Hey Peeps!
Today, I am with Susan Donaghy, better known as Susie Blue, for another Q&A Session. She is a composer, singer and guitarist from the UK. Now, without further ado…
Lady Obscure: Hi Susan! Could you tell me about your musical past? What have you been doing so far and what are you doing at the moment?
Susan Donaghy: Well, I started playing the guitar when I was 9 and this is just after I moved from Belfast to Derry. My daddy taught me my first song and then I sort of just ran with it. Then, after I learned how to play the guitar, I decided I wanted to learn the piano, so I took piano lessons in secondary school. I loved playing the piano at the start but eventually I went back to guitar as my primary instrument. I wrote my first song when I was about 13 I think and it was so awful as you can imagine… I then continued to write songs and here I am now with 4 new songs on my upcoming E.P “Stripped Bare”.
LO: So, what do you do? How would you describe your style?
SD: To be honest, I don’t really know what genre I am; I just write songs in a style I think sounds good and I don’t really stick to a genre but if I had to try and say what I was it would be, bluesy folk.
LO: Are you happy with your E.P? I mean, what aspect of it do you think you nailed, and what parts do you think you could improve upon?
SD: Well “Stripped Bare” is my first E.P and it’s just about to be released. I am happy with it, so happy and can’t wait to do more. There are a few things I wish I could redo or change but that’s just how everyone is, I think…
LO: How has the overall reception been?
SD: Considering it has been a short time, I am extremely happy with the reception to the taster of the E.P and the general reaction to my music
LO: So what bands do you draw your inspiration from?
SD: I get inspiration from people around me, certain situations but my favourite artists are Tegan and Sara and I listen to their music a lot.
LO: Could youtell me about the lyrics then? How do the concepts evolve?
SD: Well, for instance, my song “Lisbeth” is written about the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I thought she was crazy and decided after watching all three DVDs I would write a song about her.
LO: Which is more exciting? Being on the road or the studio?
SD: I’ve taken a few road trips to play but honestly I’ve spent more time in studios which I think is so fun if you’re with friends like when I recorded over the summer for the Irish youth music awards I love it.
LO: What’s more important to you? Catering to the audience or music for its own sake?
SD: Well, in my opinion both are equally as important. If you write songs that you like in the style you like then the audience should be able to relate to them, or I hope they do.
LO: When you look back your music career, what do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
SD: I was recently played on BBC radio Foyle by Stephen McCauley and I was so excited it was an amazing feeling…
LO: Thank you Susan!
Now, you can listen to more Susie Blue songs on her SoundCloud or her YouTube channel – and read more about her here, on her official Facebook page – but here is one for you…
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