Susie Blue

Susan Donaghy, otherwise known as Susie-Blue, has emerged as one of Derry~Londonderry's brightest new talents. 

With two EP releases under her belt – Stripped Bare (January 2013) and Bits and Buttons (March 2013) – Susie-Blue bagged a slot at the 2013 Glasgowbury music festival – which turned out to be the festival's final fairwell. 

An early learner musically, Donaghy's father bought her first guitar when she was seven, but it wasn't until the family relocated to Derry~Londonderry a couple of years later that her musical education began in earnest. 'My dad taught me the first few chords for 'Sloop John B' by The Beach Boys,' Donaghy recalls fondly, 'and after that I just ran with it and started singing, too.'

Six years later, Donaghy found herself delving into original songwriting. She found the process enlightening and restorative, and used it as an outlet to vent her troubles, express her doubts and fears, anger and pain. It became a habit. 'I just kept writing,' she says. 'It was an amazing way to get out the things that were annoying me. It sounds so cheesy, but it's true.'