MUSIC
BIO
For Amy Birks, music has been all about a journey. From Staffordshire to London to south-eastern France, her route has been physical, emotional and creational. Finally, she arrives in 2020 as Ms Amy Birks with her debut solo record All That I Am & All That I Was, a progressive, classically-influenced chamber-pop tour-de-force.
But let’s look back to Birks’ childhood, a happy family upbringing in Stoke-On-Trent, the West Midlands hub where Anglo-Saxon treasures, Roman roads, coal-mining, steelworks and 17th century pottery industries were framed by vales, a green belt and vibrant folklore tradition – from witches, to a White Rabbit boggart, to various spectres at crossroads. With house filled with music and a piano at her fingertips, the young Birks would start playing at age six, her soundtrack being “Joni Mitchell, Don McLean, The Beatles and Supertramp… Dad was always singing Supertramp.”
“In Our Souls is a gorgeous album. The genius of it all is how not a note is wasted as the development of Ms Amy Birks shines through yet retains her unique style and exceptional songcraft.”
https://atthebarrier.com/2022/07/25/ms-amy-birks-in-our-souls-album-review/
“While many artists are nominated as the next Kate Bush, with her dreamy, lush tapestry of folk, prog, pastoral soundscapes and etherial lyrics. Ms Amy Birks is head and shoulders above her rival claimants.”
Record Collector August 2022
“Second set full of elegantly rustic odes…lusciously classical timbres and poignant lyrics…recalls the vibrant arrangements of Tori Amos, Ben Folds and Kate Bush. A consistently beautiful journey”
JMB - Prog Magazine
‘The debut album from Ms Amy Birks, 2020’s All That I Was And All That I Am was an absolutely delightful piece of work, and her long anticipated sophomore album In Our Souls doesn’t disappoint either, a kind of ‘baroque chamber pop’, and is further evidence of how well Amy Birks is establishing a rep as an outstanding songwriter and vocalist. The music on this album is extraordinarily lush, very melodic and, with her breathy, almost ethereal vocal delivery, also enchanting, because it’s the delicate power of her voice which compels the attention of the listener.’
Laurence Tod - Velvet Thunder 2022
Ms Amy Birks is an award-winning vocalist and songwriter, and also produces and arranges her own music. She previously sang with the acclaimed band Beatrix Players, and she released her first solo album All That I am & All That I Was in 2020. Now she returns with her new album In Our Souls. In an in-depth interview with Nick Holmes Music, she talks about how she writes and records her music and the inspiration for songs on her album, including the Brontë sisters and their home at the Parsonage in Haworth, West Yorkshire.
Nick Holmes Music
‘In Our Souls’ is another step forward for Ms Amy Birks on what is a truly fascinating road. Conjuring up hopes and dreams, this might be the most beautiful and moving album you’ll hear this year, its appeal as timeless and potentially long lasting as the works of the sisters who’ve so inspired it.’
by Paul Monkhouse - Metal Planet Music 2022
'I would say this album is more orchestral in that fashion, with each song feeling more like an exquisite piece of music, rather than singer-songwriter fare...
Ms Amy Birks continues to prove her writing and poetic chops. In Our Souls is perhaps less accessible than her debut, but it is more of a deep dive into the real world, into starkly human conditions. I really appreciate that and all the subtle beauty that this album radiates, especially the sense of sincerity that comes with it.'
8.5/10
The Prog Mind
‘In Our Souls is Amy’s crown jewel…
It may not be an easy listening album to listen to, but she has proven herself that the subject matters of abuse definitely needs to be discussed. While the issue can be very difficult to tackle, Birks brings it all there like no other.’
by Zachary Nathanson - Echoes & Dust 2022
“All That I Am & All That I Was is a confident set of eleven songs built around subtle and impassioned string arrangements. That and a gossamer touch. Indulge me if you will, but like Genesis’ Trespass but without the buildup to the violence of The Knife.”
by MIKE AINSCOE 2020
Almost inevitably Ms Amy has been the a Godsend to those who’ve been in search of the ‘new Kate Bush’. Heralded by a wave of supporters whilst being embraced by the prog field in much the same way the search to find a ‘new Dylan’ was part and parcel of the seventies and beyond.
"Unlike The Heart’ might have been the song a young Kate Bush wrote if she’d been spending time with Van De Graaf Generator’s Peter Hammill round about the time he recorded his break-up Over album."
by Paul H Birch - RAMzine AUG 2020
.”..Amy nailed it down to a “T”. As I’ve mentioned earlier, this shows the challenging subjects that go beyond the Beatrix Players vision, but with a pop, folky, and carrying that classical approach, Amy Birks has spread her wings to fly."
byZachary Nathanson Echoes and Dust JULY 2020
‘All That I Am and All That I Was’ is a major achievement, breaking down walls between what we perceive and what beauty actually is, from icy blues to the most vibrant of reds. You’ll fall in love with this album and this passion may just last your lifetime. *****
by Paul Monkhouse - Get Ready To Rock 2020
"Adding the icing to the cake is the pristine production by Birks, the artist not only understanding her strengths and vision but also that it is the whole that matters, avoiding the temptation of grandstanding to the detriment of the finished product. ‘All That I Am and All That I Was’ is a major achievement, breaking down walls between what we perceive and what beauty actually is, from icy blues to the most vibrant of reds. You’ll fall in love with this album and this passion may just last your lifetime. *****
"Achingly beautiful music in troubled times..
by Nick Holmes Music APRIL 15th 2020
In those distant days before the world was gripped by the hands of a virus that forced us all into lockdown, I was on my way back home on a train from London. I was doing some research on my laptop into the Prog Rock band Porcupine Tree (as you do). The woman sitting next to me asked me if I liked that genre of music. Guilty as charged. She introduced herself as Ms Amy Birks (Winner of “Best Female Vocalist” in the 2018 PROG Magazine poll). She told me that she was about to release her debut solo album, having split with her former band Beatrix Players. I promised to review the album when it was released. So, dear reader, here is my review."
“The first thing that strikes you is Amy’s voice, which is honey-rich, sometimes heavy with emotional vibrato, urgently rhythmic in its phrasing and in its need to communicate these quietly vital songs.”
“It feels like a false relation, appropriately enough a musical technique that was popular during the reign of Henry VIII.”
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RT @theprogmind: My favorite lyrics and concepts of 2022. https://t.co/0AjdoPOdWx #TPMawards #lyrics https://t.co/5kbMBfmhGO -
RT @jefph: Nick and I sharing a look - "Was that you.. or me..?" from a night of looks at Sheffield's Greystones on Friday..… https://t.co/yvnDax8aPs
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RT @atthebarrier: Ms Amy Birks joins us At The Barrier in a Why I Love that explains her fascination for the Bronte sisters and their… https://t.co/wSnuiVriOS
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RT @johnhackettband: 😍 to be returning to @TheForum_Music, #Darlington in October. Excited to be joined by the award-winning… https://t.co/D7Crp4VuWl
