FOCUS: Amity

Image by Jo Marie Brent Photography

Fresh from winning the Royal Albert Hall Future Makers competition and receiving rave reviews from the likes of BBC Radio and the Guardian, hotly tipped young songwriter Amity returns to the region for a raft of gigs which promise to showcase his impressive talent. Here, we find out all we can about the artist…

Who are you and where are you from?

I’m Amity, I’m a 16-year-old singer/songwriter from London with a mission to make the world a better place.

What is it you do? And how long have you been doing it?

I write and perform my own music. I began writing songs when I was 9. My first song was written in crayon on the back of a napkin!

What inspires you?

While I started writing as a form of catharsis, I soon discovered the power of music, and how much of a difference what you put out into the world can make, and I realised that my songs could provide hope for others, just as the music I listen to has done for me. I’ve always wanted to change the world for the better, and this seems like the way I’m meant to do so. It truly inspires me that you can make such a big impact with things that can seem so small.

Tell us about your music

Most of my music is written for vocals and keyboard, but I do have a band, Otto and the Cloud. I write in a variety of styles, some of my songs including a jazzier element to them, but all of them are written about things I’m passionate about. I often write about topics that are close to my heart, and about things that aren’t spoken about enough. I want to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves and shine a light on issues that are often overlooked. Lyrics are really important to me, so I always make sure that they talk about important things. I have written about political matters, domestic violence, toxic relationships, bullying, mental health, love, kindness, and more.

What have you got coming up in the future?

I’m heading up to the North East imminently, as I have shows at Claypath Deli on Saturday 11^th November, Cape to Cairo in Shildon on Sunday 12^th, Cafe Under The Spire in Gateshead on Monday 13^th, and the Being Human Festival at Radisson Blu in Durham on Tuesday 14^th. I’m really excited to return to the North East, as I fell in love with the region when I performed at the Durham Fringe Festival in July. It was because of the people, the community. We were there less than a week but felt an instant deep connection. We found ourselves taken into a supportive culture that seems to really care.

I have a lot of exciting shows coming up, but the ones I care most about are the suicide prevention shows I’m performing in. One of those is on the 11th at Claypath Deli, supporting RT Projects and featuring spoken word from RT Project’s very own Beano, and the other is in January in London with Aktion Music.

In other news, I’ll be working with the Royal Albert Hall over the next year, as I won their Future Makers emerging talent search, and they’re going to be working with me on my album, as well as a whole range of performance opportunities at the Royal Albert Hall and further afield!

I’m also currently working on some music that I’m very excited about with Andrew Kingslow (who is an incredibly talented producer, songwriter and instrumentalist who has worked with the likes of John Legend).

Where can people find out more about you?

I’m on Instagram as @amity_sings, my Facebook is www.facebook.com/amitysings, my YouTube channel is called Amity Miller, my Twitter is @AmitySings, and my website is www.amitymiller.com