When Guernsey singer-songwriter Rachel Dawson tried learning the piano as a young girl, something didn’t “click”, but now she’s hoping to take on the country music charts with just her voice, a guitar… and one heck of a new single.

The 22-year-old marked the start of a new season in her career by releasing the suitably autumnal ‘Falling Leaves’ last week, a bittersweet country-pop ballad about a breakup and the pain of having to let go.

As the daughter of a singer, music has always been a part of Dawson’s life, but it was car journeys with her dad that helped shape her love of the art form.

Dawson told Express: “Somewhere between those band rehearsals and car journeys, I completely fell in love with music.”

Despite not taking to the piano, “everything changed” when she got her first acoustic guitar aged just 12.

“I absolutely fell in love with it,” she said. 

During her time at school, Dawson would regularly perform in Town, soon developing a passion for songwriting alongside performing.

“I loved taking part in the Guernsey Eisteddfod, and it was after performing in the self-accompanied section that I received a letter from the Town Carnival inviting me to perform.

“That opportunity opened the door to so much more.”

Dawson was “so nervous” for her first gig, outside Dix-Neuf, but once it was over, she was “hooked” – regularly performing in town once she got her busking licence.

“Busking taught me so much about performing, engaging with an audience and building confidence.”

Islanders may also recognise her from her dad’s band, The Dawberts, who have performed all over Guernsey.

“After finishing my A-levels, I took a gap year and realised that I wanted music to be more than a hobby – I wanted it to be my career.”

She applied for several courses at top universities and performing arts schools, but was “absolutely over the moon” when she received an offer from her first choice, the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).

Dawson graduated this summer and received her degree from Sir Paul McCartney, one of her “proudest” moments so far.

While her new country single ‘Falling Leaves’ is not her first musical release, Dawson says it holds a special place for her.

“I have released music in the past when I was finding my feet, but this is my first release as a full-time musician so it is really special to me. 

“It was released in the early hours of last Friday morning and we stayed up until one minute past midnight and asked Alexa to ‘play Falling Leaves by Rachel Dawson’. 

“Hearing it on a streaming platform rather than just from my phone was so exciting.”

“I didn’t get much sleep that night!”

Rachel Dawson

“Songwriting is very personal, so getting to share it with the world can be daunting but there is nothing I’d rather do and I hope that my music will mean something to the people who listen to it.”

So what advice would she give to anyone starting out?

“I’ve been incredibly lucky to have so many people support and encourage me along the way.

“It is such a tough industry, so surrounding yourself with the right people and growing thick skin is essential but it is so fulfilling following your passion so, most importantly, don’t give up.”

‘Falling Leaves’ by Rachel Dawson is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music.