Amy Shark
Amy Louise Billings (born 14 May 1986), known professionally as Amy Shark, is an Australian indie pop singer-songwriter-guitarist and producer from the Gold Coast, Queensland. During 2008 to 2012, her early solo material was released and performed under the name Amy Cushway. Her 2016 single "Adore" peaked at number 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was also listed at number 2 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2016. Her album Love Monster (July 2018) debuted at number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Shark has won 8 ARIA Music Awards from 29 nominations, including winning Best Pop Release three times: in 2017 for her extended play, Night Thinker, 2018 for Love Monster and 2020 for "Everybody Rise".
For her eponymous song, see Cry Forever (album).
Amy Shark
14 May 1986
- Amy Cushway
- Little Sleeper
- Singer
- songwriter
- musician
2007–present
- Vocals
- guitar
- Amy Shark (independent)
- Wonderlick
- Sony
- RCA
Early life[edit]
Amy Shark was born on the Gold Coast in Queensland on 14 May 1986.[1] Her mother, Robyn, remarried and raised Shark on the Gold Coast with her stepfather David Cushway and a younger half-sibling.[1] She is of Hungarian and English descent.[2] She attended Southport State High School,[3][4] where she performed in theatre, studied film, and played guitar in an all-female punk-band.[1] Also attending that school, in the same year level, was singer-songwriter Ricki-Lee Coulter.[5] Cushway described her first group, Dorothy's Rainbow and Hansel Kissed Gretel, as "'quite thrashy', though it fell apart when its members splintered. 'I kept going, kept writing songs on my acoustic guitar'."[6][7][8] Her first job was selling T-shirts at a souvenir shop, Gone Troppo.[9] Shark entered a singing competition in 2007 at the behest of her then-boyfriend Shane Billings.[2][10] She subsequently performed under various names, including Amy Cushway, Amy Billings, and as Little Sleeper.[1][11]
Career[edit]
2008–2013: Amy Cushway[edit]
Amy Shark recorded and performed as Amy Cushway from 2008 to 2012.[12] Her first solo gig was at Burleigh Bears Rugby League Club, where she performed cover versions.[4] Initial solo performances had her singing to an acoustic guitar.[13] In June 2008 Cushway supported gigs by Brianna Carpenter at The Globe and at The Red Brick Hotel, Brisbane.[14][15] She released her debut extended play, I Thought of You Out Loud, which included the track, "Take Time Take Me", in mid-2008 and performed the EP at solo gigs from July.[16] She later described this EP, "[it] was me not knowing any chords but so emotionally drained that I needed something to lift me up and get my blood flowing again."[17] The singer-songwriter made the finals for the 2008 Q Songs Awards in August with "Take Time Take Me" for the alternative category.[16] She reflected on her writing style, "It's so much easier and more enjoyable to start from scratch with a song and write it exactly how you want. It sounds selfish, but it's just reality [...] I definitely write songs that the typical ear hasn't heard before, the lyrics are honest and relate to all ages. I'm not trying to write songs solely for radio … I want hard hitting pop rock songs that can be played on radio, whilst having the potential to be blasted through stadiums."[18] She derived inspiration from Tegan and Sara, "they find different ways to deliver the meaning of a song with lyrics that don’t necessarily spell it out."[18] In November the artist backed Rhiannon Hart at Island Vibe Festival, South Brisbane.[19]
Cushway's second EP, Love's Not Anorexic, appeared in mid-2009, supported by a national tour from July.[20] The title attracted criticism from community groups, she explained "it was not a personal attack to people suffering from anorexia but a good catchy title."[21] Another EP track, "Cool Kids Die", relates to recent acquaintances of her age group who had died, "It's not fair that they were all decent, polite and cool kids. Life isn't fair sometimes."[18] Christie Eliezer of In Music & Media described the EP, "Her new tracks see her move from delicate acoustic ballads to thunderous beats, as 'Little Overweight for TV' and 'Breathing on Aeroplanes' streaming on [her website] show. Labels are sniffing..."[21] Whereas the artist felt, "[it's] a slightly grown up version of the one before with a splash of garage electric guitar."[17] She made the finals of the 2009 Q Songs with, "Stupid not To", vying for the Q Music Encouragement Award.[22] In November of that year the artist described her early material, "As much as I enjoy writing intricate acoustic ballads, there's nothing better than adding thunderous beats and raw energy to your set."[20] She was living in Varsity Lakes in April 2010 and explained how, "[record companies] did not ask for demos now, but just asked what her MySpace page was."[23] In late 2010 she formed the band, Fly Boy Fly, with collaborator and bassist, Ryan Nash, and drummer, Tom Moore. "A few people put it into my head, if I ever thought of fronting a band." The band's name "was kind of a mixture of things. I'm a little bit obsessed with Peter Pan and The Lost Boys, and my partner Shane is very much into war movies... one night we got out Flyboys... [and] threw around some [band] names and that was one of them.[24]"
Cushway described her third EP, Broadway Gossip (October 2010),[25] "this was me returning home to Australia from the United States and thinking I need to experiment with beats."[17][26] Cushway's first album, It's a Happy City appeared in March 2012.[17][27] "It's extremely fun and I recommend it to you, your parents, grandparents or anyone with a pulse" she explained.[17][27] In early 2012 Billings was her talent manager with Rooftop Artist Management.[17] By December 2016, Shark was no longer using the name Cushway, and material under that name had been deleted from her accounts.[27]
Personal life[edit]
Amy Shark's birth father separated from her mother, Robyn, when Shark was "just a baby, one or two."[1] Upon the success of "Adore", Shark replied to her birth father's attempt to re-establish contact, "Haven't heard from my father in 15 years until now. It must suck knowing ur daughter got all this way on her very own! Now beat it! I'm busy."[1] Of her stepfather, David Cushway, she recalled "I used to call him Dave and I remember the day I said to Mum, 'Do you think I could call Dave "Dad"?' She cried. She said, 'Why don't you go and ask him?' So I went and asked him, and he cried. I was only young but I remember it really well."[1] Early recordings were credited to Amy Cushway (2008–2012).[12][20]
In 2007 Shark met Shane Billings (born ca. 1983 or 1984),[2] a New Zealand-born Gold Coast financial manager; they married on 11 May 2013.[1] Her written material is credited to Amy Louise Billings.[12][84] The couple worked with the local National Rugby League football club, Gold Coast Titans: Shark as a video editor and Shane managing finances.[1][2] She left that job in November 2016.[28] Shane was also Shark's talent manager until she signed with Jaddan Comerford of UNIFIED Music Group,[85] and continued as her manager for the local market.[63] The couple were residents of Broadbeach Waters. They relocated to Sydney by 2021.[86]
In September 2021 Shane founded Rage More Records as a talent management company and recording label.[87] The label's first release is a single "I'm not Giving Up" (September 2021) by IndyAnna Baby,[88] which is co-written by Shark with that artist.[87] Shark cancelled a proposed American tour set for September 2023 due to hospitalisation for an unspecified illness in early August.[89] The artist described having felt discomfort before seeking medical assistance and was due to undergo surgery with a month for recovery.[89][90] By late September the singer performed at El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles.[91]
as Amy Cushway
as Amy Shark
Headlining
Supporting
Awards and nominations[edit]
ARIA Music Awards[edit]
The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987. Amy Shark has won 8 awards from 32 nominations;[47] at the 2018 ceremony she received 9 nominations and won 4, heading up the leader board for the year.[47]