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Amy MacDonald is a Scottish singer/songwriter from Glasgow. Born on August 25, 1987, she studied social sciences while attending university and, like many teenagers, spent her days dreaming of pilgrimages to music festivals such as T in the Park. Inspired by the songwriting skills of Francis Healy, the 12-year-old MacDonald picked up a guitar that had been left lying around the house from her father's pop group days. She taught herself the instrument by following "how to play guitar" advice on the Internet rather than taking structured lessons. With the desire to write songs as good as Travis' best work, she began playing with a community music group before graduating to solo shows in the local area. The gigs featured MacDonald, her acoustic guitar, and a set of cover songs including "Everybody Hurts" and a slow version of "Mad World." Before long, her slew of performances in local coffeehouses turned into a mini-tour of Scotland, where she performed with Travis and fellow Scot Paolo Nutini. Festival appearances followed, including stints at Glastonbury, T in the Park, and V. She secured a recording deal with Vertigo Records (part of the Universal Music Group umbrella, and home to the Killers and Razorlight) before issuing two singles: "Poison Prince," a song about the tortured life of Pete Doherty offered as a limited online-only release, and "Mr. Rock & Roll," which finally launched MacDonald into the Top 20. Her debut album, This Is the Life, was released at the end of July 2007, where it climbed to number two during its first week on the charts (and, later, reached number one in several countries). Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide

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