It's been a difficult time for former Fame Academy star Sinead Quinn, as she explained to Children's Express reporters before her recent gig in the Nerve Centre.
| A record deal is not the be all and end all to be honest. |
It's been a bumpy ride for Sinead Quinn since finishing up as runner-up in the BBC's Fame Academy series. She signed a record deal, released a single, which reached number two in the UK, did an arena tour with Fame Academy, released another single and realised an album.
Recently however things haven't gone so well. She lost her record deal and is now back trying to do things for herself, but she still sees it all as a very positive experience. "I would say go for it, take any opportunity you can get. Don't be swayed by someone saying that's not cool or whatever because you can make it cool if you want, it is down to the individual, it is what you get out of it."
Despite parting company with Mercury Records, she remains philosophical about it all. "Before I went into Fame Academy everyone was like, 'record deal, you have to get a record deal', but you can put out and distribute your own records if you make them well enough. A record deal is not the be all and end all to be honest."
Despite her disappointment she has been able to rely on the support of her family. "They are very proud of me. I did a gig in my home town Enniskillen last night and they were all sitting as proud as punch, my granny and everybody, they love it."
Sinead is very familiar with Derry, having lived here for two years. "When I was about 17 I moved to Derry after school and did a course in the tech, the popular music course and that led on to my degree in music technology, so I lived here for two years, and I love it here to be honest."
At only 23 she is still full of ambition, but one thing is really top of her agenda at the moment. "I want to write some new music and hopefully get it out there one way or another, not necessarily through a record company but perhaps through an independent label."
Another consolation is that the stalkers are now dying off. She laughs, "I have a bit of a shoe fetish and people kept sending me shoe key rings and things like that. One guy did think that we were engaged in a former life, which is kind of weird."
About the team
This story was produced by Michaela Wilson, 13 and Emmet Barr, 14. It was published by Derry News.
