Scots Way-Hay #74 - Amber Wilson

As is the way of things these days, I am running late. with my posts. So without further a do here's a charming young lady by the name of Amber Wilson from the Granite City. I have been meaning to feature Amber for a while now, having seen her play recently with Endor and The Moth & The Mirror (actually it was more like I heard her as I was upstairs doing the door). Each time she charmed the pants off everyone, well not literally, but you catch my drift. Her latest EP has been soothing me on the way home from work on these dark nights, so I thought it was about time that I mentioned her on here. So here she is to tell you a bit more about her music and how a certain Irish singer-songwriter made her so forgetful...


Would you care to introduce yourself?

Hello, I am Amber Wilson. I am not a traffic light crossed with the rugby ball from castaway, I am a singer songwriter - hailing from the greyest city in the world.


How would you describe the music you make?

It's like cotton wool being blown around your back garden as the sun is setting.


How did you start out making music?

I was given my first guitar as a birthday present at the age of 7 and have been playing (badly) ever since. The first song I ever learned to play was "The Magical Mystery Tour" by the Beatles out of a chord book, and using the exact same chords I wrote my first song at the age of 9 about my pat hamster Harry. At 15, I'd written my first "grown up" song. My Mum was so proud that she phoned up our local radio station and made me sing down the phone to the DJ! This actually led to me doing a live studio session that very next week. Since then, I've been playing gigs up and down the country, found management with the lovely Jagged Roots in Dundee, released an EP and a single, signed an online distribution deal with Believe in France and have had a brief stint of doing session vocals with Morcheeba.


What process goes into the way you write songs?

I've found recently that all of my song ideas come to me when I'm sitting on the bus! If something's making me happy, getting me down or p*ssing me off, I'll tend to sing about it in my head and I come up with songs that way. The music is then arranged around the melody that I have in my head.


What artists would you say have had the biggest influence on you?

I grew up listening to the Beatles so I was very inspired by them, particularly John Lennon, I remember watching "Imagine" at 7 years old and crying my eyes out! His song-writing appealed to me from a young age, I admired his honesty as well as his ability to write about utter garbles. Nowadays I'm also inspired by the song-writing genius of Justin Vernon and Elliott smith as well as the production genius of Massive Attack and Thom Yorke.


What kind of influence do you feel that where you come from has had on the music you create?

For a long time my music was very "doom" ha ha and I do think that was partly because of all the granite here. At times where the sky matches the pavement, I would just hide away and write the most depressing songs. As I've matured though I've started to cope with that a lot better and I'm writing lots of happy songs, seeing the beauty in things I never did before.


What would you like someone who’s listening to you for the first time to take away from your music?

Anything they like really, although, I would be honoured if anyone found comfort in one of my songs. I am so grateful to many artists for providing it to me over the years, and I'd like to hope that people can relate to my lyrics, on many levels.


What has been your most memorable gig to date, (be it good or bad)?

My most memorable gig would have to be supporting Fionn Regan at The Tunnels just before he released The End of History. It was a cosy candlelit affair with a lovely respectful audience. I'd never heard him before, and I was just completely blown away. I remember meeting him afterwards, being completely starstruck, and introducing my boyfriend as my friend. I got a free album though!


What are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond?

Well my voice is fecked just now unfortunately, so I'm having to rest it for a while :-( But the plan, all being well, is to release 3 or 4 consecutive singles online starting early next year and then round up with a physical EP and a tour. Meanwhile my latest single Raise the Alarm / An Affirmation is available from iTunes.

Amber Wilson - Sleep (removed by request)

Amber's new single Raise the Alarm / An Affirmation can be downloaded now through iTunes. You can catch Amber and her band live at the Tunnels in Aberdeen on the 13th of November. Also, if you sign up to her mailing address she'll send you a free MP3 of her 'Things Will Be Better' demo.

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