Anna Sweeney

This month 18 year old Ayrshire singer-songwriter Anna provides us with perfectly catchy, happy pop-folk. Confident and accomplished at an early age, her infectious gem of a track; light and positive, definitely warms the heart with her strong Scottish accent adding extra clout and character to proceedings.

Having acquired a band last year she splits her time between her native Ayr and Glasgow. In just 12 months Anna has won a South Ayrshire Youth Forum award in the entertainment category, won a Young Scot award and nominated for a West FM Up and Coming Youngster award. Airplay has been secured on the likes of Clyde 1 and Amazing Radio and she’s taken to the stage at many of Scotland’s best smaller venues including King Tut’s.

Currently working on her debut self-released EP she’s looking to build on last year’s successes and secure herself a full time music career.
- The Unsigned Guide

Since late 2011, Anna has had her sights set on a full time music career. She has been nominated for a west FM Up and Coming Youngster award, won a South Ayrshire Youth Forum award in the entertainment category, and a Young Scot Award. She reached the semi finals of Open Mic UK before deciding to do things the old-fashioned way, and over 2012, she has had airplay on 20+ radio stations such as In:Demand Scotland and Jim Gellatly's Amazing Radio, been featured on the In Demand podcast, released an EP on Acre Records, played at festivals such as Brew at The Bog and Solas, been featured in the Scottish Sun and supported the likes of Tommy Reilly and Carly Connor at King Tuts. She was recently invited to record and film a live session for BBC Rapal TV, and is currently working on her first ever self-released EP. Her first ever single will be available on the 12th of December 2012, for free download. Anna performs folk-pop originals of her own with or without a backing band.

What we thought of the new single, due out tomorrow;

With a voice as smooth as honey and twice as sweet, the highly talented Anna Sweeney has brought to our ears a catchy, happy, and downright infectious pop-folk song. It's her new Single called Don't Look Down, and the team at Hellfire think that this toe-tapping, head bobbing song is simply wonderful! Sung unashamedly in her own accent, which rather than sounding 'twee', (Like some Scottish acts end up sounding) actually suits her style of singing and the music itself perfectly. There's a free flowing, heart-felt beauty to her voice that carries you along on a wave from the start of the song to the end...this of course means I'm forced to play it back again just to pay a little more attention to the actual lyrics and the music itself, which are, as expected, wonderfully written and easy to absent-mindedly sing along to (hairbrush and shower optional). After hearing this tune itself, the Hellfire team really needs to catch Miss Sweeney doing a live set sometime soon, and possibly get her and the fantastic band in for an interview...and we better do it soon before they are well out of our league...as we fully expect them to be soon, going on the strength of this, the unbelievably good first single!

- New Hellfire Club, Glasgow

Scotland's newest sweetheart of folk pop is gigging in Glasgow at the weekend. If you're there and in need of some cockle-warming entertainment for your wintery evening you should be sure to make it. At the age of 18, Anna has a confident sound and is an accomplished singer-songwriter, with a real knack of putting positivity and light into her sound. She really utilises her strong Scottish burr to add character to her vocal performance- we're talking Frightened Rabbit/Arab Strap/Proclaimers strength here- and it sounds ace. To have carved such a striking identity so soon into her career is a challenge well and truly won.'Don't Look Down' is an infectious gem of a tune and it really sparkled on our Emerging Icons Chart Show a couple of weeks ago. Have a listen for yourself!
- Emerging Icons

WHO: Anna Sweeney (vocals/guitar/
piano/banjo/ukulele), Maeve McCrorie (fiddle/piano/vocals), Josh Pirie
(bass), Stuart Bradley (drums)
WHERE: Ayr/Glasgow
FOR FANS OF: Admiral Fallow, Nina
Nesbitt, Taylor Swift
JIM SAYS: Anna Sweeney’s got a
real sparkle about her music.
The Emerging Icons website for
unsigned acts described her recently
as “Scotland’s newest sweetheart of
folk pop”. I can’t disagree.
The teenager’s new single, Don’t
Look Down — set for release as a free
download in a couple of weeks — is a
brilliant introduction.
Already a regular on the Glasgow
and Ayrshire scene, she’s firmly
focused on a career in music.
She told me: “I decided I wanted to
pursue music last year, once I’d
passed my Highers. I started to teach
myself piano when I was five, and I
always loved writing stories. I listened
to a lot of Johnny Cash and country
music growing up.
“As I got older, the stories became
songs and once I taught myself guitar, I guess I was good to go.
“I turned 18 this year so getting
gigs is easier. Everyone in my band
came to me separately and asked if I
wanted some more musicians, so it’s
worked out really well.”
It’s refreshing that Anna’s taking it
one step at a time. There seems to be
so much pressure on young artists to
try and fast-track their careers
through shows like X Factor.
But it’s all about exposure — look
at Jools Holland, every new act that
appears on his show gets a boost. If
only there were more shows like that.
Stick Anna Sweeney on Jools and
I’ve no doubt she’d be an overnight
sensation. Her time will come,
though, and she has the talent to
become a major star.
Not that she hasn’t gone down the
talent search route in the past to
further her ambitions.
She was nominated for a West FM
Up And Coming Youngster award
and a Young Scot Award. Anna also
reached the semi-finals of Open Mic
UK, a competition previously won by
Birdy, who went on to score a hit with
her cover of Bon Iver’s Skinny Love.
More recently she’s been shortlisted in the Entertainment & Arts category for the South Ayrshire Youth
Forum Awards.
Currently in first year on the
renowned Commercial Music
course at the University Of The
West Of Scotland, Anna’s doing
things just right. In tandom with
her studies, she’s working on her
debut record E, out in February.
Anna Sweeney plays Flat 0/1
in Glasgow on December 8.
MORE: facebook.com/annasweeneymusic
Q Jim will be playing Anna Sweeney
on In:Demand Uncut this Sunday
from 7pm on Clyde 1, Forth One,
Northsound 1, Radio Borders, Tay
FM, West FM & West Sound FM. S - Jim Gellatly