Kate Walsh Homemade album tops iTunes

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Do you have dreams of a career in music, but don't have a record company or label behind you?

That didn't stop Kate Walsh from becoming the number one artist on iTunes. She recorded her album in the bedroom of a friend's house, and then posted the music on her MySpace account. In honor of her friend, she named the album "Tims House" Once she showed Apple how popular her music was, they put her album on iTunes and the rest is history.

The acoustic guitarist has knocked Take That and Kaiser Chiefs from the top spots of the iTunes download album chart - but does not even own an iPod. Ms. Walsh was trained as a classical pianist, and didn't take up the guitar till later in life.

The homemade album has proved a unexpected hit with iPod fans who had downloaded it from the iTunes website in the hundreds of thousands - knocking Take That from the top download spot.

"You end up looking at it every day to see if you're still number one. I think I'm ahead of Elton. "I don't actually have an iPod yet. I hear they are quite good for ten hour flights. I set up my own record label called Blueberry Pie and just got the music out there. It's pretty easy. Anyone can do it."

Walsh added: "I was a classical pianist until the age of 18. I never thought I could have a career as a female singer/songwriter. The web response is amazing. Someone I've never met called me the new Jane Austen."

Although she has been invited to play in the United States, she declined, saying she prefers to stay in her native UK.

She told The Times: "I prefer the pace of life in Brighton or in Burnham-on-Crouch."

Now record labels are jockeying to sign the classically trained pianist turned acoustic guitar player and ticket sales for Kate Walsh's forthcoming tour across the UK are said to be "fantastic."

I would say the moral of this story is, chase your dreams - and make them happen. Good Luck Kate Walsh!