Compare A Sony Cybershot
Filter by price range, type or retailer when you compare a Sony Cybershot camera.

In Conversation

02 December 2008 03:14 BST

Claire Toomey on finding fame

Providing support for a headline act can go either way. Sometimes the audience respectfully applaud but there's no doubting who they're really there to see. Other times, they lavish a support act with cheers and heartfelt applause. It's this latter response that serenades superb singer-songwriter Claire Toomey.

www.inthenews.co.uk's Lee Davis spoke to the talented 21-year-old whose latest single Found recently made our Single Of The Week spot.

Click here to read more about Found and our reviews of the latest singles

Having nicely warmed up the audience at Jacob Golden's London Roundhouse gig, and won over some new fans herself in the process, Claire Toomey is working full-time to pursue her dream of making it big in the music business.

Commenting on her show at the Roundhouse in January, Claire said: "I enjoyed doing it. The audience was great."

She's played similar venues in and around London including the Cobden Club, the Bedford and the famous Borderline, of which she says has a great atmosphere.

Influenced by Sheryl Crow, "REM, U2 and Oasis, and music that's good," and boasting the emotional range of Alanis Morrisette, Claire, from Croydon, really loves performing despite getting a little nervous beforehand, as she said: "It's a good nervous, an excitement. I love to go on stage!"

Her new single Found is partly based on experiences in Claire's life although she hopes people can relate to it, bringing their own emotions and experiences when they listen to the song.

Found is available as a download and Claire is a presence on MySpace where her music has been well-received. "People on MySpace are really supportive," she explained.

Claire is from a family of music lovers. Her father, Matthew, is keen on music and admitted that he stopped buying Phil Collins records following the former Genesis man's divorce, and Claire's brother plays drums.

Her father is fully supportive of Claire's musical ambitions and backs her download sales to the hilt.

While she seeks a record deal, Claire, who admits with an apologetic warmth in her voice that she's not a morning person, shares the same agent as James Blunt and Jacob Golden, and her gigs at venues across the capital are generating a definite buzz around her.

Some examples of this include UK Music Search citing the singer-songwriter as "sounding like someone on the verge of very big things" and The Beat Surrender said of Claire: "She has the talent to succeed."

Claire is also working on material for an album, hoping to write 13 to 14 songs. Thus far she's penned eight. On the songwriting process, Claire said that she can a write a song in a day, "and sometimes in a couple of hours".

Although she admits she's not immune from writer’s block but makes up for this by writing more when she recaptures her muse.

Claire has four gigs coming up this month and into next, starting at Leonards in London EC1 on February 23rd; The Enterprise in Camden (Feb. 25th); the Piano Room at the Soho Revue Bar (Mar. 5th) and The Troubadour on March 23rd.

And it's playing live that sees the quiet youngster take command of a venue with her voice that effortlessly glides from vulnerable to spiky passion and all stops in between. Accompanied by deft acoustic guitar work, her emotive range crackles on songs such as Still Life, Somewhere To Hide and current single Found.

It was playing live that first drew attention to Claire, and her innate ability to capture diverse audiences. As a result she performed at GuilFest in 2004.

Following a year of gigging, recording and songwriting she was invited to perform at GuilFest the following year as well as the Croydon Festival.

Claire's brilliant vocals interested famed British artist/composer Judie Tzuke, with whom Claire frequently co-writes, and she supported the former at her concert at Fairfield Halls in Croydon.

In April 2007 Claire was invited to Iceland to co-write with 80s star Nik Kershaw and Chesney Hawkes.

Singing and songwriting since she was a child, Claire has played live on BBC local radio stations including BBC Radio Kent, and BFBS Radio 1.

In fact, her connection with BFBS (British Forces Services Broadcasting) started a couple of years ago. Her father Matthew takes up the story: "Claire was interviewed by BFBS when she played GuilFest. They love her new single and she's featured as Single Of The Week."

Claire was getting ready for a BFBS session when I spoke to her and added: "I'm looking forward to it."

When she's not singing or writing songs the artist, who said with a smile that she likes to "dabble on the piano", relaxes by reading or chilling with her friends.

Claire left school at 16 with the full support of her family because she wanted to focus on her music and take it as far as it can possibly go. She said: "I see no reason why it shouldn't all go to plan."

And casting an eye to the next 12 months Claire said: "I want to get an album together, and do some support acts."

Lee Davis