Stephanie McCourt

“I was two years old when I sang my first song. I’ve always sung. Singing has been my thing for as long as I can remember” A fan of the golden era of soul performed by the likes Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Janis Joplin, James Brown, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles amongst others; it seems that Stephanie McCourt was born in the wrong decade. “All my friends ask me why I listen to this old music. Why don’t I listen to dance music or house music, but there is so much soul and emotion in the music from the 50s, 60’s and 70’s that I just love it. . I do listen to modern stuff too, I love Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, Miguel, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Selah Sue, but it’s the old stuff that I really connect with. Even with my look, it’s all very 1940’s and 1950’s. I think it’s such a strong classic look. Women looked amazing in that period and it just connects with me that whole era.” A unique mix of Irish and Zambian and the combination of two very different, yet similar cultures has created a passion for music that comes from deep within the soul of Stephanie McCourt. “I’m equally connected with both cultures. I’ve been back and forth to both countries, experienced and loved every minute of it. The music, food, dancing etc. It has been a blessing to experience both sides, which aren't so different. They both know how to have a good laugh and a drink. My Mother who is from Zambia is from a family of 12 siblings and my Father who is from Dundalk, Ireland has 5, so lots of uncles, aunts, cousins, madness and fun! My musical taste is vast having grown up on traditional Irish and African music, which I have LOVED! The music’s in my blood!” “A lot of people say I inherited my voice from my Dad. He is really into music. He’s a massive Elvis Presley fan and I remember having to go with him and my sister to these little obscure record shops to hunt for Elvis records. He comes to all of my gigs and hassles me everyday about what I’m doing with my music. I’m really close to my dad we are like best friends... I’m that way with my mum too, she like a best friend as well” Knowing that she wanted to be a singer from a young age helped Stephanie to start pursuing her dream early on. Her parents whom she cites as being huge influences on her music decided at 9 years old to enrol her with the legendary vocal coach Tona de Brett, (Seal, David McCalmont, Joe Strummer, Dido, Duffy, Lily Allen and more.) who became Stephanie’s vocal coach until the age of 15. “I didn’t realise it at the time but to be coached by someone as talented and knowledgeable as Tona really helped me to find my voice. She has helped so many superstars that it’s actually amazing that at such a young age I had the opportunity to work with her and develop under her for so long.” Whilst Stephanie admits that secondary school “wasn’t the easiest of times for me” she was still daydreaming of performing on stages across the globe. It was this desire that at aged just 11 she won a national schools singing competition that saw her perform at the Royal Albert Hall. Once she finished school, Stephanie; encouraged by her ever supportive mother upped sticks, left London and headed to Brighton where she enrolled onto a four-year course at BIMM. (Brighton Institute of Modern Music) Graduates include the likes of platinum recording artists The Kooks and Tom O’Dell to name but two. Not long after arriving at the school Stephanie’s talents were noticed by the schools founders Kevin Nixon (Robert Plant, Bryan Adams, Stereophonics) and Sarah Clayman (Roachford, Kula Shaker, Grooverider). They offered to manage Stephanie as a solo artist, before asking her to select girls for a group, which she would front, called Mascara. Stephanie spent 3 years in the group before giving it up. “It just wasn’t me. Deep down I knew we weren’t really making the music that I wanted to make. The great thing is that I really learned how to perform by being in the group and at the school” It was only after leaving the band and completing her course that Stephanie realised she could write songs. “I hooked up with one of my mates from BIMM and we just started writing. We moved back to London once the course finished and we would write everyday. I even started to learn the guitar. It was then that I was like: oh I can write, and the songs aren’t crap!” Despite discovering her new writing talent and knowing that she could sing, Stephanie didn’t know what to do next. “I kinda became depressed. For the next 2 years or so I was depressed not knowing what I was doing. Drifting in and out of bands, working with producers and trying different styles of music that didn’t quite fit. But the silver lining was that I could suddenly convey emotion in my songs. Before then I always listened to people like Aretha Franklin and would think wow how do they do that? How do they get that emotion in there? It was only after I came out of the depression that I knew how to do it. Now whenever I sing I can bring that emotion to a song.” With a newfound energy and desire to succeed Stephanie focused on the pursuit of her dream as a soloist. “I started to notice that people around me were beginning to breakthrough and get deals and stuff at record labels.” One such person was Jessie J whom Stephanie would always see when out performing on the circuit. “That gave me so much inspiration to make it. She was doing the exact same thing as me and then the next minute she was blowing up, it gave me even more motivation to go out there and just do it.” And do it she did. A mutual friend took her to Hot Money Studios the home of Unstoppable Music Group and introduced her to music producer EFX who they hoped would be interested in writing and recording with Stephanie. The two immediately struck up a relationship and began writing and recording together. “At first we were recording pop stuff. Like it was good material but it wasn’t me. I’m a soul girl and I love that whole vibe. One day we just tried something different. EFX played down some parts and I started writing and before we knew it we had a skeleton for what became ‘Hard Living’. EFX sent it to his manager who gave him some creative direction on where to take it musically and we finished it.” Over the next few months the pair would write and record more tracks and before long EFX introduced Stephanie to his manager and business partner in Unstoppable Music Group; Ben Wynter. “It’s kind of funny because EFX would always talk about Ben, but I’d never met him. I started to wonder if he actually existed. When we met it wasn’t a formal meet. He happened to be at the studio on a day I went to record and we were chatting and we caught a vibe and then I just asked if he was interested in managing me. I think it was a no brainer as together with EFX he was already providing studio time, directional input on the songs and EFX was working on the tracks so it just made sense and now here we are, all part of the Unstoppable family.” Currently working on an E.P, set for release in late spring 2014, Stephanie’s music influences are apparent. The soul influences of ‘Hard Living’ are clear whilst influences of gospel, and jazz are present on the melancholy ‘Never Did I!’ This is juxtaposed by the uplifting funk, and Motown soul leanings of Not Giving It Up. “The songs are literally the stories of my life. The ups. The downs. The love and the heartache. Literally everything. It’s all very personal to me.” So what happens if it doesn’t all work out as planned? ‘Failure isn’t an option, I’m born to sing and now I’m unstoppable so its destined, things have to work out.’ Listening to the music and hearing her speak you get the feeling that she just might be right. Singer/Songwriter Soul Music