Musical prodigy Nandi Bushell has received one of Matt Bellamy‘s signature Manson MBM‑1 guitars after impressing with a recent cover of Muse‘s ‘Plug In Bellamy’.
The 10-year-old Suffolk musician won praise after posting the cover online earlier this month, with Muse commenting that she had “absolutely killed it”.
Now, they’ve rewarded her efforts with a brand new guitar – as well as a personal note from Bellamy himself.
”Hi Nandi, love the new covers,” Bellamy wrote in an accompanying letter. “Thought you might like to perform some on my signature model. Best wishes, from Matt and the guitar team.”
The latest gift means that Bushell is building up quite the guitar collection, after previously being gifted one of Tom Morello’s signature guitars.
It’s not the first time Muse have endorsed one of Bushell’s covers. In December, the band responded to the young musician’s cover of their 2003 single, ‘Hysteria’, from the album ‘Absolution’.
Other endorsements she’s received for her covers have come from the likes of Coldplay, Metallica and many more.
Dave Grohl challenged Bushell to a remote drum battle last year, while the Foo Fighters frontman also composed Bushell her own song – which Bushell then duly responded to by penning ‘Rock and Grohl – The EPIC Battle’.
Meanwhile, Matt Bellamy has confirmed that he has started working on a new Muse album.
The frontman said that the early stages of the follow-up to the trio’s 2018 album ‘Simulation Theory’ have been inspired by “the protests and all the chaos” that have “kicked off” around the world in 2020.