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Amy Jane Studt (born 22 March 1986) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Growing up in a musical family, with her father a violinist and conductor who had toured with
Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
, and her mother a pianist, Studt began writing music at the age of six, teaching herself piano, guitar, and oboe. At 12 years old she contracted the rare bone disease
osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis (OM) is an infection of bone. Symptoms may include pain in a specific bone with overlying redness, fever, and weakness. The long bones of the arms and legs are most commonly involved in children e.g. the femur and humerus, while the ...
in her hip, leaving her bedridden. Studt used this time for her hobbies, and two years later, with the advice of her father, she recorded her first two demo albums which would go on to get her signed to
Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
. Studt released her first single " Just a Little Girl" in July 2002. It was followed almost a year later by " Misfit", which came to be her highest-charting single, reaching No. 6 in the UK charts. That same month, her debut album '' False Smiles'' was released, selling over 260,000 copies and being certified Gold. Two more singles were released, "
Under the Thumb "Under the Thumb" is the third single from English singer Amy Studt's debut album, '' False Smiles'' (2003). Released on 29 September 2003, the song reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and number 36 in Ireland. Music video The video tells ...
" in late 2003 and " All I Wanna Do" (a cover of the tune by
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...
) in early 2004, but only to diminishing sales that prompted
Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
to drop Studt in February 2004, all before her 18th birthday. From then on until the end of 2006, Studt stayed out of the public eye. But in 2007 it was announced that she was working on a new album, now with the Indie label
19 Entertainment 19 Entertainment is a producer of entertainment properties for television with a focus on music. Founded by Simon Fuller in London in 1985, the company co-produced ''Pop Idol'' in the United Kingdom with Thames Television in 2001. The ''Idol serie ...
. She released her first single "
Furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...
",, followed by " Chasing the Light"; and the album, ''
My Paper Made Men ''My Paper Made Men'' is the second album by Amy Studt released nearly five years after her debut '' False Smiles''. It is said to be different from her first album ''False Smiles'', the ''Los Angeles Times'' said to "ignore any dim memories o ...
'', was issued on 5 May 2008. In early 2009, Studt moved to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
; on her return, she began building a recording studio and continued writing and recording. She went quiet from 2009 to 2017, after suffering a nervous breakdown at 22 years old and being diagnosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder and a non-associative anxiety disorder, along with other physical illnesses during her 20s. After three hospitalizations and recovery from addiction, Studt wrote about her experiences with suffering, illness and heartbreak, ‘...but ultimately survival and hope’ which she explains she put into her songwriting for her third album. In 2017, Studt announced she had been working with Toby Kid from
Hatcham Social Hatcham Social are an English indie pop band. The group first met and formed in New Cross, London in 2006 and have since released a string of singles on indie labels, followed by three studio albums. With the debut album, they made headway in th ...
and released two teaser songs from her soon to come third album, "I Was Jesus in Your Veins" and "Different Colour Pills". The album itself, titled ''Happiest Girl in the Universe'', was released in October 2019.


History

Studt was born in
Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...
, London. Growing up in
Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...
,
Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
, she started teaching herself piano, guitar and learning the
oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...
. Studt's father is a violinist and a conductor who has worked with artists including
Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
,
Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...
and
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
(either touring or recording) and has featured in several films, while her mother is a pianist. In the 1800s, the Studt family brought to the UK (from
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
) one of the first steam-run travelling funfairs, The Studt Funfair, which included music, rides, a
freak show A freak show, also known as a creep show, is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to in popular culture as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with ...
, and a circus with lion tamers; they were, and still are, a highly regarded showmen family. Amy's father Richard started playing violin at the age of four, and later rejected the family's funfair business to choose a life of music, meeting Amy's mother Delia at The Royal Academy of Music and going on to lead
The London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orche ...
. Amy struggled with depression, self-harm and being bullied during her teenage years, struggling at school; she attended six different schools before dropping out entirely, at the age of 15, to pursue her music. Her depression led to being diagnosed with
chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex, debilitating, long-term medical condition. The causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood. Distinguishing core symptoms are ...
. At the age of 13, Amy attended
Bryanston School Bryanston School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) located next to the village of Bryanston, and near the town of Blandford Forum, in Dorset in South West England. It was founded in 1928 ...
,
Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
on a 50% music scholarship by which time Studt had written 42 songs. Her father suggested she record some in a local studio and, she laid them all down live to tape. She gave or sold the finished CD to various friends, with one reaching
Simon Fuller Simon Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer renowned for nurturing and inspiring world class entertainment talent. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the UK s ...
(manager of
Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
, the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
and
Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...
among others) who signed her that same year to both his own 19 Management and to
Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
Publishing.


2002–2004: ''False Smiles''

In 2001, Studt was signed to
Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
and
Universal Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
at the age of 15, and delivered her debut album that same year. In July 2002, Studt released her first single, " Just a Little Girl", which entered the UK charts at No. 14. In June 2003, Studt released her second single " Misfit", which made it to a chart position of No. 6 in the UK. Alongside the success of "Misfit" was the release of Studt's debut album '' False Smiles'', which entered the chart at No. 24 and later climbed to its peak position of No. 18, going Gold in the UK and selling over 260,000 copies. September 2003 saw the release of the third cut from the album, "
Under the Thumb "Under the Thumb" is the third single from English singer Amy Studt's debut album, '' False Smiles'' (2003). Released on 29 September 2003, the song reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and number 36 in Ireland. Music video The video tells ...
". This became her second Top 10 and third Top 20 single, entering at No. 10, which also helped push the album to a peak of No. 18. ''False Smiles'' was re-released at the beginning of 2004, adding one new track: a cover of the
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...
classic, " All I Wanna Do" on request of Crow herself who sang the backing vocals. The single peaked at No. 21 and subsequently, Studt was dropped from her record label
Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
.


2007–2009: ''My Paper Made Men''

In early 2006, after some time away from the public eye, Studt signed to the indie label
19 Entertainment 19 Entertainment is a producer of entertainment properties for television with a focus on music. Founded by Simon Fuller in London in 1985, the company co-produced ''Pop Idol'' in the United Kingdom with Thames Television in 2001. The ''Idol serie ...
. She also toured with
Razorlight Razorlight are an English indie rock band, formed in 2002 in London by lead singer and guitarist Johnny Borrell. Along with Borrell, the current line-up of the band is composed of founding members Björn Ågren on guitar and bassist Carl Delemo ...
under the alias 'Jane Wails', saying: ' I was quite frightened of getting on stage and people having preconceived ideas of what I was about. I didn't want them saying, " Ooh, isn't she that girl from before, blah blah blah?'". "
Furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...
", a single taken from the album ''
My Paper Made Men ''My Paper Made Men'' is the second album by Amy Studt released nearly five years after her debut '' False Smiles''. It is said to be different from her first album ''False Smiles'', the ''Los Angeles Times'' said to "ignore any dim memories o ...
, ''was released on 3 December 2007. Studt worked on the title song with
Imogen Heap Imogen Jennifer Heap (born 9 December 1977) is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Her work has been considered pioneering in pop and electropop music. Heap classically trained in piano, cello and clarinet starting at ...
collaborator
Guy Sigsworth Guy Sigsworth is an English record producer and songwriter. During his career, he has worked with many artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Imogen Heap, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian, Alanis M ...
, and her new songs received rave reviews. The ''LA Times'' wrote: 'Positively incandescent torch-singing Londoner with a hair-raising emotional range that varies from cut-glass fragility to cat-o'-nine-tails avenger' suggesting that listeners should "ignore any dim memories of her mid-teens pop phase
rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...
a while ago."'''' " Chasing the Light" was the next single, released on 28 April 2008. The album ''
My Paper Made Men ''My Paper Made Men'' is the second album by Amy Studt released nearly five years after her debut '' False Smiles''. It is said to be different from her first album ''False Smiles'', the ''Los Angeles Times'' said to "ignore any dim memories o ...
'' was released as a digital download on 5 May that year, and physically on 2 March 2009, along with the third single, " Nice Boys". It was then made public in April that Studt was dropped by her record label, and she chose to then leave her management shortly after.


2009–present: third studio album

In 2017, Studt took part in a panel at AIM'S Indie-Con, discussing mental health within the music industry; she spoke openly about how in 2009, after moving back from
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, she suffered a nervous breakdown at 22 years old and was diagnosed with rapid-cycling
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
. During a hospitalization that followed, she found that they had a piano, so she continued to write whilst inside. In 2015, Studt announced that she had been working on a new album with Toby Kid from indie pop band
Hatcham Social Hatcham Social are an English indie pop band. The group first met and formed in New Cross, London in 2006 and have since released a string of singles on indie labels, followed by three studio albums. With the debut album, they made headway in th ...
, and in 2017 she released a teaser single of two songs with Ditto Music as the first two released tunes from her soon to come third album: "I Was Jesus in Your Veins" and "Different Colour Pills". The eventual album, titled ''Happiest Girl in the Universe'', was ultimately released in October 2019.


Discography


Albums


Singles


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Studt, Amy 1986 births Living people English child singers English women singer-songwriters English singer-songwriters People educated at Bryanston School Musicians from Bournemouth 19 Recordings artists English pop singers English pop rock singers 21st-century English women singers 21st-century English singers English people of Danish descent People with chronic fatigue syndrome