Amy Macdonald

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Biography

Amy Macdonald (born 25 August 1987 in Bishopbriggs , East Dunbartonshire ) is a Scottish recording artist. Macdonald rose to fame in 2007 with her debut album, This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald album)|This Is the Life (2007) and its fourth single, " This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald song)|This Is the Life ". The single charted at number one in six different countries worldwide, and charted inside the top ten in another eleven countries worldwide.

The success of the single achieved Macdonald success in the American music market, where she was a guest on shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in 2008, where she performed two singles from the album, leading her album, This Is the Life to reach ninety-two on the Billboard 200. In the European Union, This Is the Life reached number one in six European countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark and the main European album charts. This is the Life has sold three million copies worldwide.

" Don't Tell Me That It's Over " was released in March 2010 as the lead off single from Macdonald's second studio album, A Curious Thing which was released on March 8, 2010. Five singles have since been released from A Curious Thing . The album's lead single, " Don't Tell Me That It's Over " was released worldwide on March 1, 2010 and this was followed by the release of a second single " Spark (Amy Macdonald song)|Spark " on May 10, 2010. Further singles were released, with the third being " This Pretty Face " which was successful in Europe countries such as Germany , where MacDonald holds a strong fanbase. A further two singles were released, " Love Love " and " Your Time Will Come " which were both released in late 2010. Worldwide, A Curious Thing , the album has sold 1,000,000 copies worldwide.

Early life

Macdonald attended Bishopbriggs High School . She is a self-taught musician, playing her father's guitar after being inspired by Travis (band)|Travis at the T in the Park Festival in 2000, where she heard Travis' song " Turn (song)|Turn " and wanted to play it herself.
She started playing in pubs and coffee houses around Glasgow at 15, including the Brunswick Cellars on Sauchiehall Street .

Career

Breakthrough

Macdonald sent a demo CD in response to an advertisement placed in the NME by a new production company set up by songwriters Pete Wilkinson (songwriter)|Pete Wilkinson and Sarah Erasmus., HitQuarters , 15 June 2009.

In an interview with HitQuarters , Wilkinson said he was "literally aghast" at her songwriting abilities when first he heard Macdonald play the songs "This is the Life" and "Mr Rock n Roll".

Wilkinson then spent around eight or nine months recording demos with Amy at his home studio with a view to securing a record deal for his new client. In 2007, Macdonald signed a contract with Vertigo Records|Vertigo .

Macdonald received her first major press coverage when she questioned whether the 2007 winner of The X Factor (UK)|The X Factor , Leon Jackson , was suffering from tonsillitis , referring to it as "lazyitis". Macdonald had tonsillitis at the same time but still performed at Glasgow and at the BBC's Hogmanay Live show the same night.

This Is the Life (2007–2009)

In 2007, Macdonald released her debut album, titled This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald album)|This Is the Life . The album sold 3 million copies, and reached #1 in the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Denmark. The first single from the album, " Poison Prince ", was only a limited release. The second single, " Mr. Rock and Roll ", became Macdonald's first top 40 song charting at #12 in the United Kingdom. However the third single, " L.A. (Amy Macdonald song)|L.A. ", missed the top 40 at #48, but managed #5 in the Scottish singles chart.

The fourth and most successful single, " This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald song)|This Is the Life ", charted at #28 in the UK, but was #1 in five other European countries. The single was awarded Platinum in Germany and Belgium and Gold in Spain and Switzerland. The fifth single, " Run (Amy Macdonald song)|Run ", gave Macdonald her second lowest chart position in the UK at #75. However, "Run" charted at #36 in Germany. The sixth and final single was the re-release of " Poison Prince ", but charted at #148 in the UK, Macdonald's lowest chart position.

The album's track "Youth of Today" was chosen as the first single featured on Bebo /iTunes' "Free Single of the Week" program.

She appeared as a musical performing guest on British and foreign shows including The Album Chart Show , Loose Women , Friday Night Project , Taratata (France), and This Morning (TV series)|This Morning . She won the best newcomer award at the Silver Clef awards.

A Curious Thing (2010-2011)

Macdonald began writing songs for her second album in spring 2009, in a brief break from her touring commitments. For the first time she began poring through her old notebooks, looking at song ideas, unlike her debut which consists mainly of songs that she wrote straight away. Many of the tracks were inspired by real-life personalities or events from her everyday life. Contrary to some reports, she did not write "Spark" for murdered toddler Murder of James Bulger|James Bulger after watching a TV programme on his murder. "What Happiness Means To Me" is dedicated to her footballer fiancé Steve Lovell , while "An Ordinary Life" is inspired by the "Z-list celebs" she saw flocking around Scots-born Hollywood actor Gerard Butler at a party he held in Glasgow late 2009 to mark the opening of his film Law Abiding Citizen . There is also a track about Michael Jackson and one dedicated to her late grandparents. The tracks were recorded at Weller's BlackBarn Studios in Surrey .

Macdonald started working on her second album in the year of 2009. She said "Some of the sounds are just amazing and we've managed to persuade one of my favourite artists to whack some stuff down on them, but you'll have to wait and see." The second album, titled A Curious Thing , was released on 8 March 2010.

It was preceded by the release of the first single, " Don't Tell Me That It's Over ", a week earlier on 1 March 2010. The single was released to UK radio on 11 January. Amy performed the new single on the Simon Mayo Show on BBC Radio 2 on the same day. "Don't Tell Me That It's Over" has been released to radio in countries like UK, Switzerland, Germany and France. The album's second single " Spark (Amy Macdonald song)|Spark " was released on May 10, 2010 on music download|digital download format. Macdonald also confirmed that she would tour the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe in 2010.

The album's third single " This Pretty Face " was released on July 19, 2010. Also, Macdonald confirmed she would embark on a tour, entitled The Love Love Tour . Amy MacDonald is one of a number of artists who appear with Ray Davies in his 2010 album See My Friends (album)|See My Friends . She sings with him on " Dead End Street (song)|Dead End Street ".

The Third Album (2011-present)

In May 2011, it was confirmed by the Bournemouth Echo that Amy had already started 'planning to start work on her third album at the end of this year'.

Popularity in the United States

MacDonald has moderate success in the United States music market. She has appeared on several US talk shows such as The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2008), where she performed " Mr. Rock and Roll " and also The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2008) where she performed her hit single, " This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald song)|This Is the Life ". http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2744735/? ref=atw

Her debut album, This is the Life , reached #92 on the US Billboard 200. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/amy-macdonald/858545 The single, "This is the Life" reached #25 on the US Billboard Triple-A Hot 100 singles charts. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp? cfi=851& cfgn=Singles& cfn=Triple+A& ci=3107455& cdi=10175111& cid=04%2F18%2F2009

Artistry

Musical style

Reviewers have described Macdonald as softly spoken but with a booming singing voice.Simpson, Dave (4 July 2007) Guardian Unlimited . Retrieved 30 September 2007. "Although her speaking voice seems almost shy, her vocals fire singing bullets against the rear wall.". Her vocal range is contralto .

Macdonald cites Travis (band)|Travis as her biggest influence. Other influences include The Killers and the Libertines .

Personal life

In 2008, Macdonald became engaged to association football|football striker Steve Lovell . Her favourite songs are "Acquiesce" by Oasis, "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher & Higher" by Jackie Wilson, "A Town Called Malice" by The Jam, "When You Were Young" by The Killers, "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen, "Driftwood" by Travis, "Don't Look Back Into The Sun" by The Libertines, "Strangers In The Night" by Frank Sinatra, "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys and "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder. (Source: BBC Radio 2 "Tracks of My Years"). http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2744735/bio#trivia

She has one sister.

Awards and nominations

Macdonald won Best Newcomer at the 2008 Tartan Clef Awards and Best Newcomer at the 2008 Silver Clef Awards. In December 2008 she was voted "Scottish person of the year" by Daily Record (Scotland)|The Daily Record .

Macdonald performed, along with U2 , at the German 2009 Echo (music award)|Echo Awards , where she won an award in the category "Best International Newcomer". She also won Best International Album and Best International Song at the 2009 Swiss Music Awards.

In 2010 Macdonald won "best album" for A Curious Thing , at the annual Tartan Clef awards on 20 November in Glasgow. Also, Macdonald won "best international album Rock/Pop" with A Curious Thing at the Swiss music awards in March 2011. Furthermore, Macdonald won "best international Rock/Pop Female" at the Echo Awards, beating celebrities such as: Adele, P!nk, Rihanna and Katy Perry.

Year	Award	Category	Result
2011	Swiss music awards	Best International Album Rock/ Pop - 'A Curious Thing'	Won
2011	Echo Awards	Best International Rock/ Pop Female	Won
2010	Tartan Clef Award	Best Album - 'A Curious Thing'	Won
2009	Swiss Music Awards	Best International Album - 'This Is The Life'	Won
	Swiss Music Awards	Best International Song - 'This Is The Life'	Won
	Echo Awards	Best Newcomer International	Won
		Best International Female	nom
		This Is the Life "	nom
	NRJ Music Awards	This Is the Life	nom
	NRJ Music Awards	International Revolution of the Year	nom
2008	Daily Record	Scottish Person of the Year	Won
2007	Silver Clef Award	Best Newcomer	Won

Discography

This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald album)|This Is the Life (2007)

A Curious Thing (2010)

Copyright Citations

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1. Ocean Colour Scene 2. Amy 3. Youth Of Today 4. Steve Cradock

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