Amy’s voice is an Intangible force..

Debut EP portrays Antrim singer’s star quality

In every conceivable way, Amy Montgomery, from Antrim, is pretty remarkable. Her voice floors you every time, her creative songwriting sets wonderful songs on repeat in your head. Lyrically there’s the type of heartache that can’t be faked yet a reassuring hope you buy into without question. She looks incredible – a worldly, independent bohemian spark, often with a single line of black paint beneath her eyes.

On stage she’s gloriously unpredictable, as a human being she’s naturally playful and cosmic. All this confidence and relentless momentum – with a debut album still to come. All this and she’s only 21. Amy’s potential for stardom is so obvious, we should spell it out in giant neon letters, bet the house and get a good seat on the bandwagon – while we can.

The story began with Dangerous – released back in 2017, with Amy h a l f way through her teens. It was a pretty distinctive way to unveil herself to the world – a million miles from the usual toe-dipping demos you expect from a new act, especially one so young. It stopped listeners in their tracks – that voice, that chorus. Essentially off the back of Dangerous, Amy nabbed local festival slots, building a reputation for an engaging, deliberately chaotic live show. One which would eventually end up on stages at the likes of Glastonbury and Electric Picnic. Alongside a number sporadic releases – it had

been building towards

a debut EP, released today.

The title track is j ust the right amount of s li c k . Whi l e the production – all shiny and loaded with hooks – should appeal to the masses, A my ’s v o i c e and lyrics remain beyond compromise. ‘All the rivers will continue to flow whether we’re above or buried below’ she reckons. ‘I think it’s pretty nice that when we’re gone… the birds will still sing.’

Such subtle optimism is to her credit – Amy lost her mother while she was a teenager. That theme of loss dominates her lyrics – yet she’s consistently convincing us of finding reasons to keep smiling.

“I want to tell people that it’s OK to feel a certain way,” she recently explained. “You might feel happy one day, then the next day you might feel like s**t, and that’s alright. It is getting better, but I think depression is still quite a taboo subject, especially in music.”

Amy may have shared details of her own struggles – but crucially, she has also been helpful – laying out ideas and thoughts which might guide a listener towards some light.

‘Trust in yourself ’ goes the simple refrain on Anywhere – a track so catchy, it makes sense that the main riff is eventually whistled. Her version of Sharron Van Etten’s is a little more out there, Amy indulging her love of cosmic adventure, the song spinning off in multiple directions. But still – one constant – that voice.

A moment’s glance and you’d guess Amy’s a star in the making. A moment listening – and you’re certain.

The EP Intangible is streaming now. Amy Montgomery plays a rescheduled show at The Ulster Sports Club in May 2021.