From survival to song: A journey through cancer and back to music
Local musician Minnie Birch was at the height of her music career. She was receiving national radio play, touring the world and regularly receiving attention from the industry press.
At the end of 2020 her album was named a Sunday Times Top 100 record of the year. Something, she felt, was finally brewing for her, and maybe 2021 would be the year she'd break through. In fact what she discovered brewing was a rare from of cancer that saw her take three years out from music making. Fast forward to 2024 and Minnie is gearing up to release her first song in four years. This is her story.
Like many musicians Minnie had dreamt of a career breaking moment. Having started performing in bands at school at the tender age of 13 she had spent many years writing, releasing, touring and honing her skills as an artist. Things were coming together for Minnie. She was getting bigger shows, growing a loyal audience and was BBC Radio 1s introducing artist of the weel. In 2020 when the lockdowns hit, Minnie, like many other musicians, was no longer able to perform and took to sharing her music through online streams. She also released her record "You're not singing anymore". Many advised her not to release and to delay until things were clearer with covid, until she could be back gigging again, but she ploughed ahead and it paid off. The album was named a Sunday Times top 100 record of the year at the end of 2021. With covid restrictions lifting and live music returning, Minnie headed in to 2021 with a feeling that this might just be her year. In May of 2021 Minnie was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma in her right arm. She was fortunate to recieve swift and successful treatment, but the journey was a challenging one. The cancer had destroyed a lot of the tissue and bone in Minnie's arm. She had removal and reconstructive surgery that has left her with reduced mobility in her right arm"I couldn't tell you the medical specifics exactly" stated Minnie "but my arm is mostly metal work and the spare fibular bone we donated from my left leg, it makes me a bit squimish to think about" Minnie undertook months of gruelling physio work, and there was no guaruntee she would get back to playing her guitar. Lots of determination, sweat and tears and she is back. "I do play differently now, I guess. I think in some ways I play better, less technical perhaps but with a lot more meaning" Minnie is now gearing up to release her first song since 2020. The song is called "All on the black"
It is a song about rock bottom. It is a song about dragging yourself out of rock bottom. It is about the magic you can still find when you’re down there, and the people who will love you through it. It is about realising that your pain is your power. "There is no obvious movie happy ending, more a series of forever believing that things will get better, dancing in the good moments and making lemonade in the darker times (or as I have always done, when life has given me lemons, make songs!) I hope it is a song that will comfort people. It isn't a pop banger to dance around the kitchen to, but it is a song that will hold you in the harder times"
"All on the black" is released on 29/11/2024 and available via all streaming services.