Draft:Sonsie Music

Sonsie Music

Sonsie (1984-) is a singer and songwriter from Cork, Ireland. She has also written under the monikers 'Spruce Illest' and n.i.a.m.h

Biography

Niamh McCartney was born in 1984 in Cork, Ireland. When she was seven she moved to Lesotho, Southern Africa. This move made a lasting impression on her musical landscape, introducing her to the worlds of African jazz, hip-hop and kwaito in her formative years which went on to inform her own writing style which is influenced by folk, jazz, hip hop and R&B. She also developed an interest in choirs and chamber music whilst undertaking her secondary school education at the King's Hospital School in Dublin, where she became an active member of the musical world at the school. Her involvement in the award-winning Chamber Choir had a huge influence on her use of harmonies and layers in her own music. She moved to Edinburgh to study English, and later went to London where she immersed herself in the underground club culture. She absorbed many genres during that time, working in Fabric as a means to experience world-class DJs, and spending many nights at Plastic People. She now resides in Cork city with her three children and two dogs.

Career

In 2007, she was selected to attend the Red Bull Music Academy in Toronto where she had the opportunity to work with artists such as Theo Parrish, producing a track in collaboration with other attendees which would later be released on Sound Signature on 'Sketches'. In 2008 she worked on the Red Bull Music Academy team in Barcelona, and worked on various radio shows during her time in radio production at Somethin' Else in London, which gave her an opportunity to act as broadcast assistant and assistant producer on Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Radio BC Radio 1 show. She also worked with Mark de Clive-Lowe as an assistant. She worked with JR Seaton on his EP “The Grey Flower” writing and performing vocals to a number of tracks, including “Way Savvy” which was remixed by Gatto Fritto and featured on FabricLive66: Daniel Avery DJ Mix.

She studied Anthropology and Media at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She moved back to Cork, Ireland in 2012 to work in the Education team at Apple and still resides there today. She worked alongside various musicians in the industry, and secured funding for the debut album of the Robert Mitchell Trio. After a long hiatus, she returned to music during the pandemic and began writing and recording music with friends at Wavefield Recording Studios in Clonakilty, Co Cork. She released her debut solo single 'I Feel Alive' in October 2023, with Hotpress saying '"this track is raw, relatable and honest. A great first offering and insight into what's to come for the emerging artist” This was followed by 'Home' in April 2024. In July 2024, Rihanna used a track 'Bumper' that was written in 2006 with her friend Ross Birchard (Hudson Mohawke - Warp Records) in her Fenty lips ad campaign on Instagram. She is currently working on material for her debut EP and album under the Sonsie moniker.

Works

• Bumper - Hudson Mohawke ft. Spruce Illest (2006/2020)
• I Feel Alive - Sonsie (2023)
• Hope4Tomorrow - Theo Parrish - Sketches (2007)

Further reading

• https://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/about/projects/toronto2007

External links

• https://sonsiemusic.com/
• https://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/about/projects/toronto2007