I Am Here by Susan Mahoney

She has also performed live sessions for BBC Radio Scotlands' 'Celtic Connections' and performed at the International Edinburgh Festival and Glasgow Folk Festival. Susan has also lent her voice to TV commercials and been a session recording vocalist for many Scottish bands and performing artists. She has also been involved in community projects helping establish up and coming singer/songwriters.

Susan's songwriting influences include artists such as Leonard Cohen, Sting, Suzanne Vega, Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin, Beth Neilson Chapman and Enya.

'Nowadays, I tend to be inspired by nature and my writing can include any observations or insights I may have been given into the human condition and our purpose on the planet.'

Susan is presently putting together her second self-produced album and has plans to record an album for sacred dance.

CD Review - I Am Here - Susan Mahoney

'I Am Here' is the debut CD album release from Scottish based singer/songwriter Susan Mahoney. The album contains a collection of melodic acoustic songs that include ballads and some mid-tempo laid-back sounds. The songs are influenced by nature, relationships and spiritual life; there is even a pop song written about addiction to ecstasy.

'Looking for Love' has a very 'summery' feel to it, written sometime in late spring and inspired by the sensuality of nature, the song is about a time when people begin to take more notice of the opposite sex. 'Shiver' is a suitable groovy follow-up in its description of the spine-tingling sensations associated with physical attraction! Then, there's the sublime 'Stepfather', a song about the difficulty a step dad has in loving his stepson. 'I Am Here', the title album track is a spiritual journey into the unknown and acknowledges the energetic presence in form and beyond. 'And My Love' is a beautiful ballad that pays homage to the natural beauty of Scotland, Mahoney's homeland.

Mahoney's voice is clear with warm and mellow tones. She sings with true reverence of her subject matter and the melodies and harmonies intertwine, leaving the listener relaxed and inspired. The album has a nice balance of ballads, acoustic songs and mid-tempo folk/pop. Vocally, there are hints of Suzanne Vega, Maria McKee, Joni Mitchell, Dido, Beth Neilsen Chapman and Shawn Colvin. Like her contemporaries, Mahoney's sound is distinctively her own, she follows no one in particular and allows herself to be influenced by nature and life.

'I think of songwriting as a meditation, I listen and the sounds just seem to form of their own accord. The less I have to with it the better. 'I Am Here' is a bridge from the way I used to write to how I'm writing now, it is a spiritual journal giving the listener an insight into the evolution of a woman on a quest to know herself.'

In summary, 'I Am Here' is a classic album offering an eclectic mix of melodic songs by a rich and honest voice that is a unique discovery in the music world today.

Sally Jones

Music journalist

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