Amy Wadge
Amy Wadge | |
|---|---|
 Amy Wadge at The Celtic Festival of Wales 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 1975 |
| Origin | Backwell, Somerset, England |
| Genres | Rock, folk |
| Occupation | songwriter |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Website | www.amywadge.com |
Amy Wadge a Wales-based songwriter originally from Bristol. Recently co-wrote 2 tracks with Ed Sheeran, the UK’s fastest-selling album of 2014.
Early life and musical beginnings
Wadge was born and brought up in Backwell, a small village just outside Bristol, England. Her father's passion for music influenced her enormously, and on the subject of her paternal influences she has said that she "grew up listening to early Elton John, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. That was the stuff I cut my teeth on and now I listen to everything you can possibly imagine from hip hop to country".[1] This wide range of influences, nurtured in her from an early age, can be heard throughout her body of work. That began to write her own songs at the age of 9 on the family piano. When she was 11 her parents bought her her first guitar from a junk shop. It was when Wadge taught herself to play along to Tracy Chapman's debut album that she discovered her affinity for the guitar which became the driving force of her career.
While still at school, Wadge regularly gigged around Bristol's numerous celebrated music venues. She caught the performing bug and determined that this was what she wanted to spend her life doing. At the age of 14, she signed her first record deal with her band Two of a Mind and released her first single at the age of 16.[2]
Career
Songwriting
Apart from writing songs for herself, Wadge has been active in collaborating with new performers in Britain, most notably Ed Sheeran. Wadge and Sheeran collaborated on a number of songs together, and Sheeran titled his self-released 2010 EP Songs I Wrote with Amy. One track was included with the deluxe edition of Sheeran's album +.[3] Wadge continues her collaborative relationship with Sheeran in 2014. The track "Thinking Out Loud", written on a guitar given to Sheeran by Harry Styles, features on the album x.[4] She has also written with Lewis Watson, with tracks "Halo" and "Sink or Swim" appearing on the album "The Morning (All of the Songs)", and has collaborated with Shannon Saunders.
Solo performer
Having moved to Wales and graduated from the Royal Welsh College and Music and Drama, Wadge started performing at Open Mic sessions in Cardiff's Toucan Club and soon started developing a fanbase and gaining critical recognition. She was quickly spotted and received encouragement from some of the big players in the city, among them Manics/Catatonia/Super Furry Animals producer Greg Haver, who recorded her debut mini-album, The Famous Hour. So striking was this album that the BBC invited her to launch the digital radio station BBC 6 Music along with Lenny Kravitz and The Stereophonics.[5]
In 2002, Wadge won "Best Female Solo Act" at the annual Welsh Music Awards, ahead of Charlotte Church. In 2003 she toured Australia with the Welsh Rugby Team during the Rugby World Cup with the song Adre Nôl. Later that year she retained her "Best Female Solo Act" at the Welsh Music Awards.
2004 saw her release her first full album, WOJ – a play on her surname, which is often mispronounced – to critical acclaim. In June 2004, she performed at London's Royal Albert Hall on a bill that included Jeff Beck and Jan Hammer, charted by Billboard magazine as one of the world's top grossing concerts of the summer.[6]
2006 saw the release of Wadge's second album, "No Sudden Moves". The album includes a cover of the Manic Street Preachers single A Design For Life. 2008 saw the release of her third album, Bump, which (according to her own sleeve notes) was recorded over two days when she was 8 months pregnant. It includes a cover of Don't Leave Me This Way (originally recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and later covered by The Communards).
On Monday 2 November 2009, Wadge released her new single "Hold Me" with new record label, Choice Music. She also released a Welsh version of the track ("Dal Fi") which was a fundraiser for her daughter's Ysgol Feithrin (Welsh nursery school), with 20p from the sale of every Welsh language download being donated to the Welsh Nursery Schools Movement.
2010 and 2011 saw Wadge work with Pete Riley. They released a CD (Rivers Apart) as well as two live DVDs and toured extensively together.[7]
Personal life
Wadge is married to actor Alun ap Brinley. She lives in Wales and is currently learning Welsh. Her single USA? We'll wait and see was released in both English and Welsh.[8] She also occasionally presents shows on BBC Radio Wales.
Discography
Albums
- x (2014) Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud and Even My Dad Does Sometimes
- The Famous Hour (mini-album) (2002) – FF Vinyl
- WOJ (2004) – Manhattan Records
- No Sudden Moves (2006) – Manhattan Records
- Bump (2008) – Amy Wadge Records
- Acoustig (2009)
- Rivers Apart (2010) – with Pete Riley
Singles
- The Great Pretender (1992)
- Saddest Eyes (2001) – FF Vinyl
- Just in Time (2004) – Manhattan Records
- USA? We'll wait and see.../USA, oes angen mwy...? (2005) – Manhattan Records
- A Design for Life (2005) – Manhattan Records
- Hold Me (2009) – Choice Music
DVDs
- Amy Wadge 'Live' Mini DVD (2006) – Manhattan Records
- Amy Wadge and Pete Riley, Live at Acapela DVD (2010)
- Rivers Apart DVD Amy Wadge and Pete Riley (2011)
References
- ^ Wadge, Amy (18 March 2014). ""A Real Muso's Gig!" – Amy Wadge Interview". Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ Amy Wadge, Maverick
- ^ Wadge, Amy (17 February 2012). "Wales Music: Amy Wadge: My role in Ed Sheeran's success". BBC. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- ^ Wadge, Amy (30 June 2014). "How I wrote Ed Sheeran's song...On Harry Styles' guitar". Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ Amy Wadge, BBC Wales
- ^ Billboard. Vol. Vol. 116, No. 30. Neilsen Business Media, Inc. 24 July 2004. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510.
{{cite book}}:|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ Amy Wadge and Pete Riley, Moneypenny Agency
- ^ Pontypridd-based singer mum Amy Wadge gets back on the road to avoid stage fright, WalesOnline