Take a Bow The Edinburgh singer all set for the big time

Photography: Lucero Glow

TAKE A BOW

Superstardom surely beckons for Edinburgh singer Bow Anderson, says Carrie Mitchell

Ihave fallen down a Youtube hole. My intention was to swot up on the sound of Bow Anderson, an Joppa girl whose first few songs are garnering praise from music critics as diverse as Jim Gellatly and Elton John. Instead, I am watching her lark around with her mates on the streets of London, laughing at her forcing her English flatmate to taste haggis and Irn-Bru and smiling as she attempts to follow her mum’s shortbread recipe with dubious results. Bow’s ‘Scottish Sundays’ series is so silly and light that when I eventually get around to clicking on the video for her debut single Sweater, for a second, I doubt that I’m watching the same girl.

Bow might be young and she is certainly Scottish but if that description is conjuring up images of Amy McDonald and KT Tunstall plucking a guitar and delivering a jaunty folk song, you’re in for a surprise. This ‘Scottish singer’ is a far more sophisticated package – bold R&B lyrics, heavyweight pop production, and a uniquely soulful voice have more in common with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Rihanna and Jessie J.

“Jessie J was actually one of the first gigs I ever went to,” says Bow when I make the comparison. “I saw her at the Usher Hall when I was young. The only gig I’d been to before that was Girls Aloud at Edinburgh Castle who were supported by The Saturdays. I couldn’t believe it when Mollie from The Saturdays played my song on her radio show last year – it’s strange how things go full circle.”

Bow’s early pop exposure has certainly influenced her sound but it was a trip to the cinema that had a more significant effect. “When I was 11 years old, I went to see Dreamgirls and something just clicked. I remember it so vividly, I was eating those rainbow sugary sweets, watching this film thinking, ‘Oh my god, I love this. This music is amazing’. I already loved Beyoncé but I went home and started listening to Motown and soul music - Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Donny Hathaway. I wanted to take that classic soul sound and combine it with something a bit more fresh and current like Chance the Rapper and Kanye West – they’re hip hop but they still have that soul thing. That was my inspiration when I started writing music.”

MUSIC HAS BEEN LIKE THERAPY FOR ME. IT HELPED ME ESCAPE AND DEAL WITH MY EMOTIONS WHEN AN ACCIDENT LEFT ME IN A WHEELCHAIR”

But writing music was something Bow might never have done if it wasn’t for a serious accident she had while training for a big-time trampolining competition. Her plans to go pro were shelved and she spent a summer in a wheelchair suffering from nerve damage. When the pain would wake her through the night, her dad would sit with her and sing to take her mind off it. “That’s when he realised I could actually sing,” she remembers. “At first, I did it because it was like therapy for me, it helped me escape and deal with my emotions. I was really young and it was a lot to deal with – I almost lost my leg. The rehabilitation was tough but music got me through. I would sit and sing songs while tinkering around on this old piano we’d been given for free, and it would make me feel better.”

The only musical member of her family, Bow set her sights on studying at the renowned BIMM institute and moved to London at 19 to take up her place. Five and a half years later, it’s strange to look back and think that if it wasn’t for her accident, she could have gone on a different path entirely but perhaps the most surprising thing about Bow Anderson is that she’s not a massive star already. Six singles in, she certainly should be. Her latest release Hate That I Fell In Love With You is a gravelly piano ballad to rival Adele while peppy third single Island could easily have been a summer anthem, if the world hadn’t been gripped by a pandemic when it was released. Sadly, timing was not on the side of Miss Anderson’s debut onto the music scene last year. Support slots and festival appearances cancelled, her trajectory has undoubtedly been stunted so she is looking forward to getting out there and performing in front of a crowd this year, albeit with a little trepidation.

“I have shows booked in for later this year, I just hope they go ahead. It’s weird that I’ve not really done any gigs because I started releasing in lockdown. In some ways, it is frustrating because gigging is a massive part of new artists getting exposure but I believe everything happens for a reason and, honestly, I couldn’t have imagined things going any better. Elton John played me on his show which is insane, he’s a legend. Then I got tune of the week with Scott Mills on Radio 1 which is just ridiculous. I’m really grateful for the position I’ve been put in. I have no regrets.”

Photography: Jelle Deruiter

Bow Anderson is at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh on 22 and 23 September. To book tickets, visit livenation.co.uk