Rianne Downey on her pre-show pep talk: ‘Sing your heart out and see what happens’
Rianne Downey has been forging her own musical path while simultaneously finding new fans as the vocal sparring partner of a national treasure. She chats to Fiona Shepherd about channeling Streisand and pumping up the fun
Rianne Downey is known for her mellifluous country voice and effervescent stage presence. But in a previous life she was a musical theatre student on a James McAvoy-sponsored scholarship to his alma mater, the Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland. Although she could never be accused of forgetting her roots, Downey is surprised to be asked about those teenage hoofer days. Like a consummate professional performer though, she takes the question and runs with it. ‘That’s still what I sing in the shower,’ she enthuses. ‘When I need to find myself again and remember why I’m doing this, I retreat to belting out some Barbra Streisand.’
Finding her artistic identity has been an important step for Downey. The Bellshill-born, Liverpool-based singer-songwriter is an all-rounder with an eclectic style and taste forged through hard busking experience. She probably could sing anything, such is the richness of her tone, but she has found her lane in country music with a misty-eyed Celtic twist. ‘I tried different things to be liked by everybody,’ she says, ‘but when it was time to write my debut album I had to try and shut out all the outside noise and ask, “what feels like my true calling?” I just let a song, “Nothing Better”, come out and it just felt like me. It was country, it was folky; you could two-step to it. I knew it was never going to be a big single but I was so content with it.’ However, by the time she came to release her 2025 debut album, The Consequence Of Love, she was already fixed in many fans’ minds as Paul Heaton’s new vocal foil. Downey was recruited, thanks to her online cover of ‘Rotterdam’, to take the reins when Heaton’s longtime musical partner Jacqui Abbott stepped back from touring in 2023.
Her first hometown appearance with the former Beautiful South frontman was at TRNSMT that year. ‘Before that, my biggest headline show was in King Tut’s to 300 people and then I went on in front of 30,000 people, which was crazy. I’ll never forget that gig. It was all so surreal. I was taking things a moment at a time but I was absolutely shitting myself. I thought, “sing your heart out and see what happens”. The energy just sprung out of me and I was dancing and doing all these things I’d never had the courage to do in front of anybody so it was almost as if I’d stepped into my happy place.’
Downey cannot speak highly enough about her musical mentor. ‘He’s brilliant to work with, plain and simple. It can be easy to get intimidated in front of someone like Paul but he’s just so lovely and down to earth and encouraging that all those feelings go away. He really likes to make people feel like they belong.’ Their collaboration continues on Heaton’s forthcoming album Jenius And Downey will be performing with him on his autumn arena tour.
Before then, she has a summer of her own festival shows, including a visit to her childhood holiday destination of North Berwick. Downey also has her sights set on a second solo album, to be recorded early next year. ‘This next album is definitely country and folk again but on steroids this time,’ she insists. ‘I’m going to work hard to take it up a notch. I feel like I’ve lived ten lives since I first started my debut album so I’ve got a lot more to say and I’m not so scared of it this time. I know that will translate into the music and be a lot more fun.’
Rianne Downey, The Famous Grouse Lodge, North Berwick, 1 August, 7.30pm.