The Sound Of Weegie

Apparently Fran Healy of Travis is partially responsible for inspiring young Amy Macdonald (for she’s only 19) picking up her father guitar and unleashing a precocious talent. (She adds that she’s also influenced by Pete Doherty – which proves that he’s not a complete waste of space – and that youth can be foolish.)

After spending her teens playing a few shows around Glasgow and Edinburgh and receiving a good reaction, Amy sent off some demos, recorded on eight-track in her bedroom. She was quickly picked up by Melodramatic Records, a London based production and management company. Within a few months, she’d secured a publishing deal with Warner Chappell and a record deal with Vertigo, home of Razorlight and The Killers.

In a similar vein to KT Tunstall or Janis Ian (check out ‘Between The Lines’ to see what I mean), Amy’s debut album This Is The Life is brimming with great tunes sung in her rich, bell-clear, gutsy vocal and possessing a compelling rhythmic punch and a choruses that swiftly get stuck in your head. Like those who came before her, Amy’s songs are her vehicle to show how see the world; she doesn’t go in for the easy love-lorn ballads, instead choosing to sing about the vacuous nature of celebrity and the hypocrisy of relationships. At times gauche, and others mature, the album is nonetheless a strong indicator that she is someone to watch.

MP3: Amy Macdonald – This Is The Life (expired)
MP3: Amy Macdonald – Let’s Start A Band (expired)
MP3: Amy Macdonald – Footballer’s Wife (expired)