From as young as I can remember I have had troubles with my hearing. I had 3 separate operations on my ears as a child and eventually my hearing improved enough that I was able to hear music properly for the first time.

From then I started to appreciate every single note. I couldn’t stop singing to my Dads records such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Peter Frampton, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones etc.

I picked up a guitar for the first time when I was 14. It was an old beaten-up 12 String Echo Ranger, I played that guitar until my fingers bled and even then I kept going. I loved the sounds that I could create and quickly learned chord shapes and worked my way around the massive fret board.
While I was living in Inverness I met many local artists. I met Andy Gunn (a local blues hero) and my music world changed. All I wanted to do was play the blues. I learned about his tough life and how this was expressed by his music. I’d spend hours learning blues riffs from him, sitting in on recording sessions and learning about his life.
I came to Edinburgh when I was 22 to go to college and further my skills on Guitar. I learned how to be more structured in my song writing as apposed to bashing out blues. But being all alone in a big city was tough and so the only solace I could find was song-writing. Through the struggles I sang and played guitar.  Every chord I played or word I sang I felt and heard.
For me being a songwriter is like having a diary. Every time I play one of my songs it takes me back to a certain time or place. My music is a suggestion for anyone to do what they want with. If I can make an emotional connection with anyone through my music then I am achieving what I set out to do. I am so lucky to have my hearing and the fact that I have the opportunity to play and share my creations is more empowering than any amount of money. I would like to embrace it and share what I hear and feel with the world.

Listen online at https://soundcloud.com/julie-ann-neill

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Julie-Ann Neill – Joolz