f54 presents
Courtney Hadwin
The Grove
09.02.26
There are some voices that genuinely make you stop in your tracks–Courtney Hadwin is one of them. In 2025, the Durham born singer songwriter is unveiling her long awaited debut album, which will showcase her once in a generation talent for all to hear.
Many will already know of Hadwin thanks to her famed audition on America’s Got Talent in 2018. In what rapidly became one of the most viewed auditions in the show’s history, the 13 year old Hadwin visibly nervous as she stood infront of the judges and a huge live audience blew everyone away with a fearless rendition of Otis Redding’s 1968 classic “Hard to Handle”. A huge Janis Joplin fan, judge Howie Mandel leapt for the Golden Buzzer after telling her how Hadwin’s glass shattering voice reminded him of thelegendary rock artist.
Six years later, Hadwin has endured plenty of ups and downs. Yet these trials have been poured into the record songs of experience making for a phenomenal, and confident, debut. Written and produced with Grammy winning songwriter/producer Kevin Bowe (Etta James, Joe Cocker) in his hometown of Minneapolis, each track fizzes with her irrepressible spirit. “They’re coming of age songs, written either when I was going through the worst of times or when I felt on top of the world,” Hadwin explains. “I’m both nervous and excited to be putting them out into the world, as this is the most personal I’ve ever been in my songwriting. It’s the story so far.”
Single “Spellbound” is dynamite a punchy punk rock tune loaded up with snarling guitar riffs and jangling percussion. “Me and Kevin had a couple of extra days left over after recording a bunch of songs, so we decided to use the time and ended up with this,” Hadwin says with a grin. “Before I left for America, I’d been in this situation where I was completely obsessed with someone, and ‘Spellbound’ just kind of popped out.” She howls and hollers, perfectly capturing the messiness of a teenage crush with a tongue in cheek bridge and the anthemic, singalong chorus: “I’m spellbound baby and I can’t say no/ Follow you to hell if it’s where you wanna go.”
From a young age, Hadwin demonstrated a curiosity and understanding of music beyond her years. Her dad, Paul Hadwin, whom she fondly calls her biggest supporter, remembers his then three year old daughter belting out “Crazy” by Aerosmith around the house, driving her family, well, crazy. When she was just nine years old, she realised that becoming a musician was her dream, and she began to pursue it with true conviction. “I was that kid in school who didn’t go to parties, I didn’t go out on the weekends,” she shrugs. “I’d be at home, focusing on music it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
You may also like the following events from F54:
- Next Thursday, 4th December, 07:30 pm, DONAE'O // Cluny 2 in Newcastle Upon Tyne
- Next month, 10th December, 07:30 pm, THE NORTHERN BOYS // The Grove, Newcastle in Newcastle Upon Tyne
- Next month, 15th December, 07:30 pm, LAURA STEVENSON + Helen Chambers // Cluny 2, Newcastle in Newcastle Upon Tyne
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