Lanarkshire singer songwriter Terra Kin has clinched two recording sessions and a performance slot at Scotland’s largest music festival after being crowned Scottish Act of the Year.
Terra Kin, AKA Hannah Findlay, was one of four acts to make it to the final of the BBC Radio Scotland contest and perform in front of a live audience.
The competition attracted entries for more than 500 hopefuls from all over Scotland.
At the hotly contested final, held at the Platform in Glasgow on Wednesday evening (March 29), a star-studded panel had the tough job of judging the battle of musical talent fought by the four finalists.
They included: VLURE, whose energetic and euphoric live performances encompass emotional lyrics and on-stage theatrics; indy pop-inspired act The Big Day; Queen of Hearts, whose unique blend of spoken word, rap and harp makes her one of the most exciting acts in Scotland today; and Terra Kin, who pairs her love for jazz, ambient and folk music with a hauntingly soft, soulful voice.
Only one could lift the title – and Terra Kin emerged victorious.
Hosted by BBC Introducing in Scotland presenters, Shereen Cutkelvin and Phoebe I-H, the panel of judges included singer KT Tunstall, Radio 1’s Gemma Bradley and Arielle Free, Sam McTrusty of Twin Atlantic, and The Snuts’ Jack Cochrane.
Speaking of her win and the encouragement she has drawn from being recognised among such talented musicians, Terra Kin said: “I am are absolutely thrilled and honoured to have won the BBC Introducing Scottish Act of The Year 2023 award. I want to thank the judges and everyone who supported us throughout this incredible journey.
“It’s great to see the Scottish music scene thrive. I can’t wait to see what the future holds and will continue making music that connects with people. Thank you!”
Said presenter Shereen: “It has been amazing to see and hear the incredible talent Scotland has to offer and I’m excited to see where the winner goes from here. This competition is a fantastic opportunity for emerging artists to get their music out there.”
Phoebe I-H added: “It has been a privilege to witness first-hand the incredible depth and diversity of Scotland’s music scene.
“The finalists gave the judges a tough decision to make, but the winner stood out with their undeniable talent and unique sound.
“I have no doubt that this award will open many doors for them, and I can’t wait to see what they achieve next. “
In October last year, Lanarkshire Live tipped Terra Kin as one to watch after she released her first single, which stole the top spot as the BBC Introducing in Scotland show’s ‘track of the week.’
She followed the release of ‘Flames’ – a haunting track which laments the end of a relationship – with four-track EP, Too Far Gone.
In introducing the debut single of Terra Kin – whose stage name means ‘child of the earth’ – the radio presenter said she felt “in the moment” with the artist, who names Amy Macdonald as among those acts who inspire her.
Hannah, of Cambuslang, was a 12-year-old first year pupil at Cathkin High School when she first became acquainted with the guitar.
“When I was a kid, I was into being loud and singing all the time,” she told Lanarkshire Live.
Beyond the music lessons Hannah had at school, her guitar skills were self-taught. She left school at the age of 16 to study at the University of the West of Scotland’s Ayr campus – and that is where her vocal talents really began to shine.
Hannah and fellow musicians then went on to form band Haze before she joined Glasgow group, Kubitaru.
Then, a breakthrough came when acclaimed record producer and remixer Fred Again invited her to be guest vocalist on his recording of Bill Withers’ ‘Just the Two of Us.’
Hannah says her association with the producer, who has worked with music giants Eminem, Stormzy and Ed Sheeran, “attracted a lot of attention.”
A music exchange arrangement landed Kubitaru gigs in France, which led to Hannah moving in early 2019 to the Netherlands, where she spent a semester studying creative industries. And, as she explained, it was there she began writing ‘Flames.’
“I was in a relationship at that time, long-distance,” she explained. “There was the realisation that I had to end things and take this opportunity to have a new life. ‘Flames’ was born out of the conflict of feeling guilty and feeling liberated at the same time.”
After eight months in the Netherlands, Hannah moved back to the West of Scotland. And when she and the band began staging more gigs in Glasgow, they were soon being noticed on the city’s music scene.
Deciding to pursue a solo career during lockdown, she continued : “I knew I didn’t want to go by my own name, as I think I’d have felt too exposed. I needed some separation.”
Believing that her chosen name as a solo artist should reflect how she views herself in the world, Hannah opted for Terra Kin.
She teamed up with friend Liam Shorthall, who has a Glasgow-based jazz band named Corto Alto and produces all of its music.
As Terra Kin, Hannah, 24, also hooked up with Norman Willmore – a member of her previous band who had gravitated towards music production.
From Liam’s home studio in the southside of Glasgow, the trio recorded four tracks to form EP Too Far Gone.
Terra Kin then went on in 2022 to be signed by Island Records – is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group.
As Scottish Act of the Year, Terra Kin will receive two recording sessions with BBC Radio Scotland, a spot at the TRNSMT festival at which she played last year, a bespoke PR campaign, and the opportunity to play the BBC Introducing Stage at R1 Big Weekend. Audiences can hear the final on BBC Radio Scotland on Friday (March 31) at 8pm. It will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from Tuesday (April 4) and on the BBC Scotland channel on Saturday, April 8 at 10 pm.
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