Robin Ashcroft
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Debut single I LUV U by 17-year-old Robin Ashcroft out 5 February pre-save at: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/robinashcroft/i-luv-u
Hailing from Castlemilk in Glasgow’s Southside, Robin Ashcroft is a very promising young singer songwriter who has been performing since the tender age of 13-years-old. In that time, she’s achieved a great deal, having already played legendary venues like The Barrowlands, King Tuts, as well as scores of Scottish festivals like Glasgow’s Pride Festival (and even in an STV drama! see Q&A ⬇️)
Her debut single I LUV U was produced by Johnny Madden (BABY STRANGE) and Jamie Holmes (The Lapelles). Ashcroft is good friends with fellow young songwriter Connor Fyfe (one of the youngest artists we’ve featured in our Scotland on Sunday column) and was inspired by the success of local superstar Gerry Cinnamon (<< we championed way back in 2015), who grew up in the same area of Glasgow.
We had the pleasure of chatting to Robin read below ⬇️
Fb @RobinAshcroftOfficial Tw @R_AshcroftMusic | Inst @robinashcroft | Spotify | AppleMusic | YouTube | Pre-save I LUV U
Tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to get into music?
I’m 17 years old and I’m from the Southside of Glasgow ‘Castlemilk’ to be precise. I was a dancer growing up, dancing from about 3, always travelling doing comps every Sunday. I fell away from it when I was about 11. I’ve always loved music and sang around the house. My mum always had MTV on when tidying up. So all I was doing was watching the fashion and hearing music. She used to post videos online of me singing with the TV remote for a microphone. I started going to a private tutor for sewing in the west end towards the end of primary school and I learned how to make outfits and work a sewing machine. I entered a singing competition just after my 13 birthday in September where I was introduced to Mick Hargan, who runs open mics in King Tuts. Just doing them built my confidence, it’s a great scene!
I first picked up the guitar around February time and started learning the basics through YouTube then through music in school. I wrote I LUV U just before my 14 birthday, it’s one of my first original songs I wrote.
What is your debut single I LUV U about?
Well I wrote I LUV U when I was 13. It’s about crushing on someone. They tell you when you’re young “aww it’s just puppy love” but who says it can’t be possible to feel love, age doesn’t matter right? I wrote it from the perspective of my age at the time, not telling your family so they don’t embarrass you.
But people have their own interpretation of what it means to them and I love that.
We’ve noticed how active you are on social media and in particular your many hats, where do they come from and is it purely to do with your music or is there more to it?
Actually, I’ve had my first offer for University to do fashion, which is another thing I’ve always been into. I’ve always worn hats since a was wee and ma mum continues to embarrass me re-sharing old pics on social media. I like accessorising, sometimes I wear bandannas or gloves as well. I started wearing different coloured hats and different styles of hats depending what went with whatever outfits. I own 37 hats at the moment but some have gone to heaven over the years. My first open mic - I wore a hat, then I just continued to make that a statement particularly the fedora style. It turns out it was good as people seem to remember me a bit more.
How have you found life during the pandemic, anything positive or all negative?
I lost my dog, Peaches, at the start of lockdown so that was really hard. But I ended up writing a few songs after having a bit of writer’s block. I just take each day as it comes. Some days I’m happy, other days I’m not, but it’s always good to keep positive. I live at home with my little sister and two little brothers and my mum so it’s a busy house. I feel I’ve used the pandemic to grow up a bit. I used to wonder if I would get taken seriously because I started gigging so young, sometimes people don’t take you so seriously if you’re really young. But I think people can see a big change in me over the last year. They have kind of watched me grow up on social media.
What are your plans for 2021 and has Covid-19 forced you to make changes or rethink things?
My plans this year are to focus on my single release. Then record and release some more music. Later in the year, I will start uni and begin my fashion career because that’s always been the plan. The only things that have changed is that I’m not able to gig, most festivals were rescheduled for 2021 and now some cancelled again. We don’t know what this year is going to bring us but hopefully soon we can get back to what we would call normal. I will be able to do what I love again.
Although you’re super young, you’ve achieved a lot already, what have been your career highlights so far and what would you love to happen in future, what are your goals and ambitions?
I’ve had a lot of highlights in my music career so far and I’m very grateful for them and opportunities I’ve got. I loved performing in the Barrowlands for the Music Matters gig. I loved recording with Johnny Madden from BABY STRANGE and Jamie Holmes from The Lapelles. One memory that stands out was performing on the main stage at Pride in 2017 in Glasgow Green I was just 13. That’s probably where the ambitions started, the buzz was amazing. Only did three covers because that’s all I knew at the time on the guitar hahah. And the crowd were chanting the songs back. I’m still the youngest performer to have played the main stage. My dream is to be able to perform in bigger festivals like TRNSMT and Glastonbury. I want to travel the world, I know either my music or fashion can help me do that.
Tell us something most people won’t know about you?
I was in an STV drama called ‘High Times’ for two six part series when I was younger. I’m on internet movie database (IMDb) if you googled me you’ll find it hahaha, I played the character (baby) Chloe.
Fb @RobinAshcroftOfficial Tw @R_AshcroftMusic | Inst @robinashcroft | Spotify | AppleMusic | YouTube | Pre-save I LUV U
Pre-save Robin Ashcroft debut single I LUV U