Amy O'Connor: Young Inishowen musician making her mark while hula hooping to reach Lewis Capaldi

For young Amy, it was all about the music and at a just-turned 21 years old, that still hasn’t changed.

In fact, the Inishowen woman has been making quite the name for herself across Derry and her native Donegal.

While her incredible vocals, songwriting and guitar playing are getting her noticed in venues across the North West, Amy also has a huge following on social media platform ‘TikTok.’

There, Amy not only shares her musical talent, she also talks about her experience with grief and loss, speaks about mental health and chronicles her day-to-day life.

Funny and honest, Amy’s authenticity and ability to share with others has won her many fans, both on and off the stage.

For Amy herself, ‘everything’ she does honours the two people she calls her biggest fans – her mammy, Maureen, who passed away when Amy was just four and her best friend, Alana, who sadly died three years ago.

Speaking to the Journal, Amy told how their devastating and untimely losses spur her on to believe in herself and make the most of every opportunity.

She also hopes that by speaking about her own grief, she can get others to share theirs, along with memories of their loved ones.

Amy, who lives in the Carndonagh area of Inishowen, revealed that she wasn’t always so keen on sharing her talent with an audience.

"I started singing when I was young, but I hid it for a long while, as I didn’t want anyone else to know. I started singing, really, when my mammy passed away.

"Nobody really knew. I went to secondary school and met Alana, who encouraged me to sing in public. She was so bubbly and just an absolute light. One day, she decided that, as I sang and one of our friends played guitar, we should join in a band. So, we did and the first gig was two days before my 17th birthday.

"I was always fond of music growing up. I watched TV shows on Disney and Nickelodeon and I would constantly have the theme tunes playing, so I could sing along. I think it started with that, really.

These days, she embraces many music styles and is a huge fan of Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi

Amy’s dream is to sing with or open for Lewis on one of his shows. So much so, she has started a challenge on her TikTok page in the hope the ‘Someone You Loved’ singer will see it.

"I’m going to see him in Marley Park. I was trying to think of ideas, so that I could get his attention. So, I’m singing, while I’m hulahooping and putting the videos on my page.”

So far, it has received quite the response – with up to 100,000 views and she’s hoping the Scottish singer will see it.

Either way, she’s going to sing and hula hoop on Tiktok ‘right up until the day of the concert, if I have to!”

Amy also ‘loves’ performing and meeting the audiences at her gigs. Many of them tell her how they’ve seen her on TikTok, on which she also shares songs she herself has written.

"I think music got me through losing my mammy and Alana and I think that’s why I took up songwriting as well. I like to write about what I see and feel and I think it really resonates with people. Music is such a great way of coping with challenges and grief. It’s a pause, for a few minutes.”

"If you need to cry, you have music and if you’re happy, then you have something that reminds you of that too. I love performing. It’s great craic and I also love how you can change the whole mood of a room.”

Amy only began posting on TikTok in September last year and now has over 20,000 followers.

“I never thought I’d see it. I was coming out with a song at the time and thought I’d try and promote it, if I could. It absolutely took off. Then, I started sharing more of my life and who I am as a person.”

Tiktok and social media, as a whole, has changed the lives of many musicians and Amy is hoping she can follow suit.

“So many performers are coming through social media now. It’s what Alex Warren did. He was a Youtuber and Tiktoker and people liked him for who he was as a person. Then, he showed his singing and now he’s a huge star. That’s what I’d like to do. I want to show who I am and sing.”

She also see the importance in how many people reach out to her about their own lives after watching her Tiktoks.

"Many people reach out to me to speak about grief. I feel that, when someone passes away, we don’t always get the chance to talk about them as a person. I did a video recently where I said I wanted to talk about my mammy. I talked about how she always cut food up with scissors – pizza, sausages, toast – whatever it was, it would be cut by scissors. And she’d have maybe mashed potatoes and gravy, with spaghetti on the side. I want to talk about who she was. When I look back now at when she died, I had a lot of say, but I didn’t know how to express it. I think that's where music came from.

"Then, my friend passed away and my grandfather, who raised me since I was practically a baby. Growing up, I needed someone who was like me, to talk about those things.”

Amy outlined how, since she did the video about her mammy, she has been contacted by other people, who told her how it helped them open up about their own loved ones.

“I think it’s good that people resonate and I’m glad I’m a voice for people, where I can say: ‘You’re not alone’ and ‘Talk about it’, If you want to talk about your mammy, then do.

"Or your friend, whoever has passed, You can and should talk about them.”

“Alana was my biggest supporter and even though she has passed, she still is. I don’t really believe in myself, although people might think I do. I want to keep promoting myself on Tiktok and grow my following. I really want to do arenas some day. Do I believe that? – Maybe not, but I’m going to try it. Alana had belief in me, when I didn’t and everything I do, I do it for her and mum. I hope what I share has an impact on people.

" I try and tell the people who watch me that while you don’t have to believe in yourself right now, that’s ok, but as long as you try and keep trying, it will come.”

See Amy’s page at https://www.tiktok.com/@amyoconnormusic