Amy Macdonald’s gift for crafting positive, uplifting songs from relatable stories of triumphs, struggles and hope have made her one of the UK’s most beloved artists. That talent has attracted a huge audience, leading to five albums which have gone Top 5 across Europe (including a #1 in the UK and two in Germany), with over 12 million sales, 12 international Platinum certifications, and over a billion streams. She’s a consistently huge draw in the live arena too, having played to more than 5 million people worldwide.
Now Macdonald steps into a new chapter with the news that she will release her sixth album, Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For?, on 11th July. She launches the record alongside its lead single and title track, and also confirms details of a major UK and European tour which includes a huge homecoming arena date at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro. Amy will build towards the album release with a series of major festival sets, including the Isle of Wight and the Neighbourhood Weekender, as well as further shows in Germany and Switzerland.
Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For? is a bold new collection of songs that will remind the world of just why they fell in love with her in the first place. Amy holds nothing back in songs full of cathartic release and escapist energy. Simmering with her undefeatable spirit, the topics she explores are born from experience, both first hand and by witnessing other people’s struggles, spanning toxic friendships, feeling trapped in relationships, and daring to break away from the pressures of social expectations. Survival, and the idea of moving forward, prove powerful throughlines on the album. There’s also an appreciation for the fans whose dedicated, enduring support makes all of this possible.
She says: “I feel very lucky to be in the place I am now. I’ve got this career, good friends, my family, and people still seem to want to hear my music, which is great. There’s a realness in me, something raw – honestly I’m winging it most of the time.”
The thrilling title track introduces the record with a pulsating beat and dramatic crashes of the cymbals, as she unleashes a euphoric rallying cry. It’s a song that truly captures the electrifying power of a live show, and the connection she feels as she plays her music to an enraptured crowd. It also provides a release from the constant demands of the industry.
She adds: “This song was actually inspired by when they opened The Sphere in Las Vegas – I woke up one day and saw all of these videos of it, and I thought, this is incredible! I was totally blown away by it, and it reminded me of how gigs are experiences. It really inspired me and made me think about how music is for me, and gigs have always been the most important part. But streaming has created the demand for new music all of the time – it’s like a constant treadmill. This song is my view on how people always expect more music and social media content.”
The single was produced by Nicolas Rebscher (AURORA, Louis Tomlinson), who shares production duties on the album with the GRAMMY® winning Jim Abbiss (Adele, Arctic Monkeys).
Fans who pre-order the album HERE will receive access to a pre-sale for tour tickets, which opens at 10am on Monday, 28th April. It will remain live until the general sale opens at 10am on Wednesday, 30th April. The full list of live dates across UK, Ireland and Europe are listed below.
Tour dates:
APRIL
10th – Zermatt, Unplugged, Switzerland
MAY
24th – Warrington, Neighbourhood Weekender
JUNE
20th – Isle of Wight Festival
JULY
16th – Locarno, Moon & Stars Festival, Switzerland
24th – Rottweil, Kraftwerk, Germany
26th – Creuzberg, Musiksommer, Germany
27th – Karlsruhe, Das Fest, Germany
29th – Bremen, Seebuhne, Germany
31st – Jena, Kulturarena, Germany
AUGUST
2nd – Saarbrücken, Saarlandhalle, Germany
3rd – Freiburg, Zelt Music Festival, Germany
NOVEMBER
20th – London, Eventim Apollo
21st – Wolverhampton, The Civic Hall
22nd – Sheffield, City Hall
24th – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
26th – Portsmouth, Guildhall
27th – Swansea, Arena
28th – Bath, Forum
30th – Dublin, 3Olympia
DECEMBER
1st – Belfast, Telegraph
3rd – Cambridge, Corn Exchange
4th – Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
5th – Manchester, O2 Apollo
12th – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
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