Amy Macdonald facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amy Macdonald
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Macdonald at Night of the Proms, 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Amy Elizabeth Macdonald |
| Born | 25 August 1987 Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
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| Years active | 2006–present |
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Amy Elizabeth Macdonald (born on August 25, 1987) is a talented singer and songwriter from Scotland. She became famous in 2007 with her first album, This Is the Life. This album included popular songs like "Mr. Rock & Roll" and "This Is the Life". The song "This Is the Life" became number one in six different countries. Her first album sold three million copies around the world.
Amy Macdonald has released several successful albums since then. Her second album, A Curious Thing, came out in 2010. Her third album, Life in a Beautiful Light, was released in 2012. In 2017, she released her fourth album, Under Stars, which was very popular in Scotland and the UK. Her fifth album, The Human Demands, was released in 2020. Most recently, her sixth album, Is This What You've Been Waiting For?, was released on July 11, 2025. Amy Macdonald has sold over 12 million records worldwide.
Contents
Early Life and Music Start
Amy Elizabeth Macdonald was born on August 25, 1987. She grew up in Bishopbriggs, a town near Glasgow in Scotland. She went to Bishopbriggs High School.
When she was 13, Amy was inspired by the band Travis at a music festival in 2000. She heard their song "Turn" and wanted to learn how to play it. She bought a book to learn Travis's songs and started playing her father's guitar. She taught herself how to play. Soon after, she began writing her own songs. Her very first song was called "The Wall". By the age of 15, she was already performing her music in local places around Glasgow.
Music Career
Getting Started: 2006–2007
Amy Macdonald started her music career by sending a demo CD. She saw an advertisement in a music magazine called NME. The ad was from a new company started by songwriters Pete Wilkinson and Sarah Erasmus. Pete Wilkinson was very impressed when he heard Amy play her songs "This Is the Life" and "Mr Rock n Roll".
He spent about eight or nine months recording demo songs with Amy. They worked in his home studio. Their goal was to help Amy get a music contract. In 2007, when she was 18 years old, she signed a contract with Vertigo. Amy has said she felt lucky to have answered that ad. She believes she was "in the right place at the right time". She also mentioned that getting a record deal by sending a demo was unusual even then. Most artists were being discovered online through sites like MySpace.
First Albums: 2007–2011
In 2007, Amy Macdonald released her first album, This Is the Life. This album was a huge success. It sold three million copies and reached number one in the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark. It also did well in the United States.
The first song released from the album was "Poison Prince". The second song, "Mr. Rock and Roll", became her first song to reach the top 40 in the UK. The song "This Is the Life" was her most successful single from the album. It reached number one in five European countries. It was also used as the theme song for a Polish TV show called True Law.
Amy appeared on many TV shows in the UK and other countries. She performed her songs on shows like The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She also won the best newcomer award at the Silver Clef Awards.
Amy started working on her second album in 2009. She said she was excited about the new sounds. She even got one of her favorite artists, Paul Weller, to play on some songs. He played electric guitar on "Love Love" and piano and bass guitar on "This Pretty Face". Her second album, A Curious Thing, was released on March 8, 2010.
The first song from this album was "Don't Tell Me That It's Over". It was released a week before the album. Amy performed it on BBC Radio 2. The second song, "Spark", came out in May 2010. Amy also went on tour in the UK and Europe that year. The third song, "This Pretty Face", was released in July 2010. In 2010, she also sang with Ray Davies on his album See My Friends. They sang a song called "Dead End Street".
New Music and Performances: 2011–2015
Amy Macdonald's third album, Life in a Beautiful Light, was released on June 11, 2012. Amy started writing songs for this album after taking a break from touring. She felt that writing this album was a more natural process.
Some songs on the album were inspired by real-life events. "Human Spirit" was written after the rescue of the Chilean miners. "Left That Body Long Ago" was about her grandmother's struggle with Alzheimer's disease. "Across the Nile" was about the conflicts of the Arab Spring.
Three songs from the album were released as singles: "Slow It Down", "Pride", and "4th of July". Amy shared that "Pride" was written about her feelings when she performed "Flower of Scotland" at Hampden Park. This was before Scotland's international football matches.
In 2014, Amy performed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. She sang "Rhythm of My Heart" in George Square with people from Glasgow. Later, she performed the song live at Celtic Park during the opening ceremony. She was joined by Rod Stewart for this performance.
Later Albums: 2016–Present
Amy Macdonald began writing songs for her fourth album in early 2014. In May 2014, she performed four new songs live. She also sang "Leap of Faith" during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum in September 2014. In 2015, she announced that she was finishing the songwriting for the album. By August 2016, she shared that her fourth album was finished.
Amy released her fourth album, Under Stars, on February 17, 2017. She said it took two and a half years to make, which was the longest she had spent on an album. She felt the album was given the care it deserved. She performed a new song, "Dream On", on a TV show called BBC Scotland's Hogmanay 2017.
In September 2018, Amy announced her first greatest hits album. It was called Woman of the World (The Best of 2007–2018). This album included all her popular songs and a new song called "Woman of the World". The album was released on November 23, 2018. Amy also went on a European tour in March and April 2019. She said she was proud of her journey and everything that had happened in her career.
In 2019, Amy Macdonald made a special appearance in the Scottish TV show Still Game. She played herself in an episode called "Hitched".
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Amy started writing songs for her fifth album between 2018 and 2019. She began recording it in February 2020. There was a short break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but she continued recording in June 2020. She signed a new record deal for this album. She said it felt great, like when she made her first album.
On August 27, 2020, she released the first song from the album, "The Hudson". Her fifth album, The Human Demands, was released on October 30, 2020. Amy also announced a European tour for 2021.
On May 15, 2021, Amy represented Scotland at the Free European Song Contest 2021 in Germany. Her song "Statues" finished in fourth place. In July 2021, she hosted her own radio show on BBC Radio Scotland. It was called Life Tracks with Amy Macdonald. She played her favorite songs and explained why they were special to her. In July 2022, she released an extended play (EP) called Don't Tell Me That It's Over. It included new recordings of three popular songs: "Run", "Don't Tell Me That It's Over", and "Slow It Down". She chose these songs because they are "fan favorites" at her live shows.
On April 24, 2025, BBC Radio 2 played Amy's new song, "Is This What You've Been Waiting For?". This was her first new song since 2021. She said it still felt "strange" to hear her songs on the radio, even after 18 years. On the same day, she announced a European tour to support her new album. The tour began on May 24, 2025. Her sixth album, Is This What You've Been Waiting For?, was released on July 11, 2025. It quickly became number one on the album charts in Scotland. It also reached number eight in the United Kingdom and the top ten in Australia, Germany, and Sweden.
Music Style and Influences
People who review Amy's music say she has a soft speaking voice but a powerful singing voice. Her singing style is called contralto. Her music mixes acoustic and folk sounds with rock and indie influences.
Amy Macdonald says that the band Travis is her biggest influence. Other artists who have inspired her include the Killers, Rammstein, Paul Weller, The Vaccines, and Bruce Springsteen. Her 2008 song "Run" was inspired by The Killers after she saw them perform in Glasgow. Amy has said she would love to work with The Killers. She thinks their lead singer, Brandon Flowers, is an amazing performer.
Personal Life
Amy Macdonald loves cars and has owned several cool ones, including a Range Rover Vogue and a Ferrari 458 Speciale. She is a big supporter of Scottish independence. This means she believes Scotland should be an independent country. She feels very proud of where she comes from. She even wrote a song called "Leap of Faith" about the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Amy was engaged to footballer Steve Lovell in 2008. In January 2016, she announced her engagement to another footballer, Richard Foster. They got married on June 4, 2018, in Las Vegas. Amy is also a fan of the Glasgow football club Rangers.
Discography
- This Is the Life (2007)
- A Curious Thing (2010)
- Life in a Beautiful Light (2012)
- Under Stars (2017)
- The Human Demands (2020)
- Is This What You've Been Waiting For? (2025)
Filmography
Television Appearances
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Top Gear | Herself (Star in Reasonably Priced Car segment) |
| 2019 | Still Game | Herself (Episode: "Hitched") |
| 2021 | Bringing in the Bells | Herself with Richard Foster |
Radio Shows
| Year | Title | Role |
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| 2021 | Life Tracks with Amy Macdonald | Presenter (BBC Radio Scotland show) |
Awards and Nominations
Amy Macdonald has received many awards and nominations for her music.
See also
In Spanish: Amy Macdonald para niños
