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Kent girlband Stooshe back for more hits

Entertainment
By MOLLY PIKE KENTS most outrageous girl band are back with their newest single Slip. Brace yourself; its time to catch up with Stooshe.
Stooshe stormed the charts last year with their number one single Black Heart, a Motown inspired track about a daddys girl falling for a bad boy. Stooshes new single Slip is released May 12 with their debut album coming May 25. This band enjoyed quick success with two top five singles released in the same year they were scouted and launched. Theyre the band that had to change the title of their song to Love Me because the original was too rude. But this local girl group have humble beginnings, born and bred in Maidstone member Alexandra Buggs was discovered browsing the rails at Bluewater. In my second year of uni I was shopping in Topshop in Bluewater and I was scouted and asked if I could sing, because they liked the way I looked. I thought they were joking, but I gave them my details anyway and never looked back. mollypike@kentpress.co.uk hoping to make it. Its nice to see, especially when Im at Uni with talented musicians who hope to and should make it into the industry themselves. Alexandra is a Kent girl through and through, she attended Sutton Vallance primary school and then later went to study at Invicta Grammar school, both in Maidstone, Storming the charts... Stooshe and I was in the school choir, but I never really took it seriously and hated the discipline. I would always sing at home but was too nervous to sing in front of people as I got older. Thats all changed now! Alexandra comes from a musical family but previously decided to do a marketing degree after seeing her mother struggle to succeed in music. She is also decended from Ghanian royalty on her mothers side of herfamily. Im from the Ashanti line in West Africa. My mums mum was a queen, she says.
KENT PRESS Monday May 1st May 2013
Kimbofest raises 1479 for charity

By MOLLY PIKE
A LOCAL mans emotional music tribute to his mother has raised an amazing 1,479 for the Alzheimers society. Chatham resident Kim Cranfield put on a one-day festival dubbed Kimbofest at the Tap n Tin nightclub, Chatham, to raise money for the Alzheimers Society in honour of his mother who is in the later stages of the illness. Kim is something of a local celebrity, nicknamed Kimbo, he became a staple of the Chatham music hotspot working as a cloakroom attendant and good friend to many music lovers. Kimbo said: We had a great day; we managed to raise over 1300 on the door alone and the total is currently at 1479. He arranged the festival to raise money for the charity that helps people like his mother that suffer from Alzheimers disease which can leave a person with long-term memory loss. It was something I wanted to do, it won't help my mum now as she has had Alzheimer's for about eight years and three of them have been bed ridden. She has spent most of the past three years curled up in a ball not knowing whats going on. I wanted to do something and anything I can do to help Im all for it.
cause havoc and say it means Girl Power. Girl Power was made famous by the Spice Girls, a band Stooshe have been compared to for their similar bold attitude and unique style. Just glancing at a picture of the trio is enough to almost make you colourblind, Alexandra dresses like a pop princess that got lost in Chatham highstreet. Think Rihanna meets Casinos nightclub. They have also been celebrated for their progressive lyrics, bandmate Courtney was able to reveal her sexualty in one of their songs. We have a natural raw edge which I think people can relate to us. Theres nothing contrived about us and we have no rules. We are three normal girls who have a lot of chemistry and fun with each other and I think that come across well in everything we do.
Local gigs
The group are no strangers to Medway. They supported group NDubz at Rochester castle back in July 2011. The singer remains humble but she has become something of Kentish celebrity in her hometown of Maidstone. When I go back to the nail salon in Maidstone everybody knows that Im in Stooshe and always ask me how its going. I love what Im doing and wouldnt change it for anything. Shelby Fuller, 19, a Chatham resident, saw the band perform at Rochester before they were famous. Id never even heard of them at the time, me and my friends loved them immediately just because their songs were hilarious. Its great that local people have made it, it gives a positive image of Kent in the media and it gives hope to others
Getting signed
The singer is picky about the sort of success that Stooshe have. They turned down signing onto Simon Cowells Syco label for fear that they would lose creative control over their music and chose to sign with Warner Music instead. Last summer they were a hot ticket at T4 on The Beach and previously supported Nicki Minaj. Alexandra has always wanted to sing, so her chance encounter with a record label scout was a dream come true. In primary school I would sing,
Something unique
If you havent heard of Stooshe before now, Alexandra says there are plenty of reasons to check them out. If their raunchy lyrics arent enough, their uniqueness should draw you in. The word Stooshe is a made-up world that the girls claim means to
Maidstone girl... Alexandra
All of the money spent by gig goers was donated to the charity. Entry was 6 for the whole day and Kimbofest fundraisers collected donations throughout the night. The total is set to grow even bigger as the winner of the Kimbofest banner that was raffled on the night has given it up for auction and will donate the money to charity. 24 of Kents best local bands took to the stage to a bustling audience who stayed from 12pm until 3am to raise money for the cause. The bands had big shoes to fill as the nightclub has previously played host to several big names including The Libertines and The Mystery Jets. The local bands were playing in a place of rock history as The Libertines self-titled album cover was taken at the nightclub at their infamous Freedom Gig. The night got rave reviews from its music fans and musicians alike, with Kimbo himself telling us that it rocked. Rory Bell, the guitarist for headlining bank Wildfowl said: It goes to show with a lot of work and dedication people can do great things. Im so proud to have been a part of the day. I'd like to thank everyone who came along, who donated money and had a good time. Kimbo has been left overwhelmed by the massive success of the event and he is planning more shows like it. I dont think the event will ever be beaten but Im hoping to make it an annual thing and might put on another show in the summer.

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4

Kent girlband Stooshe back for more hits

KENT PRESS Monday May 1st May 2013

Kimbofest raises 1479 for charity

Maidstone girl... Alexandra

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