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Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with unsigned UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with unsigned Ramsbottom singer Lucy Wentworth to find out more…

Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
I’m from a small town called Ramsbottom near Manchester, UK.
I have been a musician since I was five years old. I used to watch my aunty play the piano at my Grandma’s house and became inspired from a young age to play it myself!
I started writing songs at 11 years old and in high school, I began to learn to play the guitar. As soon as I could play my first chords, I was putting the lyrics I had written to music.

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
My Dad is from a small town in Michigan. When I was growing up he would always be listening to Country music – Kenny Chesney, Dixie Chicks, Brooks and Dunn and so many other great artists would be on every time I got in the car with him! The writing style and sounds of these artists is still a huge part of my inspiration today.
When I was 18, I began studying music at University. During this time, I had opportunities to explore other genres and sounds and really experiment with my own style. I particularly got into Emo and alternative-rock music which naturally had an impact on the music I was creating. My influences now range from Miranda Lambert, Jason Isbell and Taylor Swift through to Jimmy Eat World, Phoebe Bridgers and Death Cab for Cutie.

How would you describe your sound?
My sound now is a combination of Nashville style storytelling alongside the moodier tones of Emo music. I often joke that my music is “Hillbilly Emo”. It is Country/Americana music with the darker tones of Emo music.

What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
My latest release is my album, Midnight Conversations, which was available across all major streaming platforms and on CD from 25th October 2019.
Midnight Conversations is a selection of songs which span a range of topics and styles. You can expect to hear Nashville style songs about heartbreak, as well as songs about mental health and broken friendships.

What’s your local music scene like?
I’m very lucky to live in Manchester. The music scene is incredible. Every evening there is an abundance of open mic nights and acoustic nights to choose from. There are a huge range of incredible musicians, spanning all kinds of genres and styles. Despite there being so many opportunities and musicians, at every event I go to, there is a strong sense of community. People are really supportive of each other and you can guarantee that you’ll have a great night every time.
Some of my favourite nights/venues are:
Izzie Walsh’s open mics at the Bay Horse Tavern
Joe Bagpipes’ Science and Industry sessions
The Northern Rambler’s open mic at The Waldorf.
If you get the chance to go down to any of these nights just to listen to the music, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

What do you have planned for the next 12 months? Any albums or festivals?
I’ve been working on this album for over three years and I am so excited to finally be releasing it.
Following it’s release I’m going to be touring up and down the country at lots of venues I haven’t played yet. I’ll be in Liverpool, Nottingham, Sheffield, York and plenty of others. Check out my Facebook page for dates and details!

Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
So many people! My biggest influences on this album are Jimmy Eat World, to work with Jim Adkins one day would be a dream come true!
I have been listening to Taylor Swift since I was 13. She has influenced my songwriting so much over the years so to collaborate with her would be amazing.
There are lots of great acts on the Country music scene in the UK and I would really love to work with some more of them, including Katy Hurt, Gasoline and Matches, Izzie Walsh.

Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
I can’t cover other people’s songs. I could practice for hours and hours but the pressure of playing a song that people love by another artist always gets to me!
There’s also a song on Midnight Conversations called Stay. There is one particular lyric in the bridge that always makes people laugh which I love but I always end up smirking along with them which always makes the next line a little wobbly when I play it live. You’ll have to go listen to the song to find out what the line is!

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
I listen to all kind of music and write about all kinds of personal experiences. I think most of the things people might want to know about me are right there in the songs.
If I look like I’ve zoned out, I’m probably thinking about either ramen or a cute hedgehog video I saw.

You can find out more about Lucy via Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, Twitter or YouTube.