A RUGBY record label celebrated chart success thanks to the impressive performance of one of their youngest artists.
Rugby and London-based record label Big Help Management presented 14-year-old Frankie Warren-Waller with a royalty cheque after the success of her official chart release of Ed Sheeran’s song Thinking Out Loud.
The track was recorded at Rugby’s award-winning Strawhouse Studios alongside professional players as part of a compilation featuring the best young musicians from the Midlands.
Frankie is a member of the Big Help Academy – a development programme for teenagers across the county hoping to showcase their skills.
Record company managing director Dutch Van Spall surprised Frankie when he visited her weekly training evening to hand over the cheque in front of her fellow artists and Academy music director Nicky Stewart.
Nicky, proud of the achievements of one of her young protégés, said: “We work at professional industry level in the Academy and teach best practice in all areas of skills development and live experience.
“Frankie may only be 14 but she has earned the respect of other industry professionals and clearly the public love the track.
“This is well deserved and I can’t think of a better way to endorse the talents and hard work of a young artist. This will be a huge inspiration for all our young performers.”
Mr Van Spall added how the academy gives young singers to experience what it is like compete against household names.
He said: “Frankie is the youngest artist we have ever paid a royalty cheque to; however, age is irrelevant if the public like the record, they will listen to it and buy it.
“We fully expect to be raising more cheques for emerging teenage artists in the future. This area is rich with talented musicians and this is just the starting point for this talented young artist.”
Frankie celebrated her success with her mum, Treena, who said the experience had given her “a real confidence boost.”
