Radio stations and curators don’t just put any song on their playlists. Generally, each submission must include a solid marketing plan or at least a great story. Now here’s an artist with a great story, and – equally important – lots of talent.

In 2011, Northern Irish singer-songwriter Janet Devlin competed in the eighth series of ‘The X Factor’. She ended fifth. In interviews, Courtney Love said that she believed Janet and her family to be distant relatives of Kurt Cobain. In response, Devlin herself stated that she was unaware of any connection.

She raised money to record her debut album Hide And Seek through crowd funding. Paying fans received the limited edition album in July 2013. Only in June 2014, it was released to the rest of the world. This was quite a different album however. It had a new title (Running With Scissors) and it contained new songs plus reworkings of tracks from Hide And Seek. The single Wonderful was record of the week in my then Carte Blanche radio show.

5 June, Devlin releases her sophomore album Confessional, which was five years in the making. That same day, she publishes her autobiography My Confessional. Both offer an intimate look into the last decade of the 25-year-old’s life. Away With The Fairies is her new single. At first listen, it’s ‘just’ a light folk-pop song, dipped in mandolin, bodhran, cello, and harp. The hidden subject matter of the song however, is Devlin’s teenage battle with an addiction to alcohol.

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.