Hope Russell-Winter is in her element. With her GCSEs nearly over, she can look forward to a summer of playing and writing music. And that includes a session in Chorleywood this month. The sixteen year old singer songwriter from St Albans has become a regular performer at music venues all around Herts, Bucks and London. Even if you don’t know of Hope, chances are you will have heard her voice on The Dogs Trust current ad singing the Dusty Springfield 60s classic “I only want to be with you.”
“ I regularly upload youtube videos and a producer who was working on The Dogs Trust ad music just came across me. He emailed to say I was in the running for the ad sound track along with a bunch of other singers! I loved the way the song they planned was interpreted. I learned it that same night, sent him an MP3 file and got the job! I went to London to do the recording and got to watch the ad too. It was great fun.”
Hope, who accompanies herself on piano, sings acoustic soul and is influenced by Carole King, Gabrielle Aplin and Billy Joel
“I love people who write genuine heartfelt songs.”
She also spends a lot of time writing,
“I tend to start with piano then once I have an idea I write on a topic so that the song has clear meaning. I started writing when I was growing up just for myself – it wasn’t intended for an audience but as I got better at it and people enjoyed it I started to perform in public. I released my second acoustic EP ‘Optimist’ in December last year”
We predict that Chorleywood will enjoy Hope a lot. Catch her at The Old Shepherd Open Mic Night on Saturday 25 June.
Listen to Hope on our Music page here Hope
Open Mic Night at The Old Shepherd on 25 June kicks off with Hope at 8pm. Watch the Dogs Trust ad on our website www.chorleywoodmagazine.co.uk
Open Mic Nights every last Saturday of the month at The Old Shepherd, www.chorleywoodopenmic.com/