Marcella and The Forget Me Nots

Marcella and The Forget me Nots is the brainchild of Marcella Puppini, founder of famous UK vocal trio The Puppini Sisters and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.

Marcella has a strong background both in Music and Fashion, having graduated first from Central St Martins College of Art - which led her to work at Vivienne Westwood’s studio - and subsequently from Trinity College of Music where she studied Singing and Composition.

Initially drawn to Opera, Marcella subsequently shifted towards Alternative Cabaret, which led her to creating The Puppini Sisters and then to becoming Musical Director and songwriter for The Whoopee Club - one of the pioneers and leaders of the UK Burlesque scene - as well as collaborating with Club DJs, Jazz musicians and “a variety of other musical reprobates”, as she puts it.

While recording and touring with The Puppini Sisters, who were awarded a Gold disc in the UK in 2007, Marcella founded The Forget Me Nots - an all-girl Post-Apocalyptic Cabaret orchestra with influences ranging from Kurt Weill and Jacques Brel to Baroque Opera and Prog Rock.

The 8-strong orchestra, who look and sound like the house band from a Terry Gilliam dystopian fantasy, first debuted in 2008 at The Chelsea Theatre’s Sacred Season of Performance Art -for which they created a very successful site-specific show based on stories collected from Chelsea residents.

In 2008 Marcella used The Puppini Sisters’ long touring periods to continue composing her clattery Cabaret Showtunes and quirky symphonic tales, and soon the band were appearing at London’s trendiest Underground venues, such as The Last Days of Decadence, Corsica and The Vauxhall Tavern, and at leftfield Arts festivals such as Queer Up North.

The band’s first recording was produced in May 2009 by Stephen Coates of The Real Tuesday Weld, who chose to record all the instruments in the Main Hall at The People Show Studios to create the same raw and warm sound that the band produce live.

Their debut video, Monster Mae, was the result of a collaboration with edgy American director Alex De Campi, who had previously lent her witty and quirky aesthetic to two Puppini Sisters tracks, and whose list of credits includes Amanda Palmer, The Real Tuesday Weld and Des O’Connor.

Marcella and The Forget me Nots’ first release will be in October 2009 on French record label Volvox, whose multimedia Twisted Cabaret Compilation will feature the Monster Mae video and What Have You Done To Your Face as an audio track.

As the band’s Internet fan base rapidly grows, Marcella’s songs are now being used in DJ sets at Torture Garden and on Dandelion Radio, as well as in Minsky Malone’s “Dali-esque Burlesque” Show at The National Art Gallery of Victoria Australia.