With over 12 million albums sold, a billion streams, and more than five million fans reached in live shows worldwide, Amy Macdonald has long earned her place among the UK’s most beloved singer-songwriters. Now, she returns with Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For? — her sixth studio album and perhaps her most personal to date. Launching with the title track and a strikingly surreal music video directed by Jackson Ducasse, the record captures Amy’s trademark blend of uplifting honesty, cathartic storytelling, and anthemic energy.
Set for release on July 11th via Infectious Music, the album marks a bold new chapter in Amy’s journey — one shaped by resilience, reflection, and her sharp eye on both internal and external worlds. In this exclusive interview, Amy opens up about the emotional terrain behind the music, the freedom of ‘winging it,’ and how performing live remains the heart of it all.
The album’s title, Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For?, feels like a question both to yourself and your listeners. Was there a specific moment or feeling that led you to choose that title, and does it reflect any pressure you’ve felt creatively or personally?
I think with the advent of streaming and everything being online, it can make you feel like you should be touring and making music constantly. There were times when I felt guilty because people were asking me why I wasn’t on tour. I’ve always been an artist who writes all my own songs, so it takes me a bit of time to get things right. I was just thinking about music and touring, and that line just came to me.
The album explores themes like survival, breaking free from toxic patterns, and letting go of expectations. Did making this record feel like a release in itself? Was there a particular song that felt especially cathartic to write or record?
It can be quite stressful recording an album. You don’t have a lot of time, and you just want it to be perfect, so I think the release will actually come when it’s out and people can hear the tracks – at that point, I can’t worry anymore. I definitely work myself up and overthink things. The best part will be when I get on tour and can just relax and finally enjoy it.
You’ve said that the title track was inspired by seeing The Sphere in Las Vegas. How do you usually process such visual, visceral experiences into sound? Was this a new way of working for you?
I was blown away seeing all the videos of U2 in The Sphere – I just thought it was incredible. Bringing all those amazing visuals together with their iconic music in that building gave me goosebumps. As an artist, you dream of gigs like that. I was excited, and the song came together really easily afterwards. I’m pretty easygoing when it comes to writing – I have no set way of doing anything; I just go with the flow.
In tracks like “Trapped” and “I’m Done (Games That You Play)”, there’s a strong sense of reclaiming control and identity. Were these songs born from personal experiences or more from observing others around you?
I’m definitely a watcher – I observe what happens around me and find inspiration in that. I’ve always been terrible at saying no – I don’t like upsetting people, so I end up agreeing to stuff that doesn’t work for me just to make others happy. I’ve started to realise that I need to stop doing that, and these songs are about having the ability to just say no. I’m not quite there yet, but we’ll get there.
“The Hope” and “Forward” sound like they might carry a more optimistic thread. Did you deliberately structure the album to move from struggle to something more uplifting, or did the story reveal itself as you wrote?
I wasn’t ever trying to write songs in a particular way – they just kind of happened. The Hope is actually about the pitfalls of supporting the Scotland national team. I went to Germany last summer to support them in the Euros and we were absolutely terrible. I went there with visions of us winning the tournament (like all Scots), only to watch Germany batter us. In that moment, the opening line of The Hope was born. We didn’t win, but we had a bloody great time anyway. That’s what being Scottish is all about.
“It’s All So Long Ago” seems like a reflective closer. Is that track about personal nostalgia or a broader look at change over time, both in life and in the music industry?
This one’s about looking back on my life. I wrote it with my bandmate Adam – I met him when I was 17, and he’s been there ever since. We’ve been on this crazy ride, and we literally spent an hour laughing about all the ridiculous situations we’ve found ourselves in over the years. After that, It’s All So Long Ago came together. I think it’s something anyone can relate to – those people who’ve been by your side forever, who share all your memories. Life is essentially about making memories.
You worked with producers like Nicolas Rebscher and Jim Abbiss, both with strong yet different sonic fingerprints. What did each bring to this project that helped shape the sound of this new era?
We spent some time in Berlin working with Nico. It was great because he’s like me – a quick worker, doesn’t mess about, and gets it done. We worked really well together. I’d made a playlist of songs I was loving at that time, and Nico just got it – he was so on it that I knew my tunes were in great hands. I’d worked with Jim on my last record and we had such a laugh doing it – it just flowed. I was buzzing to get him back on board again.
The title track has this huge, live-show energy. Was the goal to create songs that already feel “tour-ready”? Were you thinking about how the album would live on stage while in the studio?
I actually don’t think that far ahead – if anything, I usually make it harder for myself by writing these huge songs that are ridiculously hard to sing, and then I forget that I need to perform them every night for months on end! Next time I’m going to make sure I think about that beforehand. With this song, I was just making a tune that I’d love to listen to myself. I love big, bold, catchy tunes. I’d listen to this myself, and that’s all I was after.
There’s a kind of freedom and boldness in the arrangements – it almost feels like you were challenging yourself to push beyond the expected Amy Macdonald sound. Was there a moment when you thought, “I’ve never done this before, but let’s go for it”?
I don’t ever try to sound a particular way – I just go with the flow. It’s hard because you can never really win. Some people will say it sounds the same as my other records, and others will say it’s too different. At this stage, I just make music that I like – that my bandmates and team like – and we go from there and hope my fans like it too.
You’ve spoken about the pressures of the constant treadmill of content and streaming. How does performing live give you that sense of connection that can sometimes get lost in the digital noise?
Performing live is where you connect. I spend entire gigs just picking people out in the audience and smiling at them – that’s my favourite part. Nothing will ever replace that connection. It means so much to me that people have spent their hard-earned cash on my show, so having that connection and showing them how much it means is the best part of my job.
With the arena tour ahead, especially the Glasgow Hydro show, how are you envisioning the live experience for this album? Is there a particular song you’re most excited or nervous to perform for the first time?
I’ve actually played a few of these songs already – I had a great show at a festival in Switzerland and asked the audience not to film because I didn’t want people’s first experience of these songs to be on a grainy phone video. It was amazing – there wasn’t a phone in sight for the entire gig. I think people realised how nice it was to just be in the moment. Anyway, playing the songs for the first time is the hardest part – after that, it becomes much more relaxed. These songs lend themselves really well to live performance. I have a brilliant band, and we’ll spend time getting it perfect.
You mention your fans in the album notes. How have they shaped your confidence and creative direction over the years? Has their feedback ever led you to rethink a song, message, or even an album title?
I just want people to know how much I appreciate them. I think sometimes artists assume that people will be by your side forever. I know that’s not true, and I never want anyone to think I take that support for granted. I always take feedback from reactions at live shows – it’s so easy to tell what songs are working from the audience’s reaction.
You mention “winging it” in your own words, which is refreshingly honest. How does that mindset help or hinder your creative process? Is “winging it” your secret sauce at this point?
I wish I wasn’t winging it, but it’s the truth. I close my eyes and hope for the best. In nearly 20 years of doing this job, I’ve never felt like I know what I’m doing. In fact, the older I’ve got, the more I feel like I haven’t got a clue.
What’s something you allowed yourself to let go of during the making of this album, and what’s something new you had to embrace?
I get involved in the technical side of everything, and it can be quite overwhelming. I’m so involved in it all. But this time it’s been amazing because we’ve got such a great team – my management, label, and promo team. I just feel like I’ve finally got the perfect group around me. They’re all fighting on my behalf, which meant I was able to chill a bit more and just let them get on with it. I’ve totally embraced that.
If someone listens to this album from beginning to end, what’s the one emotion or message you hope they walk away with?
The feeling I had when Scotland qualified for the Euros. Not the feeling I had when Scotland were actually at the Euros.
