A teenager born and raised in the north-east is on her way to musical stardom after bagging a record deal, aged just 14.
Singer-songwriter Mayah Herlihy, born in Cove and raised in Peterhead, released her debut single On My Way on Friday and it’s already sitting top of the iTunes Country Chart.
The former St Fergus Primary and Peterhead Academy pupils moved to North Lanarkshire two years ago, where she’s wasted no time in putting her music skills – honed in the north-east – to work, becoming the youngest musician ever to be signed to Coatbridge label Main Street Records.
Miss Herlihy, now attending Brannock High School, wrote “On My Way”, a ballad inspired by her experience of life during a pandemic, during lockdown.
“As soon as I got into the studio to record it I knew that is what I wanted to do,” she said. “The response has been great and everyone has been so supportive.
“I have written a lot of songs but this is the first I have put out into the world. It was nerve-wracking as I’m so young…what if people don’t like it or nobody listens to it? But as soon as it got released it shot up the charts and people are loving it. I love having an audience and seeing their reaction.”
The former highland dancer credits her musical theatre experience in the north-east for helping calm any nerves too, while proud mum Joanne, 42, says her ties with Peterhead remain strong.
“She performed in Red Brick Theatre Group and Peterhead Panto from the age of seven until she was 12,” Mrs Herlihy added. “Mayah also won Peterhead Scottish Week’s Got Talent in 2017 singing Ava Maria.
“She returned to Peterhead in 2019 to perform again for Scottish Week and a charity event held in Peterhead Community Theatre.”
Since moving to Carfin, near Motherwell, two years ago, the keen guitarist attended open mic sessions and accepted gig offers at both King Tuts main stage and the Classic Grand venues in Glasgow.
“The guys at the studio were blown away with her talent, songwriting and her recording abilities and asked if she would sign with them,” the mum-0f-three added.
Since her debut single’s release Mayah has had a tremendous amount of support from the people of Peterhead and surrounding areas on social media.
And her single has already pipped the likes of Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash to the top the country music charts.
Since the release of the young guitarist’s debut single across Amazon and iTunes, it has reached No 1 in iTunes Country Charts and the 59 spot in its all genre chart.
She’s also sitting top of Amazon’s Hot New Releases list, four days after her debut release and is hoping to make this Friday’s UK Top 40 chart.
