Meet Birdy.

There are a few things I love about traveling. One of the best things about it is every time before I go I try and find a new artist that people are talking about yet I have yet to really give a time of day. I download their album, I listen to the entire thing either on the plane, or in the car and in most cases I am floored by my discoveries. 

Well I got a gem this past week. Her name is Birdy. Yes Birdy.

I don't know how the UK is doing it but they are producing some of the absolute best artists that I have heard over the past few years. Okay you ready for this girls story. Its a good one. 

Birdy was born in May of 1996 in Lymington, England. Yes I know this makes me feel like a huge slacker. Her mother was a concert pianist and Birdy learned to play piano at the age of seven and starting writing her own music at the age of eight. She currently is a student at the Priestlands School in Lymington. A small school that specializes in performing and visual arts. 

It was here in 2008 where she got the courage at the age of 12 to not only compete but win the UK talent contest Open Mic UK. She won both the under 18 category and the Grand Prize against over 10,000 other competitors. After the competition she was quickly offered a publishing contract with a label out of the UK who had worked with such previous artists as David Gray. 

In 2011 at the age of 15, she released a cover version of Bon Iver's song "Skinny Love" The song was her first hit on the UK Singles Chart. After this success she found many other success in covering such songs as "The A Team" by Ed Sheeran and "Shelter" by The XX's. 

Here is the Skinny Love cover:

Finally in debut album was released in July of 2011, where it has been breaking chart records ever since in the UK, Netherlands and in Belgium. 

Then last week happened. Last week she made her US debut on both the Ellen show and by contributing to the highly successful Hunger Games Soundtrack. 

I remember being in my kitchen fixing some food when I heard this voice come out from behind me. I couldn't believe that I was hearing a voice of someone so young. After going out and immediately buying her album it did not leave my headphones for my entire trip. I am officially obsessed. Her voice is just so pure, so simple and so perfect. It is exactly why I love music. 

Now to talk about the song that really solidified my obsession. "People Help the People". This song is one of the more amazing songs I've heard in a long while. The message of it to me is simple. Its about not judging people before you know them. That person may be crying because they have just lost a relative. That guy may be sleeping in doorways because no one was there to help him. This song is all about not judging a book by its cover. Just because we don't know somebody, it doesn't mean we can't help them. We are all human beings and should be there for each other, no matter who, when or where.

"God knows what is hiding, in that world of little consequence

Behind the tears, inside the lies

A thousand slowly dying sunsets

God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts

I guess the loneliness came knocking 

No one needs to be alone, oh save me

People help the people

And if your homesick, give me your hand and I'll hold it

People help the people

Nothing will drag you down

Oh and if I had a brain, Oh and if I had a brain

I'd be cold as a stone and rich as as the fool

That turned, all those good hearts away"