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".
Early life
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, 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, singing “Baby Shark, doo doo doo” 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
2008–2013: Amy Cushway
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]
During 2013, the artist started using the stage name, Amy Shark, because Jaws was her favourite film.[6] In February 2014 she independently released a five-track extended play, Nelson.[28][29] One of its tracks, "Weight of the World", was a finalist at the 2013 Queensland Music Awards in the regional category.[30] She activated a new YouTube account, as Amy Shark Music, in 2014 and issued a single, "Spits on Girls", in July.[31]
Shark performing in Los Angeles in June 2017
Shark released her next self-produced single, "Golden Fleece", in October 2015, originally under the name, Little Sleeper.[7][11][32] The singer later explained why she dropped the Little Sleeper name, "I've been in talks with these music supervisors in America ... And they said we'd prefer it if I was playing under the name Amy Shark again."[33] Chris Singh of The AU Review observed, "The song, powerful and penetrating in itself, is given visuals both understated and intense as Little Sleeper stands in darkness with her guitar and is progressively drenched in multi-coloured paint."[11] It won Pop Song of the Year at the Queensland Music Awards in 2016, and Shark embarked on a nationwide tour supporting Sydney band, Tigertown in December.[34][35] She received a grant from the City of Gold Coast council, which allowed her to work with more popular producers.[9] She later recalled how music industry personnel had told her to quit, "Please stop sending unsolicited material to me, your music is no good and it's not something we would be interested in anyway."[36]
In July 2016, she released her next single, "Adore", with co-production by Shark, M-Phazes and Cam Bluff,[37] in addition to a cover version of Silverchair's "Miss You Love" for Triple J's show Like a Version.[38] "Adore" received significant airplay on Triple J, leading to a bidding war between major labels, which was won by Sony Music Australia. Shark signed with Wonderlick/Sony in November 2016.[39] Two of her earlier singles, "Spits on Girls" and "Golden Fleece", were re-released by Wonderlick/Sony in 2016.[40][41] "Adore" was listed at number 2 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2016, behind Flume's "Never Be like You".[42][43][44]
On 11 April 2018, Shark premiered a single, "I Said Hi", on Triple J before releasing it the following day.[52] It received unpaid promotion by comedians, and digital radio show hosts, Luke and Lewis using posters, megaphone and a large home-made sign hung up next to the Fox FM Melbourne station logo.[53] That promotion captured the attention of the singer-songwriter who displayed it on her own Instagram account.[54][55] "I Said Hi" peaked at number 6 on the ARIA charts.
Shark's album, Love Monster, was released on 13 July 2018[56] and it debuted at number 1 on the ARIA Charts. The album provided four additional singles, including "Mess Her Up" (March 2019). At the ARIA Music Awards of 2018, the artist won four ARIA Music Awards, with Album of the Year, Best Pop Release and Best Female Artist for Love Monster, and Producer of the Year for Dann Hume and M-Phazes work on "I Said Hi".[47] She was the most nominated artist and equal highest winner in that year.[47]
At the ARIA ceremony, Shark's acceptance speech for Album of the Year included her thanks to "the people who helped make her album. Her producers, her management and the fans." Also attending was her label boss, Denis Handlin, however, "she didn’t thank Handlin, or the Sony label."[57] She had acknowledged them in earlier speeches.[57] According to The Sydney Morning Herald's Nathanael Cooper, "[Handlin] was furious she hadn’t thanked him or Sony in her speech for the major award."[57] Furthermore, Shark was "required to be in the office early the next morning to publicly apologise for failing to thank" him and the label.[57]
Shark with her backing band at Moroccan Lounge, Los Angeles, June 2023
For her latest album, Amy Shark worked with Ed Sheeran,[59]Diplo,[60]Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins,[60] and the Chainsmokers. On 16 February 2020, Shark performed at the Fire Fight Australia fund-raising relief concert in Sydney for the effects of the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season.[61] Her live performance of "I Said Hi" appeared on the related album by various artists, Artists Unite for Fire Fight: Concert for National Bushfire Relief (12 March 2020).[62] Thomas Bleach observed that she was, "euphorically telling the world that Australia says hi and thank you for all the support that has been given."[62]
On 6 March 2020, Shark announced a management deal with Redlight's Will Botwin for international markets while husband, Shane Billings continued to manage her for the local market.[63] On 23 October 2020, Shark released a single "C'mon" featuring blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.[64] Alexander Pan of Tone Deaf observed, "[it's] a thumping power-pop ballad that's got a considerable amount of weight behind it."[64] Two days later she performed at the 2020 NRL Grand Final at Stadium Australia, Sydney.[65] At the 2020 ARIA Music Awards, she won Best Pop Release for her single, "Everybody Rise" (June 2020)—marking the third time she'd received the award.[66] Shark performed the track live at the ceremony.[67] She also performed as part of an all-female ensemble, singing "I Am Woman", in honour of Helen Reddy (1941–2020).[68] At the ceremony, she also won the public-voted category, Best Australian Live Act for her Regional Tour during 2019.[66]
On 4 December 2020, Shark announced her second studio album for Sony, Cry Forever, which was released on 30 April 2021.[69] Shark released the single "All the Lies About Me", alongside the album's announcement and additionally announced a national headline tour for mid-2021.[69] Shark revealed the album's track listing in an interview with Rolling Stone Australia' Tyler Jenke on the same day.[70]
Shark's third studio album Sunday Sadness was released on 9 August 2024.
Personal life
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]
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]
The APRA Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) to recognise composing and song writing skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. Shark was nominated for three categories at the 2018 APRA Awards[96] and at the 2019 awards.[97]
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.
The Queensland Music Awards (known as Q Song Awards until 2010) are annual awards celebrating Queensland, Australia's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006.[121]
^"Singing the Praises of a Local Talent". Hotsource – All Things Music. 14 May 2008. Archived from the original on 21 July 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^Eliezer, Christie (20 May 2008). "Amy Cushway". In Music & Media. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^ ab"Recognition of a Rising Talent". Hotsource – All Things Music. 2 July 2008. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^ abcHealy, Topher (22 August 2008). "Amy Cushway". Rave Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 September 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^ abEliezer, Christie (1 December 2009). "Cushway Gets the Skinny". In Music & Media. Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^Bedos, Stephanie; Godfrey, Miles (9 April 2010). "New MySpace for Musical Generation". Gold Coast Bulletin. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Amy Cushway - Artist". Triple J Unearthed. Archived from the original on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"'Golden Fleece' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Retrieved 12 March 2020. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
2017 winners and nominees: "And the ARIA Award Goes To..." Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 28 November 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
2018 winners and nominees: Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) (28 November 2018). "And the ARIA Award Goes To..." Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 10 March 2020.
2019 winners and nominees: "2019 ARIA Award Winners Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 27 November 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
2020 nominees: "ARIA Awards 2020 Nominees". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 16 October 2020.
^Reid, Poppy (1 October 2021). "Q&A: Rage More Founder Shane Billings". The Industry Observer (TIO). The Music Network. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Full List of Winners". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2018. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
^"Most Played Australian Work". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2018. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
^"Song of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
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