Under the Radar: Bow Anderson

With a major viral hit to her name and a string of festival slots in the calendar, it’s shaping up to be a big summer for Edinburgh’s Bow Anderson, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon

Bow Anderson PIC: Annie Reid

Edinburgh’s Bow Anderson is fast becoming Scotland’s next big singer-songwriter. The follow up to her viral hit 20s, which clocked-up over 7 million streams on Spotify alone, is the masterful pop song Mama Said, co-written with her friend Jamie Scott about growing up and learning from your mistakes. The central focus: her first serious relationship and how it turned “toxic”.

As a teenager, Anderson was a promising athlete, training in competitive trampolining before an accident put a premature end to her career. It was during her rehabilitation that she focused on making music and moved to London.

Fast-forward to present day, and she’s toured with the likes of Mimi Webb, Ella Eyre and Tom Walker, sold out headline dates in her native Edinburgh and in London, won the Best Pop Act accolade at the prestigious Scottish Music Awards last year and she’s been championed by BBC Radio 1. Plenty of live and festival slots are in the calendar, too. Listen to Mama Said at https://umg.lnk.to/MamaSaid

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, www.borntobewide.co.uk

Cryptic is an award-winning, internationally renowned producing arts house based in Glasgow, creating unique experiences that combine music, sonic and visual art. Cryptic produce Cryptic Nights supporting emerging talent, Sonica Glasgow, their international audio-visual festival, Cryptic Artists and various artist residencies. Cryptic Nights returns to Glasgow’s CCA this month and Down the Wire Live is open for musicians, audio-visual, and visual artists to apply, visit https://www.cryptic.org.uk/whatson/