Nick Radford

Illustrator, musician, artist, record collector, dad(ford), throwback chump.

Nick is on the books of long established London illustration agency Folio, and has produced work for the likes of Google, Simon & Schuster, The Guardian, BBC, LG, Virgin Orbit, The Telegraph, Cadbury, Samsung, Easyjet and Waitrose - as well as a host of independent magazines, clothing and record labels, and events. His artwork for the children’s book We Are Music was shortlisted for a World Illustration Award in 2019.

Signed to Ubiquity Records (USA) as one half of The Mighty Sceptres, Nick’s music has also seen previous releases on Freestyle Records (UK) as Frootful; remixes by Kenny Dope; tracks appearing on the hit film Magic Mike, cult US TV show Ray Donovan and Netflix series Atypical; and features by Wax Poetics and KCRW. His music showcases his love of 50s and 60s soul, R'n'B and jazz… the kind of thing he plays on original 45s with collector friends at Soul Cookin' (previously a monthly fixture at the legendary MONO in Falmouth, now a regular night at Verdant Taproom in Penryn).

Influenced by modernist art, record covers and print from the same 50s / 60s era, he likes working on more abstract self-exploratory pieces in mixed media and collage, too.

Choice Cuts

An old space to sporadically share the good stuff (with a link to the original blog) can be found right here...

Clients

Carnegie Hall ∙ Virgin Orbit ∙ Google ∙ The Guardian ∙ Simon & Schuster ∙ Cadbury ∙ Vodafone ∙ BBC ∙ The Telegraph ∙ Samsung ∙ Quarto Knows ∙ DK ∙ Usborne ∙ Royal Mail ∙ Coca Cola ∙ Pizza Express ∙ Band On The Wall ∙ Lloyds Bank ∙ NHS ∙ Wall St Journal ∙ LG ∙ Pearson ∙ Transworld Publishing ∙ Cedar Communications ∙ British Airways ∙ easyJet ∙ Which? ∙ Waitrose ∙ Ubiquity Records ∙ W20 Group ∙ Howies ∙ NYJO ∙ Freestyle Records ∙ Cultshare ∙ London Surf Film Festival ∙ Stranger Collective ∙ Eden Project ∙ Harrods ∙ Do Lectures ∙ National Trust ∙ Verdant Brewing Co

Publications

• We Are The Apollo 11 Crew (Quarto Knows / Wide Eyed Editions 2021)

• Philosophy For Beginners (Usborne 2020)

• World Illustration Awards 2019 (AOI / Serbin Creative)

• We Are Music (Simon & Schuster NY / Little Simon 2018)

• The Science of Cooking (Penguin Random House / DK 2017)

• Directory of Illustration no.’s 29-37 (Serbin Creative 2012-20)

• The Book of Surfing - Michael Fordham (Bantam Press 2008)

• Images 32 The best of British contemporary illustration 2008 (AOI)

• Images 30 The best of British contemporary illustration 2006 (AOI)

• September (September Project 2007)

Exhibitions

• 2019 World Illustration Awards (Somerset House, London)

• 2015 Penryn Arts Festival

• 2014 Cultshare Launch (The Fish Factory / Espressini, Falmouth)

• 2012 The Frootful Art Ensemble (Howies shop, Carnaby St / HAND, Falmouth)

• 2010 Members Exhibition (The Poly, Falmouth)

• 2008 Stranger magazine showcase (The Eden Project, Cornwall)

Discography

As Artist:

• The Mighty Sceptres - Shy As A Butterfly (Kenny Dope extended mix / 2016 Ubiquity UR7360)

• Craig Charles Funk & Soul Classics (v/a 2015 Sony BMG)

• Love Is All We Need (v/a 2015 Ubiquity UR357)

• The Mighty Sceptres - All Hail The Mighty Sceptres! (2015 Ubiquity URLP338)

• The Mighty Sceptres - Siren Call (2014 Ubiquity UR7328)

• Frootful - Heavyweight (2013 Freestyle FSRLP100)

• Frootful - The Road / Benedict Boogaloo part I (2013 Freestyle FSR7076)

• The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club vol. 1 (v/a 2012 Freestyle FSRCD097)

• Sounds From The Soul Underground (v/a 2012 Freestyle FSRLP086)

• Frootful - Slowtime / Latin Strut / Lack of Afro remix (2011 Freestyle FSR094)

• Frootful - Colours (2011 Freestyle FSRLP084)

• Frootful - Fish in The Sea / instrumental (2011 Freestyle FSR7066)

As Sideman:

• Lack of Afro - Music For Adverts (2014 Freestyle)

• Angeline Morrison - Are You Ready Cat? (2013 Freestyle)

• Angeline Morrison - The Feeling Sublime EP (2013 Freestyle)

• The Ambassadors of Sorrow - There is No Ending (2011 Spookette)

• Lack of Afro - This Time (2011 Freestyle)

• Lack of Afro - My Groove Your Move (2009 Freestyle)

• Underground Hits & Exclusive Bits Four: We Wah Ten! (v/a 2009 Wah Wah 45s)

• The Ambassadors of Sorrow - Easterly (2009 self-release)

• The Ambassadors of Sorrow - Loathsome Food EP (2008 Lono)

• The Hot 8 Brass Band Remixes (v/a 2008 Tru-Thoughts)

• Lack of Afro - Press On (2007 Freestyle)

• The Ambassadors of Sorrow - Loathsome Food 7” (2005 Kabukikore)

The Legal Bit

All work and content copyright © Nick Radford 2023 (unless stated otherwise). All rights reserved.