“I’ll just carry on doing my thing whether people like it or not. There will be people who like it and people who don’t but I play for the people who want to listen to me, come and see me or write about me”
An artist with unrivalled ambition who seized our attention with her stunning debut single ‘Company of Thieves’ earlier this year, Mansfield singer-songwriter Georgie looks set to make a huge impact on the UK music scene in the coming months; recently announcing her first ever UK headline tour for next Spring. Armed with an incredibly soulful and distinctive vocal, she pairs her vintage influences together with a gritty northern sensibility to create something fresh and current; marking her out as one to watch in 2017.
It is therefore no coincidence that more and more exciting opportunities are being thrown her way. Having recently finished a UK tour with label-mate Jake Bugg, the singer can now add a support slot with 2016’s biggest breakthrough act Blossoms to her CV, having joined them on their nationwide jaunt throughout December.As the buzz continues to build around her, TTV caught up with the hugely ambitious singer to hear about the tour, her inspirations and what’s coming up.
“I played a gig with Jake Bugg in March this year and Blossoms were also playing so that’s how it all came about. They’ve just finished supporting Jake in Europe and I’ve just finished supporting him in the UK and now I’m supporting them. So everyone’s sharing the love which is nice.”
Having sampled the famous Scottish atmosphere on both tours, her first headline stint around the UK will see her return to Glasgow next April to play the Garage: “I did Glasgow with Jake and I did a tour of the Highlands a while ago in places like Ullapool, Stornoway and Inverness which was amazing. The crowds are amazing, they’re always one of the best. I think in London, because they see so much music, they’re always a bit more ready to judge. All crowds are great though for different reasons. It seems that further north you get the more fun it gets, everyone’s up for a good time”
With only the debut single to her name, the tour with Jake Bugg in October gave her experience of playing some massive venues, including a date at the world-renowned Brixton Academy in London. A daunting task for some new artists, but Georgie remained unfazed: “I hadn’t played venues that big before but I just saw it as an opportunity to get in front of that many people. I knew I just had to enjoy it. I don’t get nervous anyway, I just do what I love doing”.
It’s a response which gives us an insight into the singer’s growing confidence and self-belief; while her recent emergence may seem like a bolt out of the blue, it comes after years of hard work and raw perseverance: “I picked up a guitar when I was 14 and wrote my first song in that week. I then started gigging in Nottingham… I had done 200 gigs before I got signed. The only thing I would ever do was write and play”.
“Keep gigging” would be her advice to other new artists starting out. “Gigging is the best way to reach out to more people as you get on a more personal level with your fanbase. Continuing to write is also really important”. That deal with Columbia Records didn’t appear itself after all.
Her debut single ‘Company of Thieves’ was fuelled by personal experience, her honest and confrontational lyrics providing us with a bold new female perspective: “As a songwriter everything is inspiring… I like to write on a personal level. I’m lucky that I can do that because everyone’s been through similar things. It’s good to know that someone else is feeling the same thing as you. Whether it’s film-making, painting, photography or music, creativeness is a gift and provides a voice for so many people; especially in today’s world which is absolutely bonkers”
Not keen to dwell on any surrounding pressure that comes with the tag of being ‘one to watch’, Georgie has her eyes firmly set on an even busier 2017: “The plan is to make a really good album that can speak and reach out to a lot of people as there’s not a lot of albums like that these days, especially for young girls.”
“The music industry is still very male-dominated. There’s definitely more room for females… And they shouldn’t be scared to get out there and show what they can do”. Rousing words from an artist who is not afraid to take her own advice.
Check out the tour dates below.
TOUR DATES
Fri 24 Feb – Islington, London
Thurs Mar 30 – Bodega Social Club, Nottingham
Sat April 01 – Garage (Attic), Glasgow
Sun Apr 02 – Oporto, Leeds
Tue Apr 04 – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
Thurs Apr 06 – Louisiana, Bristol
Sat Apr 08 – The Castle Hotel, Manchester
