Following on from a run of dazzling delights these last few years, Liverpool’s Amelia is now back for 2025 with her vibrant new single ‘Love You Better’.
Adopting more of that broad and emotive pop aesthetic she has been growing since she first arrived, ‘Love You Better’ makes for an incredibly warm and shimmering return to form for her. So we decided to sit down with her to find out more about her origins and inspirations over the years.
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Can you tell us a bit about your musical background and how you got started in music?
For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved music, and especially been drawn to artists who write their own music. I was 11 when I started learning to play my Dad’s old guitar through YouTube videos, fell in love with accompanying myself and bought a Taylor GS Mini when I was 12 (which I still play today)! I was a terrible singer at the time and started lessons, so I’m living proof that anyone can learn! I remember writing the first song I was truly proud of at sixteen, and I haven’t stopped writing since.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, both past and present?
Taylor Swift was the reason I wanted to play guitar and write – I’ve been listening to her since I was eight years old and she’s still my biggest influence when it comes to how she tells stories within her songwriting, as well as artists like Maisie Peters, Miley Cyrus and Gracie Abrams. Vocally I’ve always been inspired by more soulful, raspy styles through the likes of Amy Winehouse, Dusty Springfield, and Paloma Faith. I try to combine this variety in my own music.
Are there any specific artists or bands that have had a significant impact on your music style or approach?
Again, I’d have to say Taylor Swift! Whenever she releases an album I find myself feeling so creatively inspired, and it often leads me to want to write a lot more myself.
Could you share any memorable moments or experiences that have shaped your musical journey so far?
I remember playing my first gig at Arts Bar Liverpool when I released my first single. For a long time it had seemed impossible to me that I could play my own music to a room full of people who would listen, but as soon as I did it opened the way for more opportunities. I got a backing band together to improve the quality of performances overtime, and every single time I play live and hear people singing my songs back to me gives the most incredible feeling!
How do you express your personal experiences and identity through your music?
It’s important to me that my listeners can relate to my music, and so I’m always as authentic as I can be within my songwriting. My songs have become almost autobiographical, so everything you hear is an experience or feeling that I’ve had. It’s a lot easier for me to put pen to paper or open up my notes app and start writing lyrics than it is to explain my feelings out loud. I often say that I create music for hopeless romantics, overthinkers and people pleasers, because I’d definitely describe myself as those things too.
Have you faced any challenges or obstacles as a female musician, and if so, how have you overcome them?
I think there are many barriers for women in the music industry, and I especially think that women in pop can be dismissed or not taken as seriously in their craft. This is something I used to worry about, but now try to embrace and use to build an audience – I am a 23-year-old singing about her feelings, her vulnerabilities and insecurities, and I’m doing it in a way that is hopefully catchy enough for others to resonate with.
I currently have a female keys player, drummer, and bassist in my backing band who play on stage with me, so it’s really important for me to surround myself with other female musicians. It’s less common to see, and I really hope this changes!
Are there any particular themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
The themes across my music always come back to navigating through love and life as a twenty-something. I’ve always felt like I should be trying to find myself, and I think we can all relate to the pressures of this and the questions it brings up: “Am I on the right track? Am I easy to love? Am I living my life for myself?” I think you can hear me exploring the answers to these questions through my songs.
I want to be as vulnerable as possible, and I hope that my listeners feel as though the same can be true for them. I think that it’s okay for you to be honest about how you feel without worrying that you’re “too much” or “cringe”, and it actually makes you a lot more relatable when you’re honest in this way.
Can you talk about your creative process and how you go about writing and producing your music?
Often I get a lyric in my head or start humming a melody – usually when I’m somewhere without my guitar or out in public – so I write ideas in my phone and record myself humming or singing certain lines. As soon as I’m back with my guitar I can add chords and turn the lyric I came up with into a verse or a chorus. Sometimes songs take longer to form, and sometimes it feels like they write themselves – my new single, Love You Better, seemed to just fall out of me after a period of writer’s block and brought me back to my love of songwriting.
I’ve been working with an incredible producer Joe Sage, who takes my songs and influences and always sees the exact vision I have. We worked on two singles together last year – Gravity and Idea of You – and he’s produced my latest song Love You Better as well.
How do you hope your music will resonate with your audience, especially with other aspiring female musicians?
I hope that my audience hears my music and realises that they’re not the only ones who feel the way we do – I think the way music can bring people together in their emotions is a really powerful thing. I hope they hear Love You Better and think “it’s okay that I’m a little crazy sometimes, because I’m still lovable and I know how loving I can be”.
I would love for other aspiring female musicians to just go for it – for so long I was terrified of taking the leap because I was so scared of how people would respond to my songs, especially when they feel so special to me. I still get this feeling every time I write or share something new, but I know that as long as my songs mean something to me, they’ll be found by the right people.
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Listen to Amelia’s new single ‘Love You Better’ below.