum Mastering.

Also Ben Chisnall on artwork, Issa Pourkhosravi on informal videos, Sam Jordan (for No Go Pogo), Ed Stenson on Claustrophobia, Nick Light on Is That Your Underwear On The Floor? and Joss Horne for Strange Things, Annisa Muchtar on digital marketing, Angela Melling and Steven Read on photography. Also milliner Miranda Persaud on hats. Make-up artists Becky Johal and Ellie Worthington. Extras on videos: Issa Pourkhosravi, Jodie Lawrence, Adeline Rozario.

Live musicians

Afua Fiagbe – Backing vocal and trumpet
Dan Middler – Guitars

Other musicians on record

Kerry Atchison – Piano
Les Pemberton – Bass
Rowan Gifford – Bass, guitars, synth lines
Tom Miodrag – Drums and percussion
Ursula Donelly – Violin