Rosie Doonan

Rosie Doonan

Rosie Doonan is a British folk musician from Wakefield. She works as a singer-songwriter and records as a solo artist, and she also releases material as Rosie Doonan & Ben Murray. In addition, she performs with The Sweet Nothings, an acapella group, and is a member of The Mighty Doonans, a family folk band.

Background

Doonan comes from a musical family. Her grandfather, John Doonan, is a world-renowned piccoloist. Her father, Mick Doonan, is a founding member of Hedgehog Pie and later The Mighty Doonans. Her younger sister, Frances Doonan, is also part of The Mighty Doonans. She grows up in Wakefield surrounded by musicians and attends festivals from an early age, describing a childhood shaped by family music-making and live performance.

Early performing and influences

Her first stage appearance is playing saxophone in her father’s band, The Solicitors. She later becomes known as a singer and joins The Sweet Nothings. Doonan cites a wide range of influences, including the Beta Band, Laura Veirs and Free, and also refers to listening to The Stones, Joni Mitchell and Free while growing up. She says her roots are in the folk scene, while also aiming to bring something personal and distinctive to her songs.

Recordings and recognition

Among her solo releases is Moving On, which includes songs with different folk and song-based styles, including desolate astral-folk, social commentary and tales of unhappy relationships. The album receives a Radio 2 Folk Award nomination.