Founder of record label for jailhouse rockers hails first signing
The founder of a record label for former prisoners is using the proceeds from her new single to help fund a video for one of her musicians.
Singer-songwriter Jill Brown, who set up Conviction Records last year after working with prisoners at HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow, is asking fans to buy her new track for any amount, to help aspiring musician Ryan Kershaw.
The former STV newsreader says dad-of-two Kershaw, who spent six months in Addiewell prison in West Lothian, will become the label’s first signing, and is an example of how music can be a lifeline. “Ryan sent me a song called Tiger In The Well and as soon as I heard it I could tell he was the real deal,” explained Brown, who has been volunteering at Barlinnie on and off for the past decade.
Kershaw, 38, was jailed after ordering a pepper spray online. Although he cancelled the order the next day, it was too late. Brown’s single, released tomorrow, is entitled Neverending Song, and has been written with the hope of making listeners feel less alone.
She said: “Working in Barlinnie has encouraged me to keep being honest with my lyrics – it’s honesty that resonates with people and opens up conversations and commonalties.
“I always tell people that the most powerful story you can tell is your own.”