Select a region
A Jersey music student who takes her inspiration from the likes of Amy Winehouse and Etta James will soon be hitting a career ‘Milestone’ with the release of her first ever single.
In a case of art mimicking reality, the track “is about taking a leap into something new” – exactly what Maisie Roberston will be doing when she releases the track next week.
Express spoke to the 21-year-old about her musical background and how the song came to be amid the stress of finishing her final year of university and covid lockdowns…
Currently studying her final year of Professional Musicianship (vocals) at BIMM Brighton, Maisie's passion for music stretches back to a "very young age".
Pictured: Maisie Roberston chose to be known professionally as 'Maisie Robbie' to to represent her evolution "into my own artist and releasing my own music."
It all started with classical vocal lessons age four, progressing to popular music vocal lessons at 16, before heading to university in the hope of meeting and working with more professionals in the industry.
"My mum is a singer and she always encouraged me to take part in lots of musical events, participating in Eisteddfods, Liberation Day services and most recently Jersey Sings! in 2018," Maisie explained.
"My parents are my biggest supporters, they are always cheering me on with everything I do and my mum even told me on the phone the other day that she was telling everyone she knows that my single is coming out!"
Pictured: "I am so grateful for my Mum and my Dad as they have always been my biggest cheerleaders."
Named 'Milestone' and released under the stage name 'Maisie Robbie', the track will be out next Friday, 15 April.
"'Milestone' is a conversation between my thoughts and someone close to me reassuring me everything is going to be okay," Maisie explained.
"This track is about taking a leap into something new and out of your comfort zone which can be a daunting situation, but knowing you have your friends and family supporting you takes the fear away."
Pictured: The inspiration for 'Milestone' came as Maisie was sitting in her living room, thinking about all the routes her future could take.
"I write loads of random ideas down of lyrics on my phone all the time, so I almost forgot about it until I decided on my final project for uni which was to release a single. I went to my keyboard and started to find some chords for the melody I had made up," she continued.
She took the final product to her boyfriend, Alfie, who produced it in his makeshift home studio.
Singing has always held a special place in Maisie's heart - "it's such a cool way to express yourself when words just aren't enough" - but her musical talents go beyond vocal work.
She also plays the piano, flute and guitar.
View this post on Instagram
"I actually had two guitar lessons when I was 8 and because I am left-handed, I got a pink left-handed guitar for Christmas in 2007, but that was quite short-lived!
"I regained interest in guitar when I started singing popular covers and wanted to perform live. I started singing live covers accompanying myself with piano or backing tracks but wanted to learn guitar to challenge myself to be more of a versatile musician.
"My boyfriend, Alfie, had taught a few chords, but when we all went into lockdown I decided to develop my playing skills. This really helped me segue into writing my own songs," she recalled.
During the pandemic, Maisie found herself becoming less confident in performing, but she had found herself getting more creative in other aspects - including developing her songwriting.
Her key inspiration comes from artists including Amy Winehouse, Etta James and Mahalia, with Maisie highlighting the "raw emotion" in their lyrics and "sassy yet intimate" delivery of each line.
"I love how Amy Winehouse especially can just command a room with her voice and to me that is so powerful, her songs resonate so strongly with me and deeply inspires me in my own songwriting.
"I would say my music falls under the genre of contemporary pop, but I am still in the early process of finding my sound" Miss Robbie said.
While Maisie wrote 'Milestone' herself, she has been collaborating with a songwriter in Brighton and her band to produce some original material.
An album may be on the cards in future - but first she'll have to overcome the hurdle of university assessments.
Pictured: Maisie released a small snippet of an original piece at the beginning of last year.
Gigs, too, may also be on the agenda.
The young artist has previously performed solo and as vocalist in the band Tibetan Funk, at venues as eclectic as The Trafalgar Inn, The Tipsy, the Watersplash, and Reg's Garden in St. Brelade.
"I love performing live, especially when everyone is singing the words with you!"
Pictured: The young islander is a vocalist in the band Tibetan Funk.
If Maisie had to give advice to young people keen to pursue a career in the music, she would say: "Say 'yes' to every opportunity, even if you feel like you're not ready because sometimes you think you are not ready, but nine out of 10 times you are, and you will rise to the occasion."
Maisie Robbie's first single, 'Milestone', will be released on all streaming platforms on Friday 15 April at 17:00.
"I really hope you enjoy the track and can relate to it as this is a situation a lot of people go through, and hopefully this song is a little reminder that it will all work out!" Maisie said.
You can pre-save the song by clicking HERE.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.