Fiona Bevan talks growing up in Colchester and music career

A US study revealed that last year just 14 per cent of songwriters and less than four per cent of producers were women.

Making music was once a dream for Fiona Bevan, who cut her teeth as a musician in Colchester while studying at Colchester County High School for Girls.

Having written her first songs at 12 and joining a band at 14, Fiona, who grew up in Sudbury, performed her first gigs at the former Oliver Twist pub.

Singer-songwriter - Fiona was a pupil at Colchester County High School for Girls (Image: Fiona Bevan)

And now the talented singer-songwriter, who describes her style as “cinematic indie folk”, has enjoyed a successful career which has seen her tour the world with her music.

“Colchester was our training ground and it’s where we wrote all our songs together,” said Fiona.

She continued: “I feel very grateful every single day but it’s a terrible industry for women and there’s a lot of ageism.

“It’s been very difficult because I didn’t have very many mentors or role models, but that has led me to become a role model myself to help the next generation because I didn’t have that.

“It took me a little while to work out how to progress in the music industry because it was quite opaque, and it feels like quite a closed circle.

“I really broke into music when I moved to London. I didn’t know anyone, but I played open mic nights which is how I met a whole bunch of friends, including Ed Sheeran and many of the people who are still my best friends today.”

Sexism has a profound impact on Fiona’s career, from being patronised at gigs to being discouraged from gaining technical experience.

Fiona, who has been a full-time musician for the last decade, has toured the world since jumping into music with both feet – performing across Europe, Australia, Canada, America, to name just a few places.

Her career has seen her write hits for well-known artists including Lewis Capaldi, Tom Walker, Kylie Minogue, and One Direction.

The musician, who self-produced her latest EP, said: “When I was growing up in Colchester I really wanted to see the world and it’s been amazing. It’s been beyond my wildest dreams to get to go to these places and the fact that music has taken me there has just been extraordinary.

“Colchester Arts Centre is very deep in my DNA. I played there with my teenage band a couple of times and when a big band would come through we’d support them.”

Asked what advice she would give her teenage self, she added: “I would tell her to stay strong, keep going, keep writing songs, and don’t give up on your dreams. That’s exactly what I say to the young songwriters I meet. I tell them to just believe and go for it.”

“I remember so clearly the people who helped me and believed in me and it changed the game.

“I grew up in the sticks in the countryside so, for me, Colchester was already a really brilliant place with lots of other musicians and lots of collaborations and gigs and activity and energy.”