Following acclaim from Variety, Billboard, Idolator and Ones To Watch plus 1.6 million audio and video streams for her debut single ‘Queen of Silver Linings’, singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Amy Allen shares her new track ‘Difficult’.
Amy said, “As a woman, I’m often referred to as difficult. Difficult for advocating for myself. Difficult for wearing my ambition on my sleeve. Difficult for prioritising my dreams. Every woman I know has had this term weaponized against her. I wrote ‘Difficult’ after I realised this word which I used to take as an insult, is actually something I own. I’m proud to be difficult and want to reclaim the word.”
Co-written and co-produced by Amy, Jon Bellion, Monsters & Strangerz and Ethan Gruska, the track pairs glassy guitar with emotional vocal delivery as she confesses, “I wish that I could love you; I’m difficult. Don’t think that I can trust you; I’m cynical.”
‘Difficult’ builds towards a glorious Nineties-style freak-out complete with cathartic screams and glitchy distortion. Female directing duo Similar But Different (Dani Girdwood and Charlotte Fassler) bring the song to life with the desert-shot visual. Grainy security cam footage and creepy roadside motels channel Seventies film noir meets modern day sci-fi as our heroine confronts… herself.
There are two stories you can tell as a songwriter: yours or someone else’s. Amy Allen not only tells the stories of some of the biggest artists in the world as a songwriter, but she also shares her story as an artist.
Amy began writing songs for herself and had learned five instruments by the age of 10. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she founded New York band Amy & The Engine. In 2018, she wrote ‘Back To You’ by Selena Gomez and opened up the floodgates to collaborate with A-list talent, including Halsey, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Sam Smith and Harry Styles. Forbes named her on their coveted 30 Under 30 list, while Variety dubbed her Hitmaker of the Month.
Reclaiming her passion for performing in 2020, she introduces her sound as an artist on her upcoming full-length debut for Warner Records. All of her past experiences have led her to this point, to create a collection of personal and meaningful songs that make up her debut album. Amy’s songs are lived-in tales, reminiscent of the American troubadours that have come before her – heroes like Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Carole King, John Prine and Bruce Springsteen. Now Amy Allen tells her story.
