Coffee House Sessions:Amy Lawton Interview

From living in the now to pure honesty, Amy Lawton is one to watch ,not just her music but also in her presence. She is one of the first acts on the coffee house sessions tour line up for 2018/19.

I interviewed her about musical inspirations and what's next for her.

Who would you say has been most influential on your music?

I’ve always loved female singer songwriters who told stories with their lyrics, like Suzanne Vega, Carole King and Joni Mitchell. They were who inspired me to start writing songs in the first place.

'Hurts Like Paradise ' is your most recent release, could you tell me what it's about?

Hurst Like Paradise is a song I wrote when I was about 14 or 15, so I’ve been playing it for a long time. I think when I wrote it it was kind of an idea of what I thought a relationship would be, I think you can tell from the lyrics it’s a very innocent take on a relationship from start to finish. The idea was that every verse is another chapter of the story so the characters are in a different place by the end of the song. In that way it’s kind of a story in a song.

Who would be your dream album collaboration?

I’d love to collaborate with Taylor Swift as I think she’s an amazing songwriter and one of my favourite people.

If you could live in any era in history, when would you want to live and why?

I actually like now, the worlds an interesting place at the moment and there’s a lot going on both artistically, socially and politically. I think we’re living in pretty interesting times.

What would you be doing if you weren't a musician?

I love words so I think i’d be writing in some way, shape or form. I feel its a part of me and I really enjoy it.

You've been writing with Matty Benbrook who's previously worked with Jake Bugg, what has that been like?

It’s been a great opportunity and I’m so lucky to have him believe in me enough that he’s developed me for three years. He’s written great songs, not only with Jake but also with people like Paolo Nutini and Jack Savoretti. It’s great to work with someone who has a vast amount of experience as a producer and writer. It’s also great because he allows me to experiment and doesn’t try to force me to be something I’m not.

Is there a specific venue you would love to play one day?

The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, i could happily die after playing there!

What can you not leave the house without?

Clothes, it’d just be so embarrassing.

What are your plans after the coffee house sessions tour?

Drink less coffee. Seriously though, I’ll have a new single on its way fairly soon called “ Don’t Bring Louise”. I’ll be getting that together, making the video and doing some shows around the release.

you can listen to Amy's most recent release 'Hurts like Paradise' by clicking on the picture below.

Photo credit:Ian Wallman