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Rianne Downey: Angel
(Via Run On)
Streaming
Rising star from the Glasgow music scene Rianne Downey releases her beautiful new single Angel. Drawing strongly on her influences from within the worlds of country-infused pop and folk, this is a song which provides some very strong pointers to what we can expect from her forthcoming highly anticipated debut album.
Singer songwriter Rianne Downey was born in Belshill on the outskirts of Glasgow and it is evident that she has always been destined for a career in music. From her mid-teens it seems she was often to be found to be found busking on the streets of Glasgow singing both covers and her own compositions which were inspired by her love for the likes of Patsy Cline, June Carter, Townes Van Zandt, Joni Mitchell and Fleetwood Mac. Rianne then started to build a following from a series of online live streams singing songs which drew on a wide range of indie, country-pop, and folk influences.
Rianne released her debut single, Fuel to the Flame, in February 2021 and more recently started a very fruitful collaboration with Paul Heaton which was ignited by filling in at short notice in 2023 for Jacqui Abbott who had to withdraw from performing alongside Paul due to a health scare. This collaboration continued to the point where Rianne duetted with Paul on several tracks on his solo album The Mighty Several in 2024. And now, with a number of singles already behind her, Rianne releases her new single Angel which will feature on her debut album, The Consequence of Love, which is set for release on 17th October.
Employing a classic finger picking style of guitar playing, Angel is a stripped-back and heartfelt country-tinged ballad which has a timeless feel about it and which oozes class, perfectly showcasing Rianne’s beautiful and effortless vocal style.
Rianne explains the inspiration behind the song as follows, “I think women are taught from a young age that we have to perform or serve to be worthy, and we’re constantly made to feel like we’re not enough. I spent so much of my life believing I had to be useful or accommodating to be “good enough.” This song captures the moment I realised you shouldn’t have to perform for anyone. You don’t need to be “enough” for the right person. Just being is enough. At its core, it’s a song about seeing the light after a long time in the dark. I can be cynical, a bit of a pessimist, but someone came into my life at the right time and it genuinely felt like an angel had been sent to me.”
Having recently performed at TRNSMT Festival, Rianne now has plans to embark on a run of 12 UK & Ireland dates through winter 2025 as well as playing a run of acoustic shows and signings. Before all that, Rianne also plays a few large arena shows as support for Tom Grennan. The dates are as follows:
September
15th – Aberdeen, P&J Live (supporting Tom Grennan)
16th – Newcastle, Utility Arena (supporting Tom Grennan)
18th – Leeds, First Direct Bank Arena (supporting Tom Grennan)
19th – Manchester, Co-op Live (supporting Tom Grennan)
October
12th – Hull, Central Library – matinee (SOLD OUT)
12th – Hull, Central Library – evening
16th – Dundee, Assai*
17th – Edinburgh, Assai*
18th – Glasgow, Assai*
19th – Newcastle, Beyond Vinyl*
20th – London, Banquet*
21st – Brighton, Resident*
22nd – Bristol, Rough Trade*
23rd – Nottingham, Rough Trade*
24th – Liverpool, Jacaranda*
25th – Leeds, Crash* (SOLD OUT)
25th – Huddersfield, Vinyl Tap* (SOLD OUT)
26th – Bury, Wax and Beans* – matinee
26th – Bury, Wax and Beans* – evening (SOLD OUT)
28th- Sheffield, The Foundry
29th – London, OMEARA (SOLD OUT)
30th – Cardiff, The Globe
November
1st – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms (SOLD OUT)
5th – Leeds, The Wardrobe (SOLD OUT)
7th – Newcastle, NSU Reds Bar
8th – Liverpool, The Arts Club
12th – Dublin, Soundhouse (SOLD OUT)
13th – Belfast, Ulster Sports Club (SOLD OUT)
December
5th – Manchester, Band On The Wall (SOLD OUT)
6th – Glasgow, The Old Fruit Market
*In-store acoustic tour and signing
Tickets for live shows can be bought here.
You can stream the single here.
You can find Rianne Downey on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and her website.
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All words by Ian Corbridge. You can find more of his writing at his author profile here.
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