Ally Kerr - Upgrade Me (2019)

With a knack for consistently writing "melodic gems" (The Herald) and a growing and dedicated following across the globe, the "beautifully melancholic" (Press Association) Scottish folk-pop singer songwriter Ally Kerr returns with new album Upgrade Me. There's an urgency but also a poignancy and calmness in these songs; moving from sparse arrangements to songs driven by epic electric guitar and soaring, emotive strings. Lyrically the album resonates with the times. In Upgrade Me Kerr sings: "Tied to all the noise, the rabble and commotion. Pointless dramas, truths not ever spoken/Our tech is smart yet we're a little broken. Wondering when our upgrade comes." Always rooted in melody Kerr's music has developed since the critically-acclaimed, wide-eyed, innocent, indie pop of debut "Calling Out To You". Following shows in Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines, China and Europe, he came to wider notice when one of his songs was used in a major Japanese TV animation (Mushi-shi) broadcast in countries across the world. 2019/20 will see Kerr embark on live shows in Europe and Asia - including a second major headline tour of China, following two successful festival appearances in Shanghai and Beijing in 2013 and a headline tour in 2015.