Amanda is a 42 year old Singer-Songwriter & personal development coach from Glenariffe. She has been singing but didn’t release any original material until she was in her mid 30’s.
What genre / style do you create in?
Soul/blues/pop.
What would you be best known for?
Apparently – My engaging live vocal performances.
What would you consider your biggest achievement?
Recording in the same studio as my heroes Aretha Franklin & Etta James (I was the the first Independent Irish artist to record there in Alabama).
What would you consider to be the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your industry?
That talent isn’t enough, you have to have incredible work ethic & resilience to try & reach new audiences to let people know you exist.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
Self funding as quality recordings and videos are so expensive to produce & sales are down so much with streaming & digital downloads that it’s getting harder to justify the spend.
Tell us a little about your personal life, are you married, kids, hobbies etc?
I’m divorced & have 1 daughter aged 13.
I have SO many hobbies, I’m really into nature/outdoors time. I started sea swimming & roller skating this year to help with lockdown stress & boredom. I live by the beach so adore my beach walks, hiking, yoga, meditation, reading & podcasts.
Tell us about your most recent work?
I’ve just released my newest album on vinyl. It was recorded in the world famous FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
What would you like us to tell people about?
My newest album ‘The Muscle Shoals Sessions’ – available on limited edition vinyl, CD or digital download.
If you had to describe your work to someone who has never heard of you what would you say?
Soulful & emotive (I get regular comparisons to Dusty Springfield which is lovely).
What’s the funniest experience you’ve had in your business?
Spraying too much throat spray before a massive gig as I had a really sore throat (the start of severe vocal damage). We were called to perform (in Capitol Hill, Washington for an audience that included the Irish Taoiseach & US President) and I couldn’t even speak as my whole mouth & tongue was numb. I had to delay the long walk to the performance space & do crazy mouth exercises to try & get things working again. It was also funny in hindsight, I was panicking as I couldn’t even speak!
What would your advice be to young people hoping to pursue the same industry?
Build up a good fanbase before investing in an album. You want to create demand & release single by single until enough people will invest in an album. Resilience & consistency is key to growing.
Anything else you want to tell people about yourself or your work?
I grew up singing Irish folk music & released my first album of Irish songs at aged 14. I only started singing soul in my 20’s.
Who do you look up to and why?
Anyone who has the courage to live by their own rules, that isn’t scared to commit to their passions & take a risk. I could write a huge list. Lol.
You can keep up to date with Amanda on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and listen to her music on Spotify!
Amanda St. John will be appearing on the lineup of the St Patrick’s Day Live from Sailortown event on March 17 streaming live from 2pm-9pm across a variety of social platforms. For more information go to https://www.sailortownregeneration.com/