Glasgow country artist Erin Ponsonby is heading north this summer for Dornoch Music & Beer Festival, joining a Friday line-up that also includes The Tumbling Paddies, Harleymoon Kemp, Glasville, Martin Bannon and Lucy Tay.
Ahead of her first performance at the festival, Erin spoke to IGigs about playing in the Highlands, the early busking years, songwriting, Scotland’s growing country scene, and what comes next.
You’re heading up to Dornoch this summer. What are you most looking forward to about playing in the Highlands?
Me and the band are super excited to be coming to Dornoch this summer. It’ll be our first time performing there, so we’re really looking forward to playing for a new audience and meeting everyone at the festival.
As an emerging artist from Glasgow, opportunities like this are incredibly important. Festivals give us the chance to introduce our music to people who may not have come across us before, and there’s nothing better than connecting with new listeners through a live performance.
We’ll also be playing a couple of brand new songs that the band and I have been working on for my upcoming EP, so we’re especially excited to share those with a live audience for the first time and see how people respond.
You taught yourself guitar at 14 and then came through busking and constant live gigs. How much did those early years shape the performer you are now?
Starting out busking and playing open mic nights really helped build my confidence as a young performer. It gave me the chance to play in front of different audiences, meet new people and musicians, and gain valuable gigging experience.
Those early opportunities also encouraged me to start writing my own songs and helped me build connections within the Glasgow music scene, which led to gaining support slots for other artists within the industry. Every step along the way has helped shape me into the artist I am today.
Your debut EP, Little Town, still feels like an important part of your story. Does that earlier material still feel close to who you are creatively when you play it now?
My songwriting and musical style have definitely evolved over the years. I started out writing acoustic pop/folk music, whereas today my sound sits firmly within the country genre. That said, my earlier songs still play an important role in my live shows.
At the heart of everything I write is storytelling. My songs are inspired by my own personal experiences, and that remains the foundation of the music I create today.
I love performing my older material because it allows people to see the journey and progression of my artistry over the years. I also think it’s important to include a mix of songs in my set, as someone in the audience might connect more with one of my earlier tracks than with a newer release, so it’s great to have something that resonates with everyone.
Your music balances warmth, heartbreak and humour in a way Scottish crowds really seem to connect with. Were there artists early on that made you want to write songs like that yourself?
Very early on, I took a lot of inspiration from artists like Ed Sheeran, John Mayer and the early music of Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves. It’s quite a mixed bag in terms of genre and songwriting style, but the common thread between them is their ability to tell a story through their music.
I’ve always been drawn to songs where the acoustic guitar is just as important as the vocal. I still write all my songs on acoustic guitar before building the production around them, and I think that approach has definitely been influenced by the artists I grew up listening to.
For me, great songwriting has always been about honest storytelling, and that’s something I’ve carried with me throughout my career, regardless of how my sound has evolved.
You’ve gone from busking to major stages and another Scottish Country Music Awards Songwriter of the Year nomination this year. Have you had a moment recently where it all properly sank in?
It’s been a whirlwind the last couple of years, especially since the country scene in Glasgow has taken off. My life was completely different just a few years ago, and I’m loving the surge of country events and festivals across the UK.
This has opened so many doors for me, not only within the country scene, but it has also allowed me to build friendships with like-minded people who love the genre and lifestyle just as much as I do.
My song Country Side of Town reflects the community I have around me now, and I wanted to dedicate a song not only to my close friends, but to everyone who has been part of my journey within the country scene, whether that be coming to my gigs, line dancing with me at dance classes or on nights out, or simply being a massive support to me.
Between playing on iconic stages and festivals that I’ve always dreamed of performing at, and being nominated for awards for my songwriting, I don’t necessarily think there has been a specific moment where it has all sank in. But with every opportunity and every bit of support that I receive, I often find myself reflecting on how far I’ve come since the girl who first taught herself to play guitar.
Your songs feel very conversational and honest. Are you someone who writes quickly from instinct, or do you tend to overthink every line?
My songwriting process is different from song to song. Sometimes an idea comes to me and the lyrics just flow, and I can have a complete song written within an hour.
Other times, I’m slowly building a song by collecting ideas in the notes app on my phone or recording little melodies and lyric ideas over weeks or even months before eventually bringing everything together.
As most of my songs are inspired by personal experiences, the lyrics can often be quite literal, so there’s not much overthinking involved. On the other hand, there are times when I spend more time rephrasing or reimagining my experiences in a way that feels relatable, allowing listeners to connect with the song and find their own meaning in it.
Between the new music and festival dates like Dornoch, it feels like things are building nicely for you just now. What are you most excited about heading into the rest of the year?
I’m really excited to be working on my second EP and getting new music out into the world. My band and I will be performing at the Summer in Nashville Festival in both Aberdeen and Glasgow, as well as several other country-themed events throughout the year.
And to give you an exclusive, we’re super thrilled to announce that we’ll be headlining The Garage Attic in Glasgow on Friday 27th November, with some very special guests joining us. It’s going to be a fantastic night, so make sure to follow my socials for all the details on shows and new music.
Erin Ponsonby plays Dornoch Music & Beer Festival on Friday 17 July 2026, with the festival taking place across Friday 17 and Saturday 18 July at The Meadows, Dornoch. Tickets are available via Eventbrite, with further information through the official Dornoch Music & Beer Festival website.Â
