Áine Deane on Writing Her Own Story and Making A Mark In The Music Industry.

Have you ever wanted to know the truth behind songwriting, and what it's like to be the opening act for some of your favourite artists? Áine Deane tells all, in this Q&A based on her rise as a musician in today's industry.

Meeting Áine Deane over zoom was a true testament to the new world created as consequence of Covid-19. Although not the traditional way, the comfort of both homes ensured my first official meeting with Áine to be a relaxed one. By bonding over our copious tea addictions and the simple expectation that making a cuppa should only take a minute, but the kettle prolonging itself when you have to be somewhere, Deane was as pleasant and charming as she was when I first saw her on stage. My initial introduction to the 23 year old was on the stage of New Rules' (British-Irish Boyband) Bush Hall performance in August 2022. From then on, she has captivated me and so many others, not only through her impeccable songwriting abilities, but her capability of creating a safe space for her listeners and making you feel at home, even in a concert venue like the Royal Albert Hall, surrounded by hundreds of strangers.

Áine Deane by Emily Marcovecchio

Áine Deane is a singer/songwriter from Cambridge, currently based in London. Her writing journey began within the comfort of four walls in her Exeter uni accommodation. Whereas her love for music started all the way back as a little girl. Inspired by Taylor Swift's authentically, unapologetic self, Ed Sheeran - since being gifted his sheet music after her piano exams by her mum, and within recent years, Noah Khan's ability to incorporate his raw emotion & folk into his pop music, Deane had no trouble when finding her own sound in her adult life. Although, never specifically dreaming of being a singer/songwriter when she grew up (in fact it was never an option in her mind), she was surrounded by music practically all her life. Growing up as a theatre kid, Deane went on to university to pursue the dream of drama school, but she never put the two together until her later life, and with the helpful wonders of TikTok after posting a video of an original song.

Áine Deane tells me about her family, and how they have enthusiastically supported her throughout her whole career as a musician. No matter the size of the show, they're always stood amongst the crowd, watching their little girl/ sister shine the night away. Since graduating, Áine Deane has supported some impressive artists in her career already, artists like James Bay & one of her most prideful, opening for Sam Smith, where she performed to a sold-out audience two nights in a row at the Royal Albert Hall. Deane has also performed to her own crowds, selling out her first headline show at OMEARA London in late 2022, ultimately leading to her SELL OUT headline show at Lafayette this past May.

Deane backstage for Sam Smith @ Royal Albert Hall, October 2022

The amiable young women proves that she can always count on her brothers to keep her grounded and humbled when she insists that, despite being a respectable artist, they still disapprove of her belting Taylor Swift lyrics throughout the house or taking spotlight during carpool karaoke and singing over their favourite artists. Even if you have your own songs out, they will keep on insisting that they listen to nothing else but the voice on the track!

When asking Áine Deane how she maintains her true and honest self in her daily life and when it comes to work, like photoshoots, she informs me that she becomes "a control freak" when dealing with the creative directions and that everything, even the smallest of detail, has it's reason for where it's placed. Deane also states that she only works with a trusted few colleagues that understand her need of being herself and those that enable her own creative artistry to be captured. Emily Marcovecchio is a beloved photographer who Áine Deane has worked with for some time, shooting many things from live performances to album covers - one being the cover art of 'If You Called Me Today, I'd Come Back Tomorrow' as well as Deane's latest EP release "Nothing Left to Say".

Áine Deane by Emily Marcovecchio

After performing two sold out shows at the Royal Albert Hall, as the support of Sam Smith earlier this year, Deane has decided on regaining the intimacy of small shows endeavouring on a bookstore tour around England this October. Áine Deane's fanbase tends to be a mixture of fellow "Swifties" (a large and devoted fanbase of Taylor Swift), whom Deane, as well as many other musicians, take as inspiration for their own musical creations. Hence why on her own setlists, Áine never shies away from a cover from the admired artist. The crowds communal karaoke of 'Love Story' felt like a wholesome moment that enabled a sense of belonging and familiarity, not only within myself but clearly throughout the entire crowd that stood inside the small space of Bush Hall in Shepard's Bush. The sea of other concert-goers, where strangers no longer remain strangers but become friends, all screaming the infamous lyrics to people you either just met in the queue a few minutes before or simply someone who came to see the same show as you that you caught in the midst of their enjoyment.

Thanks to music the boundaries were all broken, advanced by Deane's beautifully put lyrical expressions capturing everyone's feelings and mirroring them to relate to their own situations. No one was left out, and that was truly visible when watching Áine Deane take the stage. As someone who says she's a "control-freak", Deane continuously has to remind herself that "all that happens leads to a reason that will only benefit in the end", which explains why her songs are all so emotive since she never shies away from the reality of life, the good and the bad.

Deane's songs consist of real anecdotes of her life, and growing up, even if it "always gets [me] into trouble" like when she practically serenaded her song 'Hopeless' to the guy it was about whilst he was stood in the crowd at one of her shows. Her personal favourite and most honest song being '19', a song that depicts her time through university and all the moments she often wishes she could go back to. "As you get to each stage of life you wish for the next one, but you should really enjoy the one you are currently living, because to this day any part of uni i'd love to go back to and wish i'd appreciated it more". To most, University is known to be the place where you make loads of incredibly valuable memories and where you meet the friends you'll have for life, and for Áine Deane, this was completely true. In fact these memories wrote the lyrics, when going through old photos from her time at Exeter Uni with those forever friends, Deane disclosed the discovery that every line in her song '19', is captured in a photographic "list of memories" from each moment in real time. The song itself is a testament to her nineteen year old self and who she was at that time, and with these lyrics it's easy to go back and reminisce over the innocence of life back then.

Deane backstage for Sam Smith @ Royal Albert Hall,October 2022

'Hopeless' is my favourite off Deane's discography due to the openness of the lyrics. Released on 15th September 2021, 'Hopeless' is a raw, romantic and tearful ballad that captures the essence of what a hopeless love feels like. Within this song, the honest outpour of longing and apprehension to move on proves relatable to everyone, with over 1.4M streams on Spotify to date. As a self diagnosed hopeless romantic, the relentless question of "what if?' plummets into the depths of my heart, almost creating a sense of guilt since I know I should move on but can't. Consequently, the lyrics keeps that question poignant, thinking of all the possibilities you'd be leaving if you move on from the one person you hoped would want you back in the same way. Thus the song providing comfort, simply because the words are from someone else that has experienced a similar type of love. The most painful, unrequited love. 'Hopeless' gives warmth to those like Deane, that despite the dread of thinking you'd never be able to overcome, what seems to be, an endless cycle of missing someone you wish was yours but isn't, you can. Often individuals believe they're the only ones going through certain situations, but with someone like Áine Deane, whom exquisitely puts into words exactly how you're feeling, it is gratifying to finally feel seen and heard. I believe that Áine Deane, as such a courageous and compassionate female, she will leave a large mark on this industry, and I am really excited to watch where her next steps take her. I am always rooting for you sweet!

All photo credentials go to Emily Marcovecchio & Áine Deane.