Paije Richardson
Paije Richardson is both a name and face that will be familiar to many. Having spent the past 12 months working on his debut album, he’s finally ready to let the world in on the fruits of his labour and set out on the next phase of his musical career.
It's no secret that fame literally came overnight and Paije went from being a normal guy one day to being mobbed in supermarkets the next.
For some, such exposure means instant overnight success, for others it heralds the downwards spiral towards bitterness and a rejection of their recent talent show experiences.
Yet this is neither the story of manufactured, machiavellian pop glory or the shattered dreams of a talent show victim.
No, this is simply about an unpretentious young man’s love of music. 2012 finds him exploring the music he loves, enjoying a new-found creative freedom and releasing his debut album via PledgeMusic.
The creation of Paije Richardson’s debut is a far cry from the focus group pop produce of other X Factor graduates.
For starters, it was recorded at Studio Humbug, an old converted Water Tower housed on Queen Victoria’s estate in remotest Isle of Wight, a building which some say is haunted.
At the production helm were Jim and Rob Homes who are not your regular pop knob-twiddlers - the duo made their name playing in bands including Jackson Analogue and far-out psychedelic horror film heads Boe Weaver.
The songs on Paije’s debut hark back to the era of early R&B and Northern Soul. Some are covers, others original compositions.
'Bang Bang' will be the debut single and is set for release in July