Growing up in a village in England, Beth Thornton always had a passion for music. Her tiny village in Oxfordshire didn't even have a supermarket – just a local pub where she played many gigs as a teenager. She went to school in a town around 20 minutes outside her village. She spent most of her days skipping lessons and hiding in the music practice rooms.
Her musical tastes centred on pop and country. So naturally, her own music has been described as a combination of these two influences – with a slight hint of rock.
Beth is currently making a name for herself in the industry. She played her first major event in London at the Country to Country Festival, alongside artists like Brad Paisley and Reba McEntire. Another major gig came along after she won an online music contest. The prize – opening for rock band Bon Jovi in Toronto, Canada ,as part of their This House Is Not For Sale tour.
Beth released her latest single, "Something You Don't Know" in November 2017. The song was later picked up by Oxford-based app company First Touch Games and was released on their latest update for "Dream League Soccer". This helped earn her song more than 100,000 views on YouTube and more than 20,000 streams on Spotify.
Beth took some time out form recording her EP to answer some questions.
How did you start as a musician?
"I was 15 when I started teaching myself guitar. I wanted to learn all these songs that I'd fallen in love with. My first gig was when I was 13 in my local village hall with my brother playing the guitar."
Who were your musical inspirations growing up?
"My main musical inspirations were Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift and the Dixie Chicks. I fell in love with their lyrics and got hooked on the stories they told."
What inspires your lyrics?
"Life, people, love... Everything. As long as I can relate to it, I can write about it. To me, it's important to write about what I know. People would see right through me if I tried to write just for the sake of writing."
Describe your writing process lyrically and musically?
"My lyrics and melody come hand-in-hand. I very rarely write a song without my guitar in my arms. The melody may change slightly, but as the words go down on paper, the melody flows with it."
Tell us a little about the song.
"I wrote the song with an amazing songwriting team called Alkemi. I wanted to have a song where the girl was in control, and for once it was the guy who was worrying. She was the one reassuring him. I felt inspired by everything that's going on in the world at the moment."
What was it like filming a music video for it?
"So much fun. It was a live video, so I got to have my band with me, and any time we're all together we have an absolute blast. I'd say 90 percent of the day was spent laughing. Thankfully we managed to get the video done in the other 10 percent."
Beth is currently in the process of writing for her new EP. She describes the sound as "band-driven pop with 80s influences".
"Something You Don't Know" is currently available for purchase on iTunes.
Stay up to date on all things Beth Thornton by visiting her website - BethThorntonMusic.com.
"Something You Don't Know" by Beth Thornton