US tour for Harrogate district's brilliant singer-songwriter

The rise of incredibly talented Ripon singer-songwriter Billie Marten is shortly to hit a new high with a tour of the USA.
Pheonmenally-talented Ripon musician Billie Marten.Pheonmenally-talented Ripon musician Billie Marten.
Pheonmenally-talented Ripon musician Billie Marten.

The mesmerising 20-year-old has been asked by multi-platinum-selling band Snow Patrol to join them on the bill of their Wildness tour of the United States and Canada which will run April through May.

The precociously talented Marten, who had her own music channel on YouTube at the age of nine, was discovered by Harrogate-based Ont’ Sofa as a 12-year-old.

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At the time, the company’s co-owner Jason Odle realised immediately Billie had something special. He said: “To be honest, our jaws dropped to the floor. She went straight from writing songs at home to the sofa. What a voice and what a songwriter.

Famous album for new Harrogate eventBy the age of 16, Billie was being signed by Chess Club Records, a division of Sony MusicA year later, aged just 17, she was shortlisted for the BBC Sound of 2016 award.

Still basking in the success of her debut album Writing of Blues and Yellows, Billie is set appear with the arena-filling Snow Patrol as a support act at six major concerts in North America.

The dates will include Denver, Salt Lake City, Vancouver, Seattle, Las Vegas and San Francisco.

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The sensitive Marten’s delicate songs and hauntingly intense singing, have been previously hailed by Ed Sheeran as “stunning.”

Born Isabella Tweddle, Billie recorded her first album while studying for her AS exams at Ripon Grammar School.

An early influence was her dad’s love of acoustic legends John Martyn and Nick Drake almost from birth.

Known and respected for her modesty and down to earth nature, her most recent single, Blue Sea, Red Sea, received the best reviews of her career to date.

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She said: “I’m very lucky. None of this has been an ambition. I never had a specific goal. However old I was I would stick to one thing then move on.“I used to like ballet and horse riding. I’m very young, I don’t have a clear line yet.”