SHE has been canvassing an audience with her sweet Americana sound since her teens.
But now Scottish singer-songwriter Kerri Watt is embracing a new era of her music thanks to a Grammy-nominated metal producer.
Machine – noted for his work with Lamb of God, Fall Out Boy and Clutch – has helped produce Kerri’s debut album Chasing Aeroplanes – allowing her to reach new heights with her sound.
“I have been dying to make that big, bold, kind of wall of noise for ages. He totally managed to bring that out,” she revealed.
“I write all my music on a piano or guitar. I have never really had a band before so it was hard for me to make that big sound on my own.
“I thought it would be really interesting to bring in a producer who could help me put a different angle on the music I had been doing before,” she added.
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Now 30 years old, Kerri, who hails from Milngavie near Glasgow, has been a working musician since her teens.
At 16, she left her family home to study at South Orange County School of Arts in Dana Point, California – and since that life-changing experience, she has immersed herself in the world of music.
“I remember someone saying to me at the beginning that it is a very long, hard road,” she recalled.
She continued: “You start to see people drop off along the way who don’t have the stomach to keep going but if you just keep going you will be on of the last ones standing. It has felt like that.
“It really is a fight to keep engaging with fans, to write new music, make contacts and stay inspired all the way through it.
“The reality of it for most artists is you just have to keep going and make sure you surround yourself with people that believe in you
“But most importantly don’t ever stop believing in yourself,” she said with a smile in her voice.
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One person who appears to believe in Kerri is country legend Keith Urban who acquired her services last year in London.
Aside from supporting the star, Kerri also performed in a duet with him singing the Carrie Underwood vocal parts of his 2016 single The Fighter.
“It was pretty surreal.
“I knew I was going to be supporting him but then I got a call a few days before asking if I would be up for doing a duet with him.
“He was so nice afterward. He was just like really complimentary of my set and my songs. I really enjoyed it, I would love to tour with him again.”
It was through touring that Kerri stumbled upon her current passion project with Guitarwrist.
The firm makes bespoke jewellery to reduce the number of guitar strings that end up in landfill sites.
Artists donate their used guitar strings to be turned into bracelets, rings, necklaces, and earrings with 100 percent of the profits going to a charity of the artist’s choice.
Kerri explained the proceeds made from sales of her bracelet will help a charity called Stop the Traffic which raises human trafficking awareness.
She said: “Human trafficking wasn’t something I was really aware of at all.
“About two years ago, I watched this documentary. I was absolutely horrified and devasted by the realities of human trafficking.
“I am really keen to support awareness of it.”
Supporting good causes aside, Kerri will also be working hard this year to promote her forthcoming album.
She has just released single Kissing Fools which has a very personal 90s teen movie-inspired video featuring School of Rock star Cody Molko, and she hopes the song will go down well with her fans.
Kerri said: “I wanted to write a song about all my favourite movies, those kinds of movies with kiss moments that I loved growing up.
“We had this idea to get a really cool kid in and build this story around him leading up to his school dance and wanting to nail the perfect kiss with the girl he likes.
“Kody is just absolutely amazing and everything in the video is mine.
“All the props in the bedroom - the old TV and Furby.
“I even dressed all the girls in my old clothes because me and my mum had hoarded that stuff in the loft.”
Kerri Watt’s new single Kissing Fools is out on April 3.
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