Kenilworth Nub News aims to be supportive to every element of the community from businesses, shops, and people, to charities, clubs and sports organisations.

We will be profiling some of these local businesses, and groups regularly over the coming weeks in a feature called 'Up Close With', starting this week with local musician Darcy Blu.

Kenilworth-local Darcy Blu talks to Nub News about her music career and growing up in Warwickshire

Darcy Blu is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, currently plying her trade in London, where she writes from the heart about what surrounds, and inspires her, whether that is love, heartbreak, revenge, or all of the above.

Darcy is well-known for putting her own experiences of relationships, friendships, and simply life into relatable pop songs, and heart-melting ballads. 

Darcy began her career as a teenager, uploading covers of other artists' work onto YouTube, when she was approached by an artist development company in London. She then began travelling to London at the weekends to use their studios to write songs, and learn the skills of the trade.

"I have always loved music, and singing from a young age, however I didn't start songwriting until about the age of 16," says Darcy.

Starting up in Kenilworth

Darcy's first live performance was in fact at the Priory Theatre in Kenilworth, aged nine, when she and her sister were part of a talent show, organised by the Abbostford School which she attended.

"My parents always encouraged me to play music, I've played piano since I can remember, and played saxophone for about six or seven years during school.

"Growing up where creativity was encouraged by my parents, definitely helped shape who I am and inspired me to believe in myself, and my passion, and choose a career in music."

Darcy has received great local recognition during her career. She has been championed by BBC Introducing over the years; having her music played numerous times, performing live sessions, and being invited for interviews.

"BBC Coventry & Warwickshire have supported me since day one, and I will always be grateful for them.

"I remember them playing the first song I wrote when I was 16 on the radio, it was such a great moment!"

Darcy's single 'February' was made BBC Introducing's 'Track of the Week' after its release six months ago.

And Brody Swain of BBC Introducing Coventry & Warwickshire said "Darcy Blu is definitely one to watch."

In February she performed for TEDxCoventry at their annual event at the Belgrade Theatre.

"TedxCoventry was a great opportunity for me to come back to where it all started and showcase how much I have grown as an artist."

Next steps

Having spent her entire childhood in Kenilworth, Darcy moved to London aged 19 to study. Gigging around the city she has recently headlined Notting Hill Arts Club, and Nambucca.

When Darcy's not performing, she spends as much time as possible in the studio making new music, whilst working part-time in a front of house role at the famous Abbey Road Studios.

During the pandemic, Darcy finished her Songwriting degree, and graduated from the British and Irish Modern Music Institute London, after three years of study.

She has also just released a new single 'Closure' - the video for which is available at the top of the page.

"Myself, my band, and Adam [producer] made the entirety of 'Closure' during lockdown with everything done remotely."

In fact, during lockdown, and the recording of Closure, she has had a chance to reconnect with her roots in Warwickshire.

"I recorded my own vocals in my childhood bedroom, my band sent me over the stems to their parts from all over the country, and then Adam put them all together. 

"Myself and Adam then worked on the production of Closure via Zoom calls and email exchanges.

"All of the artwork was also shot in my childhood bedroom by my sister.

"It was certainly a new experience as I usually would be in the studio the whole time when making a new track, and would use a professional photographer for the artwork."

What does the future hold?

Darcy has been making the most of the lockdown period, working on a number of tracks which are due to be released later this year.

She currently has 11,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and her latest release received over 1000 streams within a couple of days of release.

Clearly she, like all artists, faces the challenges that the world with covid presents, with live performances still unlikely to be returning in the near future.

However, despite these challenges she remains optimistic, "I plan to be releasing an EP at some point in 2021, and hopefully will get back to gigging as soon as it is safe to do so, I miss it so much!"

We certainly wish her all the best now and in the future!

If you'd like to keep up to date with Darcy Blu's work follow her on instagram and on Facebook.