Gabrielle Aplin : A Girl Who Made It

I felt like I was having a hard time finding someone to write about today. I kept coming across decent covers, okay covers, a couple "not so good" covers and a few good ones too, but I couldn't find what I was looking for. I searched for a couple hours until I stumbled upon this incredibly magnetic little girl. I honestly don't know how old she is but if you see this video, you'll get what I mean. I wasn't expecting anything special but the second she opened her mouth I was hooked. I actually exclaimed "Yes!". I felt a little ridiculous doing that but this cover truly blew my mind. It's a cover of Bob Dylan's masterpiece "The Times They Are A-Changin'". I'm hoping you say "Yes!" too, this is phenomenal. Have a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqbgoiF6nZY

Fantastic, right? So few artists can get away with such a sharp and high vocal. But somehow hers has a soft edge that draws you in. I've gotta say that the video is perfect for the song too. I think it's the sort of thing Dylan himself would go for. But who knows, the man is a genius. I have a feeling Gabrielle is a genius too. It's rare that you hear someone for a couple seconds and know you want to keep listening for a long time. And may I just say...I thought she was going to say something at the end of that video, I really didn't expect her to do that. It made me laugh me though.

I obviously subscribed to her channel in those first few seconds too. I was addicted. I went through her videos and came across a ton of great covers. And although I usually write about two covers and one original, I can't bare but write about two originals and one cover with Gabrielle. She's an exceptional songwriter and something about her voice just touches my soul. I don't know if it'll do the same for you, but I'm certainly glad that I came across this stunning musician. She's natural, she's real and she's got me listening. Here's an original called "Panic Cord".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLdTcr98fSs

Beautiful song. And I realise that she's got her own channel (on which the cover was posted), as well as a VEVO channel, where the original was posted. Subscribe to both, won't you? She's worth it and I'm incredibly happy that she's finding success with her music. It's a pretty big deal to be heard, and I know Gabrielle's got a long way to go. I just hope she's got the faith to go on.

And, the last original I'd like you to check out is just a measure of how popular she has become. The song is called "Please Don't Say You Love Me" and it's just brilliant! It's got that folky sound and is intensified by Gabrielle's unique voice. The video is stunning too. I love when I find a Youtube artist who is making it. It's incredibly inspiring to everyone else. It's easy to lose hope when people aren't interested in what you love, but when people are listening, the feeling is incredible. Don't forget to check out Gabrielle's Facebook page for updates, she might be playing near you. I hope she's playing in London when I get back this Fall! Check back tomorrow for another fantastic artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxNYvk_0Onw

Alex Hamel