Angelou was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

band formed in 1996 by singer-songwriter

Holly Lerski Holly Lerski (born Holly Elmhirst, 13 November 1969) is an English singer and songwriter known both for her work with Angelou and for her solo career. Biography Coming to public attention in the late 1990s with folk rock band Angelou this Nor ...

with guitarist Jo Baker, the duo taking the band's name from the author

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

or also known as Marguerite Annie Johnson . Angelou debuted on

Boo Hewerdine Mark "Boo" Hewerdine (born 14 February 1961) is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. His work includes lead singer and creative force behind The Bible, formed in the 1980s, and reformed in 1994, as well as solo recordings and work f ...

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

Haven Records in 1997 with the "Hallelujah" EP. Joined by Phil Di Palma and Chris Evans, they followed this up with two critically acclaimed

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

s, ''Automiracles'' (1998) and ''While You Were Sleeping'' (2000). Angelou toured Spain extensively in 2001, promoting their Spanish 'best of' release, ''Midnight Witcheries'', with new members Cath Evans and Ann Richardson. The band returned a second time for the

Benicàssim festival Benicàssim (; es, Benicasim ; ar, بنو قاسم, translit=banū qāsim, or ar, بني قاسم, translit=banī qāsim, label=none, according to numismatic findings) is a municipality and beach resort located in the province of Castelló, ...

2001 tour, promoting their "Summertime" EP. After their return to England they signed to

Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and is as of 2013 a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management solely for reissues. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest m ...

and recorded their third album, ''Life Is Beautiful'', releasing it under Holly Lerski's name. The album finally broke Lerski and her band into the mainstream through heavy radio support for their two singles. Lerski left Sanctuary Records in 2005 through lack of support for the record. The company dissolved soon after, to eventually be bought out by the

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

Discography

;''Hallelujah'' EP (1997) ;''Automiracles'' (1998) # She Stays # Flesh and Blood # Honeysuckle Again # Automatic Miracles # Humble # Thank You # Let's Go Home # The Mermaid Girl # Elysian Fields # Lullaby ;''While You Were Sleeping'' (2000) # Sainte Genevieve # The Shipping News # Rise Up # Glittering Creatures # Fall # Bitter Honey # While You Were Sleeping # Coat # Summer Homecoming # This is Not a Lovesong # Little Sister

References

{{Reflist English folk rock groups Musical groups established in 1996 Musical groups disestablished in 2006