Amy Allen (songwriter)

Amy Allen
Amy Allen in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Amy Rose Allen
Origin	South Portland, Maine, U.S.
Genres	Indie rock indie pop bluegrass folk
Occupations	Songwriter singer record producer
Instruments	Bass vocals guitar
Years active	2015–present
Labels	Warner APG AWAL
Formerly of	Amy & The Engine

Amy Rose Allen is an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. She has been credited with songwriting work on commercially successful releases performed by music industry artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Tate McRae, Halsey, Rosé, and Shawn Mendes, among others.^[1]

Allen was nominated for the inaugural Songwriter of the Year at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards for her work on releases by King Princess, Alexander 23, Lizzo, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter, and Harry Styles.^[2] At the same ceremony, she won Album of the Year for her to contribution to the latter's Harry's House (2022).

Amy Allen grew up in Windham, Maine, with her parents and two sisters. While in elementary school, Allen played bass in her sister's band Jerks of Grass, and as a teenager, she played folk and bluegrass music at bars and pubs. Allen attended Boston College and later graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston.^[3] While at Berklee, Allen was taught by singer and producer Kara DioGuardi.^[4]

In 2015, Allen was featured in Teen Vogue, after releasing two solo EPs.^[5] Allen began her career by working on a number of solo projects and formed Amy & The Engine, a four-piece indie pop rock group, before relocating to New York for a year.^[6] The band released their first single "Last Forever" on February 14, 2015. TandeMania, their debut EP, was released on September 22, 2016.^[7]

Amy & The Engine announced their EP Get Me Outta Here! in 2017 and an East Coast tour in the summer of 2017 and a US tour in 2018.^[8] Allen described the sound of Get Me Outta Here! as being "a bit darker and heavier than the first".^[9] Amy & The Engine released the EP's lead single "Chasing Jenny" in January 2017. Allen relocated to Los Angeles in November 2017, where she began collaborating with Scott Harris and eventually signed to Artist Publishing Group.^[3] Allen subsequently began writing and producing music with other singers, including Glades and JELLO.

In 2018, Allen co-wrote "Back to You" with Selena Gomez, and "Without Me" with Halsey which reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100.^[10] In 2019, Allen signed to Warner Records, and it was expected that her debut solo album would be released the following year.^[11] That same year, Allen collaborated with Harry Styles on his single "Adore You", and collaborated with Halsey once more on the single "Graveyard". Allen also collaborated with alternative rock band Pvris on their 2019 EP, Hallucinations.^[12] She was named as one of Variety's "2019 Hitmakers" for the single "Without Me".^[13]

In January 2020, Allen was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 in Music.^[14] She has been announced as a panelist for the 2020 ASCAP Experience.^[15] On January 22, 2020, it was announced that Allen would be performing at the annual St. Jude Songwriters Showcase to benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, along with Gretchen Peters.^[16] On March 9, 2020, the ASCAP Experience event was cancelled due to concerns over the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.^[17] Variety named Allen a "2020 Hitmaker" for co-writing Harry Styles' "Adore You".^[18]

After signing a recording deal with Warner Records,^[19][20] Allen released five singles over the following two years: "Queen of Silver Linings",^[21] "Difficult",^[22] "Heaven",^[23] "What a Time to Be Alive"^[24] and "One".^[25] Her debut solo EP, AWW!, was released on November 5, 2021^[26] with singles "A Woman's World" and "End of a Dark Age" having been released in the preceding two months.^[27][28]

In 2024, Allen released new singles "girl with a problem," "darkside," "even forever," and "to love me" from her debut album, "Amy Allen," released September 6, 2024. In advance of her album release, she opened for Bleachers on their 2024 European tour.

Allen’s successes with Tate McRae ("Greedy") and Sabrina Carpenter ("Feather," "Espresso," "Please Please Please") topped the Top 40 Radio charts and "Please Please Please" hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[29] Allen co-wrote every track on Carpenter’s Short n' Sweet album which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200.^[30]

In September 2024, The New York Times published a profile of Allen’s success, including quotes from collaborators including Jack Antonoff and Julia Michaels.^[31] In the same week, Allen claimed the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Songwriters chart, with thirteen songwriting credits on the Billboard Hot 100 (including all twelve tracks from Sabrina Carpenter's number one album Short n' Sweet). With this achievement, Allen became the sixth woman to reach number one on the Hot 100 Songwriters chart in the year 2024. As of the time of publication, Allen had co-written a total of 34 Hot 100 charting songs, seven of which were top 10 chart hits. Six of her songs have also hit number one on the Pop Airplay chart. Allen is only the third woman in the history of the Hot 100 Songwriters chart to capture number one without also being billed as the recording artist.^[32]

Allen has cited bands like The Cranberries and The Cure as influences on Amy & The Engine.^[9] In a 2020 interview with Variety, Allen stated that she prefers to write darker, more serious songs and that she felt the single "Adore You" was her first "feel-good song".^[33] In a 2024 New York Times article, Allen also stated that she was inspired by the "'90's" girls - Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, and Melissa Etheridge - as well as Cocteau Twins and Edie Brickell.^[31]