Clare Maguire
It’s all about the voice. A big, blues belter of a voice, a voice that’s lived a little, that knows things, that hints huskily of hidden mysteries. It was the voice that drew people in, when they heard its siren call over MySpace, and producers who got in touch asking for guest vocals were always surprised to find that it belonged to a slip of a girl from a large Irish family in Birmingham.
Clare Maguire’s debut single Ain’t Nobody is a dramatic slice of epic, emotional music that manages to completely capture the intensity of her raw and bluesy voice, while still channeling the widescreen drama and alpha female spirit of 80s icons like Kate Bush, Annie Lennox and Stevie Nicks.
A raw talent, 22 year old Clare began her singing career two years ago. Living at home in Birmingham she worked in shops, bars and restaurants by day and by night, she sat up listening to Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Howling Wolf and her heroine Sister Rosetta Tharpe, making connections on MySpace, eventually pulling in an extraordinary 1.5 million hits to hear the rough demos she had posted on her page.
After a few months of obsessive all-night clicking, producers and artists began to get in touch, asking her to work with them, and she began to commute to the capital, staying in grim B&Bs, sleeping on floors, making contacts and learning her craft as a writer and a singer.
Once they began to hear that soaring powerhouse of a voice, the music industry agreed with her. After fierce competition from other labels, she signed to Universal Music at the age of 20. In fairy tales and TV talent shows, this is where the story ends: with a single in the charts a week later. In the real world, for an artist who wants to do more than just sing along to pre-recorded backing tracks, this is where the hard work really starts.
Two years of songwriting and recording down the line, Clare is ready to unleash her talent with a debut album every bit as impressive as her extraordinary talent.
Clare is currently on the road supporting Hurts and Plan B. Dates below.
20 Weds DUNDEE Fat Sams - supporting Plan B
21 Thurs LEEDS Academy - supporting Plan B
22 Fri BIRMINGHAM Academy - supporting Plan B
23 Sat GLASGOW Academy - supporting Plan B
26 Tues MARGATE Winter Gardens - supporting Plan B
28 Thurs UK LEICESTER University - supporting Plan B
29 Fri SHEFFIELD Academy - supporting Plan B
30 Sat LIVERPOOL University - supporting Plan B