Working with Artists to help make MUSIC & ART a sustainable career
Allie Sherlock is the sensation that has taken Ireland and the world beyond by storm. She’s known for her busking around the country, especially on Dublin’s famous Grafton Street. Her covers are incredibly popular, garnering millions of views on Youtube with every release. So just who is the charming Allie Sherlock, and how did she get here?
Right now Allie is just 16 years old, having been born on April 7, 2005, but she already has quite the list of musical accomplishments. Allie has been busking in Cork and Dublin since she was only 11.
Almost every week since, she has appeared on Grafton Street with beautiful covers of the latest hits. Allie Sherlock’s Youtube channel has been incredibly successful, with over 5 million subscribers and over 800 million total views.
Her rise to fame began in 2017, when her cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Supermarket Flowers” went viral online and established her name. From then, things moved quickly for Allie, with bigger crowds and popular videos, and eventually, a feature on the popular show Britain's Got Talent.
Allie was also invited to The Ellen Show, but she declined Ellen's first invitation to the show, citing her father's worry about such a major appearance at her young age. In 2018 though, her appearance with Ellen and subsequent performance was met with even more recognition, and the video of the interview was one the most watched videos of the year.
While Allie Sherlock is beloved by the crowds on Grafton Street and listeners worldwide, it wasn’t always that way. Allie grew up and still lives in Cork, and her childhood was far from easy.
When Allie was only 9 her mother passed away, an event that she has since reflected on with her original music. Allie experienced frequent bullying as a child, and in 2016, left primary school entirely to be homeschooled.
Allie always exhibited a unique talent for music, and picked up guitar and piano at an early age, singing along as much as she could. In addition to her talent at singing and playing guitar, Allie is also an avid gymnast, stating that it is one of her main hobbies outside performing.
Her father, who today acts as her music manager, recognized this knack and helped a young Allie increase her skill and plan her very first performances. Allie has stated that her biggest influences include Ed Sheeran, Adele, and Shawn Mendes. Mark Sherlock, Allie's father, wasn't always keen on the idea of Allie's music career, and until she finally convinced him to take her busking. Her Youtube channel, Allie Sherlock, was created in 2014, and the rest is history.
As Allie Sherlock’s music became more well known, she decided to take the next major step and sign with a record label. Ultimately, she decided on Patriot Records, a label owned by the lead vocalist of the band OneRepublic. Allie’s relationship with the band is a close one, and during their European tour she even accompanied them on a variety of major shows.
She’s stayed good friends with the group, and fans await their next major collaboration. Allie has also worked with Charlie Puth, who she is a huge fan of. And in 2020, Justin Bieber shared some of Allie's cover versions of his music.
While Allie is known for her fantastic covers, the singer has also tried her hand at songwriting. Her original singles have seen success among her fanbase, and her most recent album, A Part of Me, was released in November to further critical acclaim. These songs can be streamed on Spotify or other similar streaming services, but if you are able to catch her live in Dublin, she sells physical copies of her album for only a few euros.
Allie’s original pieces cover a variety of thoughtful topics, a way for the singer to share her view on life and work through events that have happened in her past. Songs such as “Hero” tell the story of Allie’s growth in self confidence, while “The Night Before” reflects on her mother’s death.
She even wrote a song about the pandemic, titled “Locked Inside”. It deals with her struggle through the lockdown and how it affected her as a person and a musician.
She’s experienced great success already, but Allie still has even bigger plans for her future. As the remaining COVID-19 restrictions are finally eased, Allie has been busking more and more, attracting crowds that couldn’t have been in recent years. The Irish singer also plans to move ahead with more original music, as well as partnering up with upcoming fellow street musicians in the area.
In spite of her fame, Allie has not forgotten where she started from, and wants to help others reach the recognition that she has. Though Allie has received many lucrative offers for both her cover songs and her original works, Allie is focusing on finishing her education at the moment, and still plays on the street as much as she can. Though it is not exactly known, it is estimated that Allie Sherlock has a net worth upwards of $1 million.
With her incredible singing and guitar skills, and her new creative pursuits in the form of original music, it is apparent that Allie Sherlock has a bright future ahead of her. What’s even better is that despite her significant fame these days, Allie has stayed true to what she is passionate about, street music.
So if you find yourself in Dublin, head over to Grafton Street to listen to a song or two, and keep up to date with the Tune Hoppers blog and social media for more info on live music in the area!
Featured image courtesy of Andreas Grefen
