Teenage songstress Eve showcasing her original sound at Evolution Emerging festival

Eve Simpson on stage at Bents Park last year.

Eve Simpson will be performing a set of her original songs at Evolution Emerging tomorrow night.

She’ll take to the stage for a 30-minute slot at Ernest, in Ouseburn, Newcastle, at 7.30pm.

Eve Simpson was the Gazette's Young Performer of the Year 2015.

The 17-year-old, of Marsden, said: “You have to apply for a slot at the festival and it’s something that I’ve always admired and always wanted to do.

“Artists like the Lake Poets and Natasha Haws have done it before so I just applied and didn’t really expect it to go anywhere but then got an email telling me I’d got through.

“I was flabbergasted, I was so over the moon. It’s always been a thing that even if I didn’t go into music properly I wanted to do, and it’s amazing to be given the opportunity.”

Eve, who was the Gazette’s Young Performer of the Year 2015, is an A-level student at King’s Priory, in Tynemouth, and has been sitting exams this week.

She added: “I’m really buzzing about the gig. Even though it’s quite nerve-wracking it’s a good way to wind down after a week of exams to be able to do something I love so much.

“Everyone is going along to listen to people’s original songs so it’s going to be a lovely, appreciative audience.

“I’ve got 30 minutes so I’m going to do about seven songs, and I write about all sort of things, it’s quite random really.

“People say different things about writing, that you should do the melody first or the lyrics first, but I can never really sit down to write a song, they just come to me, usually when I’m busy doing something else. I’ll get an idea and I have to stop and write it down.

“Some of my songs are quite political, about austerity and feminism, but I’ve got ones about growing up and my mam and dad as well.

“It’s going to be a great day, even just for the chance to see other artists and be inspired by them.”

Eve also has a string of upcoming gigs as part of band Kathryn Tickell & Superfolkus.

Kathryn, a folk musician who plays with Northumbrian Pipes, got in touch with Eve after she saw her supporting Beth Nielsen Chapman at the Sage Gateshead.

Eve said: “She got in touch with a few people who write their own music to put together the band and wants to bring folk music to a younger generation.”

The band has gigs in Durham and Hexham next week and will be playing at the Lindisfarne & Sidmouth Festival later this year. Check the band’s Twitter @superfolkus for gig dates.