The first time Isle of Lewis singer-songwriter Rosie H Sullivan sang at Belladrum Festival, she was not doing it from a stage.
Instead, she remembers sitting on a hay bale in a tent filled with prosecco.
This year however, Rosie has swapped her literal grass roots slot for the honour of opening the main stage on Saturday at the festival, where she will be followed by the likes of Bill Bailey, Deacon Blue and Callum Beattie.
For Rosie, it’s a dream come true: “My first ever time I played at Belladrum I think was in this tiny Co-op Prosecco tent on a little hay bale and now I’m opening the main stage which is crazy because it’s something I’ve dreamed about.
“I remember watching Birdie on the main stage a couple of years back and thinking how amazing that was.
“And now it’s me which is mad but I’m really looking forward to it.”
Finding her feet during a very busy few years
For the last few years, Rosie has been making a name for herself.
Her folk-indie sound and “angelic harmonies” have attracted a lot of attention with her self-written EP 123° East earning her comparisons to the likes of Laura Marling – a personal inspiration.
However, it has not been easy.
Balancing her music studies at Edinburgh Napier, working in a record shop and focusing on her music has left her little breathing space.
Showing a grounded sense of humility, the 22-year-old said: “I think finding time for me is definitely still a big one and not succumbing to the 21st Century grind, grind, grind…then also finding myself along the way.
“It’s so important to remember that we’re all human and we’re all finding our feet. It’s our first time here.”
Rosie’s last two EPs have drawn from her love of Scotland, nature and how it intertwines with her life.
Growing up in Barvas on the Isle of Lewis, she has treasured memories from her favourite beach near her home.
A memory she still carries with her – the co-ordinates tattooed on her arm.
Ullapool bothy inspired Wembley performance
Starting the fiddle at nine-years-old, once Rosie successfully begged for a guitar from her parents, she started songwriting.
And it was during a holiday in a bothy near Ullapool that inspiration first struck.
Only 12-years-old at the time and months into buying her first guitar, the singer was enjoying watching the snow fall over the hills.
Imagining a boy running away from the snowy storm, she put pen to paper and her aunt – also a singer-songwriter – encouraged her to enter a songwriting competition.
“And then for some strange reason I ended up winning this national songwriting competition,” said Rosie.
From there, Rosie got to record her song Run From the Storm and was invited to play at Wembley Stadium in London.
“It was a bit insane,” she said.
“I did have a bit of wobble plus cry in the soundcheck…but I just remember having the best time ever. It was incredible.”
Gigging at An Lanntair and what’s next
With Lewis having a big traditional folk scene, although Rosie got involved with lots of clubs, she said a lot of her songs did not align in the same way.
Thankfully, with her supportive parents willing to drive her to the mainland, Rosie was able to take part in events with Creative Scotland and Music Plus in Inverness for mentorship.
On the island, she would put on shows for her family at home and often carry out gigs at An Lanntair, the Woodlands Centre and cafes and pubs when she was old enough.
It was a passion that carried on when she moved with her parents to Drumoak in Aberdeenshire when she was 18.
After a nine-hour drive to carry out the move, she and her dad grabbed the “best cup of coffee she had had in her life” in the Park Shop and applied for a job.
On top her hours, she ended up hosting a free gig in the deli carpark one summer.
Saying these smaller, intimate gigs are her favourite, Rosie hopes to do a few more in the near future with her next performance being at the Lyth Arts Centre in Wick on August 4.
While her sound might be described as indie folk now, she said things are always changing: “I think each genre right now is becoming less of a less of a thing.
“People’s creativity is so individual these days and I think that’s so exciting.
“In the last few years, I’ve developed more than I ever thought I would so I’m just excited to see in another few years time…what I’m writing.”
What else is happening at Belladrum Festival 2024?
Event producer of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Dougie Brown, said it is this supporting of local artists, businesses and people that makes the festival so special.
With many Scottish artists like Amy Macdonald and Emili Sandé performing at the festival at the beginning of their career, Dougie said: “We always will be hugely supportive of the local community of musicians.
“We always want to support Highland and Scottish artists as well as being able to bring in bigger names from from further afield.”
This year for the festival’s 20th anniversary, Dougie said they have gone for the theme of love and have launched a 20-year bottle of whisky.
They also have an exciting line-up including Sugababes, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Teenage Fanclub.
But Dougie said sometimes the real magic happens away from the main stage: “What makes Bella special…is it is very much still born out of its location. Born out of the Highlands, born out of the people and culture of the area.
“From my personal point of view is how we ensure that Bella magic uniqueness stays there.
“I love the weird wonderful stages that Belladrum…it’s those kind of stages that bring us some special moments.”
Rosie H Sullivan is opening the main stage on the Saturday at Belladrum running from July 25 to 27.
Her new cover of Build Me Up Buttercup is out on July 31. Click here to listen to Rosie on Spotify.
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