We’ve been no strangers to an Amanda St John tune or two, so when the soul and blues singer asked us to review her upcoming single Grow, we obviously jumped at the chance. 

Amanda St JohnOfficially released on 10th February 2017, Grow is the title track from the singer’s 2016 album, and marks the start of the Irish portion of the singer’s UK & Ireland Tour. 

A bit slower, and a bit more laid back than what we’re used to from St John, Grow is a ballad about strength, resilience and hope. Thanks to her backing singers and pitch-perfect gospel stylings, this is a very exciting and inspirational tune that shows off St John’s incredible talent as both a songwriter and a performer. As the song builds to its crescendo, the harmonious mix of brass, uplifting backing vocals and St John’s powerful voice give way to a gentle fade that makes this a song to remember. 

Emotive, introspective and joyful, St John’s voice is straight from the heady days of jazz and blues, and Grow gets better every time you hear it. This is definitely one to hear live.

If you like what you hear, you can read our review of the entire Grow album here, and download the album here.

Amanda says “The song ‘Grow’ is about facing a very difficult period, observing the situation and vowing to fight back rather than letting it define you. It’s a very hopeful, motivational message. You have a choice (regardless of your circumstances) of how you want your life to go; even though it may take incredible strength and courage, it is possible to heal and grow as a person. The song resonates deeply with people at live gigs and I have found that it has been quite inspirational for some.”

UK & Ireland Tour Dates

6th Feb:            The Bedford                            Balham, London

7th Feb:            Tuesday Night Music Club     Coulsdon, London

12th Feb:          Whelan’s                                 Dublin (Full Band gig with support from ‘Runabay’)

17th Feb:          McGrory’s                               Culdaff, Donegal

18th Feb:          Bennigans                               Derry

 

 

 

Laura Caldwell

Author: Laura Caldwell

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.