Watch here the AB Session of Alela Diane.

Welcome back to AB dear Alela Diane! It might have taken three years for her highly praised album ‘The Pirate’s Gospel’ to reach us and catch on but ’08 is a year that Ms Menig (her real name or rather Alela Diane Menig in full) will most likely never forget. Not only did the world discover ‘The Pirate’s Gospel’ this year (which resulted in full venues) but she also contributed to the project of New York producer-duo HEADLESS HEROES, on which she sang covers of the likes of Nick Cave, Daniel Johnston and The Jesus & Mary Chain. She recorded her new album ‘To Be Still’ as well, which will appear next spring and which already sounds fuller and more varied. Her best friend Mariee Sioux (also in AB, on Monday 23 February) also sings along on a song. Did we already mention that Alela Diane is sure to become a great? Well we'd hereby like to predict it again. Oh, and … we also repeat our previous appeal: Alela has a strange hobby … namely, she collects old buttons. Basically: bring them with you! We'll do the rest.

Support-act to the Alela Diane concert will be William Elliott Whitmore. He quotes his influences equally as being Leadybelly or Public Enemy. That says quite a lot about the man. He continues to build upon a long blues tradition of many decades but has previously made a split album with Stephen O' Malley (Sunn) too. His latest album ‘Animals In The Dark’ will be out in February via Anti (see also the likes of : Tom Waits, Mavis Staples,...). Mojo about Whitmore: "His songs are every bit as stunning-dark musings on death that come from a place of very real pain" and also Time Out: "He plays a blend of Americana that recalls the twisted whimsy of Tom Waits". It has been noted.

Alela Diane - The Pirate's Gospel

William Elliot Whitmore - Midnight